AUGUST 2021 E-NEWSLETTER

ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE 

CAPE MAY TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION CONVENES ANNUAL MEETING

Senator Testa to keynote on State Issues; Mayor Mullock to review the State of the City Budget
 
Following a two-year hiatus due to State imposed Covid restrictions, the Cape May Taxpayers Association will hold its annual meeting on Thursday August 12 at 1PM in the Cape May City Hall Auditorium.
 
State Senator Michael L. Testa Jr. will be the featured speaker and will be discussing a variety of issues of concern to the taxpayers of Cape May, including school funding and tourism.
 
Senator Testa represents the 1st Legislative District which includes the City of Cape May and has served our district since 2019. The Senator is a member of both the Joint Committee on the Public Schools, and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, as well as the Judiciary and Labor Committees. Senator Testa is a graduate of both Villanova and Temple Universities and is a partner in the law firm Testa Heck Testa and White, P.A. in Vineland.
 
Mayor Zack Mullock will present an overview of municipal revenues and budgets, shared services, municipal infrastructure needs, and planned capital projects. 
 
In addition, the Association will conduct annual organizational matters and review the status of issues affecting taxpayers. 
 
The annual meeting of the membership is held prior to Labor Day at a time and place and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Notice of each annual or special meeting shall be given to each member either by email or by publication, at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.
 
All members of the Association in good standing are encouraged to attend and participate with their thoughts, comments, and suggestions.
 
 Members of the public are also encouraged to attend and observe.

MUNICIPAL TAXATION AND REVENUE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MTRAC)

In January 2021, the newly installed Cape May City Council created the MTRAC. Council also acted swiftly to appoint the Municipal Taxation and Revenue Advisory Committee. The new City Council committed to investigating alternative sources of revenue, and to consider new and innovative ways to finance and budget for the provision of municipal services, to maintain a stable tax and ratable base, and to maintain the City’s property taxes at the minimum level necessary to provide those necessary services.

The CMTPA first recommended the formation of this committee in 2019 to conduct a comprehensive and objective examination of the way the City raises and spends revenue, and to craft progressive recommendations to improve that process.

The MTRAC began its work in February 2021 and to date has made 5 recommendations to the Council on a range of revenue and budgeting measures. These include the recently adopted increased in the Hotel and Motel Occupancy Tax and the Occupancy Tax on Internet Residential Rentals, these go into effect January 1, 2022.

Also recommended were policies requiring:

• fiscal impact analysis on all resolutions and ordinances,
   
• clear policies on the awarding of employee stipends,
   
• negotiations with the federal representatives to compensate Cape May Taxpayers for the extraordinary cost of educational services to federal dependents, and
   
• the adoption of a comprehensive ordinance governing the commercial use of residential properties.

The full text for each of these five recommendations is posted on the CMTPA Website.