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Because the TPA is not able to host our traditional Council Candidate Forum this
year, we offered each candidate the opportunity to address several issues of
concern to the taxpayers of Cape May.
Election 2020 Candidate Responses (PDF)- Taxpayers Association of
Cape May
Chris Bezaire
Zack Mullock
1. ISSUE: Traditional Quality of Life: Cape May is a combination of a vibrant tourist destination, within a town of
declining demographics. The resident population is aging, families are
finding it difficult to secure affordable housing and the identity of our small
town is losing its traditional quality of life.
QUESTION: What would like to see done to reverse this trend?
2. ISSUE: Property Taxes: Our Property Tax has risen 44% in 10 years. 10 years ago, our property tax
was 47% of all city revenue. This year it is 55% of that city revenue.
QUESTION: What would like to see done to reverse this trend?
3. ISSUE: Short-Term Disaster Response: City Council and our Administration have taken a wide variety of unique and
unusual actions 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.
QUESTION: Do you agree? How should the city return to our pre-Covid 19 Quality of Life?
4. ISSUE: Fiscal Operations: Despite the urgings of TPA, several months ago our City Council adopted the
stand-pat 2020 Budget. 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 is real.
Revenues are running significant deficits, Municipal Services are being altered,
and planned improvements are being delayed.
QUESTION:
What is your feeling on finding new revenue sources and/or reducing spending to address this issue?
5. ISSUE: The Sewell Tract: The Sewell Tract is 100+ acres of environmentally sensitive
wetland that will have a significant fiscal impact on taxpayers.
Two separate issues have emerged:
- the preservation of this critical
natural barrier, and
- the resolution of a 30-year ligation
between the owners of the property, the State and Federal government and a
private group of citizens who have joined the litigation.
QUESTION: What is your position on each of these issues?
Election 2020 Candidate Responses (PDF)- Taxpayers Association of
Cape May
Chris Bezaire
Zack Mullock |
