Hello Again and welcome to TPA's monthly
briefing on developments impacting the
taxpayers and residents of our town.
This expansion is critical
if we are to speak on behalf of our
taxpayers. There are over 4000 commercial
and residential property taxpayers in Cape
May. We believe we must hear from every one
of them and build consensus going forward.
Please pass the word to your family, friends
and neighbors to get involved with us---and
visit our website,
www.capemaytaxpayers.com, on a regular
basis.
Revenue projections and planned
spending were not adjusted to anticipate the
fiscal and operational damage from the Covid
Lockdown that we all knew was about to
arrive. That damage is here and it's real.
Revenues are running significant deficits,
Municipal Services are being altered, and
planned improvements are being delayed.
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The impending
2021 Budget will be the next
flashpoint. Big new spending is
being planned, services will be
restored and expanded, Revenue
measures will escalate.
Your property Tax has risen
44% in 10 years.
10 years ago your property
tax was 47% of all city revenue.
This year it's 55%
Your taxes will go up......
Our City Administration will begin
building that 2021 Budget within the
next month. Let's not wait until
next March to find out what's in it.
TPA will be involved. We need your
input. |
TPA
presented City Council with a comprehensive
analysis of the impact of our City's
budgeting process on its taxpayers. This
report
The
Elephant in the Room, (check it
out) called
for the creation of a Revenue and
Budgeting Advisory Committee.
City Council agreed and unanimously created
this committee. To date no committee has
been formed. (See
The
full Council Resolution).
The fair question then becomes ----
Why has this committee not been formed?
Especially now in the face of serious
impending budget issues.
TPA will continue to ask this question. All
taxpayers should too as our elected
officials plan to spend our money. We need
your input.
on
each resolution or ordinance before it
considers and adopts those actions.
A Fiscal Note is an explanation of the cost,
budget impact and revenue source of each.
Council and the Public should
expect to know these details before and
while decisions are made.
The State Legislature imposed this
requirement on itself over 30 years ago. We
felt that it's time for Cape May to do the
same. To date, there has been no action or
response from City Council. TPA will
continue to ask why. All taxpayers
should too as our elected officials plan to
spend our money. We need your input.
City Council and our
Administration have taken a wide variety of
unique and unusual actions in order to
accommodate our businesses as they struggle
to survive what we all hope will be a short
term disaster. We view these
measures as temporary expedients to address
a crisis situation. City Council needs to
tell us all, and soon, that it shares this
view. All of us need a watchful eye
on Council's plans going into our future. It
is, after all, the Quality of Life in our
city that hangs in the balance.
Under
compliance with the Governor's declarations,
large public gatherings are prohibited, our
normal meeting places are closed to the
public, and our technology is slowly
evolving. In spite of this, we intend to
move forward.
Our Board of Directors will hold a Special
Executive Meeting in a distanced, sanitized
space at The Chalfont Hotel on September on
Thursday September 3. Public notice will be
made in the Star & Wave and on our website.
At this meeting the Board will consider
options for scheduling our Annual Meeting as
required by Article X of our
Bylaws, our traditional
Candidate Night sponsored by the TPA and the
League of Women Voters. Several pending
issues and reports postponed by the
cancellation of our August Meeting will also
be discussed.
While public attendance will not be
permitted at this meeting, we urge all
members to send any and all concerns or
question they may have to us at our email,
2020CMTPA@gmail.com. All emails received
will be read and discussed at this Special
Executive Meeting.
Under NJ law, municipalities choose the form
of government they prefer. Cape May has
chosen a Council/Manager format.
Under this format, Council
is limited to acting to two main ways:
Legislative and policymaking power of the
municipality, adopting ordinances and
resolutions including the Annual Budget. It
also appoints various professionals and the
members of boards and commissions. Council
consists of five members: an elected Mayor
and four elected Councilmembers. The Mayor's
primary function is to preside over all
meetings of the Council. The Mayor can also
participate and vote as a Council Member,
but neither the Mayor nor any member of
Council has any executive authority over the
design, staffing or provision of municipal
services.
The Manager is appointed by
the Council and is chief executive and
administrative official of municipality. The
Manager prepares Annual Budget, and is
ultimately responsible for the design and
delivery of all municipal services.
These are our current Elected Officials.
Please feel free to contact them with any
concerns, questions or suggestions you may
have regarding their legislative and
policymaking efforts.
Our City Manager is Jerry Inderwies
Jr. (609) 884-9536
CityManager@capemaycity.com.
Please feel free to contact him with any
concerns, questions or suggestions you may
have regarding our wide range on Municipal
Services.
We're sure these public servants
will welcome your input.
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