CREST HAVEN – Members of the public confronted the county commissioners last week over what they claimed was rude or condescending behavior toward the residents they represent.
The board passed a resolution on Feb. 11 creating Rules of Order for giving public comment and prohibiting expressions of approval or disagreement, such as clapping, booing or shouting from the audience. The rules also limit speech that is “repetitive, truculent, or in a manner that interrupts fair and efficient operation of the meeting.” The rules also advise the public not to engage in “personal, impertinent or slanderous discourse.”
But in a bit of “turnabout is fair play,” on June 24 some members of the public said the commissioners were disrespecting residents with their comments, were engaging in eye-rolling and facial expressions showing contempt, and were making remarks that were being picked up by the recording microphones in front of them.
“I know you don’t want video,” resident Hayley McFadden said, “but since you have the microphones there in front of you, when you listen back to the recordings, we can hear you guys talking about us and each other – so just be careful with that.”
McFadden’s comments came near the end of the public comment portion of the meeting, which began with a statement by Bill Wheaton of Villas. Wheaton addressed comments made about his throwing up his hands at a recent meeting and leaving before Commissioner Bobby Barr could make his comments, suggesting he was being rude to Barr.
“I’m here to address the blatant lack of respect, the use of intimidation tactics, and an overwhelming tendency to dismiss our questions on the meeting of May 27,” Wheaton said. “That behavior was evident to not only me, but to every attendee of the May 27 meeting.”
At that meeting, another resident compared her situation as a Jewish woman today with Black slaves prior to emancipation. Commissioner Melanie Collette spoke in response, saying she could not believe the “audacity” the woman had in injecting race into a discussion that had theretofore been about the future of Medicaid under the “one, big, beautiful bill” advocated by President Donald Trump.
Collette followed up at the June 10 meeting, saying the woman’s comments were “attempting to weaponize her race,” saying she is many times the only Black person in the room, but she “will not allow someone to comment and use her race to tell her how she should feel or what her values should be.”
Barr, for his part, at the May 27 meeting said he objected to politicizing an issue such as Medicaid using the matter of a person’s disability to promote a political agenda, which he said he finds offensive.
Wheaton said he is a combat veteran who uses veteran’s benefits, and he refuses to tolerate racism. He said the commissioners should respect citizens regardless of the issues being discussed.
“Instead of engaging with us, we are presented with unverified statistics from (Rep. Jeff) Van Drew’s office and other federal agencies, as we were simply expected to accept them without question,” he said. “We were talked down to and insulted regarding our intelligence. I want to make this very clear. I’m deeply upset.”
Deanna Fernandez, who followed Wheaton, echoed some of his feelings about the commissioners, saying, “On May 2, at the commissioners meeting, I was taken aback by the blatant lack of respect shown to individuals voicing their concerns.
‘People express themselves different ways, but there is a lot of eye-rolling, a lot of behavior that is inappropriate towards each other, and I’m not sure how you guys really expect everyone you put in the five-minute-long intro, asking us to respect you. But I do think it’s important for you guys to respect each other.”
The commissioners did not reply to the residents’ remarks, but thanked them for their comments.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
Commissioners Chided Over Their Responses to Residents’ Comments
Commissioners Chided Over Their Responses to Residents’ Comments
By Christopher South
CREST HAVEN – Members of the public confronted the county commissioners last week over what they claimed was rude or condescending behavior toward the residents they represent.
The board passed a resolution on Feb. 11 creating Rules of Order for giving public comment and prohibiting expressions of approval or disagreement, such as clapping, booing or shouting from the audience. The rules also limit speech that is “repetitive, truculent, or in a manner that interrupts fair and efficient operation of the meeting.” The rules also advise the public not to engage in “personal, impertinent or slanderous discourse.”
But in a bit of “turnabout is fair play,” on June 24 some members of the public said the commissioners were disrespecting residents with their comments, were engaging in eye-rolling and facial expressions showing contempt, and were making remarks that were being picked up by the recording microphones in front of them.
“I know you don’t want video,” resident Hayley McFadden said, “but since you have the microphones there in front of you, when you listen back to the recordings, we can hear you guys talking about us and each other – so just be careful with that.”
McFadden’s comments came near the end of the public comment portion of the meeting, which began with a statement by Bill Wheaton of Villas. Wheaton addressed comments made about his throwing up his hands at a recent meeting and leaving before Commissioner Bobby Barr could make his comments, suggesting he was being rude to Barr.
“I’m here to address the blatant lack of respect, the use of intimidation tactics, and an overwhelming tendency to dismiss our questions on the meeting of May 27,” Wheaton said. “That behavior was evident to not only me, but to every attendee of the May 27 meeting.”
At that meeting, another resident compared her situation as a Jewish woman today with Black slaves prior to emancipation. Commissioner Melanie Collette spoke in response, saying she could not believe the “audacity” the woman had in injecting race into a discussion that had theretofore been about the future of Medicaid under the “one, big, beautiful bill” advocated by President Donald Trump.
Collette followed up at the June 10 meeting, saying the woman’s comments were “attempting to weaponize her race,” saying she is many times the only Black person in the room, but she “will not allow someone to comment and use her race to tell her how she should feel or what her values should be.”
Barr, for his part, at the May 27 meeting said he objected to politicizing an issue such as Medicaid using the matter of a person’s disability to promote a political agenda, which he said he finds offensive.
Wheaton said he is a combat veteran who uses veteran’s benefits, and he refuses to tolerate racism. He said the commissioners should respect citizens regardless of the issues being discussed.
“Instead of engaging with us, we are presented with unverified statistics from (Rep. Jeff) Van Drew’s office and other federal agencies, as we were simply expected to accept them without question,” he said. “We were talked down to and insulted regarding our intelligence. I want to make this very clear. I’m deeply upset.”
Deanna Fernandez, who followed Wheaton, echoed some of his feelings about the commissioners, saying, “On May 2, at the commissioners meeting, I was taken aback by the blatant lack of respect shown to individuals voicing their concerns.
‘People express themselves different ways, but there is a lot of eye-rolling, a lot of behavior that is inappropriate towards each other, and I’m not sure how you guys really expect everyone you put in the five-minute-long intro, asking us to respect you. But I do think it’s important for you guys to respect each other.”
The commissioners did not reply to the residents’ remarks, but thanked them for their comments.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
Check out the new Spout Off!
Most Read
Upper Township, Developer Talk Beesley's Point
Christopher SouthAn Update for Spout Off - Still Yours, Still Cape May County’s Sounding Board
Wildwood Gets $2.3M Grant for Boardwalk-Pacific Ave. Link
Press ReleaseSecond Challenger Joins the Race Against Van Drew
Vince ContiIndictments Filed July 15
Vince ContiPrint Editions
Recommended Articles