Each year municipalities across the county have an item on the agenda of their governing body that has become routine: It is when the administration of the municipality reports to the governing body on the results of the annual state best-practice survey.
The survey comes with the threat that part of the state’s final formula aid payment will be withheld if a minimum score is not achieved by the municipality.
The municipal best-practices survey, often dubbed inventory, assesses each of the state’s municipalities in terms of compliance with various laws and evaluates the implementation of fiscal and operational best practices. Each year the number of questions varies, and the focus of the questions may shift.
In 2023, for example, the inventory featured new and repeat questions on a range of 15 topic areas from ethics to procurement, from cybersecurity to solid waste management, from budgets to the environment.
There were a total of 67 questions across three scoring categories. The 2023 survey included 15 new scored questions; there was a total of 48 scored questions that could produce as many as 42 points. Positive credit for questions that are not scored can help offset areas where a municipality did not receive points on a scored question. A minimum score of 29 was needed to receive full aid.
All Cape May County municipalities scored above the minimum. A table showing final scores for 2023 follows:
| Best Practice | Minimum |
| Scores 2023 | Needed 29 |
| Upper Township | 40 |
| West Cape May | 40 |
| Ocean City | 39.5 |
| Cape May City | 39 |
| Dennis Township | 39 |
| Wildwood Crest | 39 |
| Cape May Point | 38 |
| Lower Township | 38 |
| Middle Township | 38 |
| Wildwood City | 38 |
| Avalon | 37.5 |
| Sea Isle City | 36.5 |
| Stone Harbor | 36 |
| North Wildwood | 36 |
| Woodbine | 35 |
| West Wildwood | 33 |
Members of the public interested in reading the questions and each municipality’s answers for the 2023 survey can find them here.
The 2024 survey results were due to the state on Oct. 25 and are not yet available on the Department of Community Affairs website. In 2024 the survey had a total of 69 questions, of which 52 were scored questions. A minimum score of 35 was needed for full aid disbursement. There were 11 new scored questions.
Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
