Working Together: Getting Cape May County Taxpayers their Money’s Worth

By Will Morey, CMC Freeholder 
When I first came into office, my immediate priority was to learn all I could about the drivers of the Cape May County economy. My goal was to identify the strategic program changes that could result in significant benefit.
Through intense collaboration with dedicated Open Space Review Board members and very competent county staff (and a measure of persistence), we soon came upon the realization that, leveraged and modified appropriately and strategically, the County’s Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust could be transformative. For more than two decades, the Program has collected a dedicated one penny on the county’s tax rate (approximately $4.8 million in 2016). These funds were used to purchase property for open space or for purchasing development easements on active farms. While these activities were tremendously beneficial to maintaining the rural character of our county, given the abundance of preserved lands and natural open space, we felt that it was time to take a fresh look.
We did research and found that there were a number of legislatively permitted changes that could be made to our County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Program. Knowing that working together is key, the Open Space Review Board invited all 16 Cape May County municipalities to a stakeholder briefing and input session where we discussed potential program changes and learned about each town’s priorities. With that input, we re-wrote the program to broaden its scope to include eligibility for municipal park and recreational development projects, as well as historic preservation efforts by qualified entities. It was a very simple change, but in the words of Yogi Berra, “Little Things are Big.”
As we now see these projects coming to fruition, we have found that they are providing a giant lift to our Cape May County communities, making them better and more beautiful places to live and visit. Interestingly, so many of these projects also serve to build economic activity both in their areas and the region as a whole. Thus, they are a powerful “two for one” combination.
THE RESULT:
Park and Recreational Development:
The biggest benefit from the Program rewrite has been through Park and Recreational Development, where over $15 million has been invested in two dozen projects to date. And, there will likely be no bigger impact than that of the county’s award winning Regional Bike Path System Initiative (see NJDOT Complete Streets Award video link here: www.dropbox.com/s/vor2hgyql74jsky/capemay.mp4?dl=0). Working with each of the county’s municipalities, in just three years, a bike system will be completed that runs from Cape May City and the Cape May – Lewes Ferry and connecting to both Cumberland and Atlantic counties. Along the way, there will be linkages to a wide variety of community assets throughout the county, including our barrier island communities. The connection from the Cape May County Park & Zoo to the Cape May – Lewes Ferry is already completed, and opened just a few weeks ago!
There are a great number of other park and recreation enhancements already completed and/or underway. Working in partnership with municipalities and nonprofits to pool resources, substantial development and improvements are being made to important community recreational assets. A few examples are: Ockie Recreation Complex in Middle Township, a skate park in Ocean City, improvements to Amanda’s Field in Upper Township, playgrounds in Stone Harbor, Avalon and Lower Township, and a lakeside park in Cape May Point.
In several cases, partnerships with municipalities and local community organizations have resulted in joint land acquisition/park development projects to establish community venues for community event programing that will serve as the foundation for strengthening (or even restoring) downtowns. Byrne Plaza in the heart of downtown Wildwood is a good example of such partnership, as is the 8th Street Field in North Wildwood and a small park along the 9th Street Causeway in Ocean City.
Historic Preservation:
Through a matching grant program, over $1 million has already been granted to more than a dozen historic preservation projects in the county such as: the Cape May Lighthouse, Naval Air Station Wildwood Hangar #1, the Physick Estate, Historic Cold Spring Village, the Stephen Ludlam American Legion in Stone Harbor and many more. These contributions are important to maintaining and enhancing the cultural heritage of our county, and doing so not only drives visitation and spending, but contributes to making our county a better and more interesting place to live.
The Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, without adding any additional cost to taxpayers, has become a powerful tool to substantially enhance quality of life in Cape May County and stimulate economic development while doing so. That makes for a great return on taxpayer investment and a hard combination to beat.
Ordered and paid for by CMCRRO, PO Box 1069, Wildwood, NJ 08260