WILDWOOD CREST – The borough is establishing a new relationship for municipal court service beginning with the new year.
The Crest is entering into a new shared services agreement with Lower Township, effective with the annual reorganization meetings of both municipalities. Wildwood Crest reorganizes on Jan. 2 at 9:30 a.m., and Lower Township on Jan. 3 at 5 p.m.
Wildwood Crest Administrator Connie Mahon said moving the municipal court from North Wildwood, with which the borough had a shared services agreement since 2018, was purely a financial one. She said the borough had a 60/40 split on costs with the City of North Wildwood, with the borough paying 40% of the costs. With Lower Township, the agreement is for a flat fee.
“It was a negotiation,” Mahon said. “We were toward the end of our shared services agreement and were negotiating for a new contract, and we went with Lower.”
Mahon said the borough originally shared only the court administrator, but the agreement was expanded to share the court. She said the borough notified North Wildwood it was speaking to other towns regarding the court service, and that North Wildwood wanted more money.
Wildwood Crest paid North Wildwood $187,691 in 2023. The agreement with Lower Township is for $145,000 in 2024, $159,650 in 2025 and $164,440 in 2026.
“Basically, at the end of the day, we got a better deal for the taxpayers,” Mahon said.
She said the borough maintained its own court administrator, Angela DeRitis, who is retiring. With the retirement and the shared services agreement with North Wildwood coming to an end, the borough took the opportunity to look in a new direction.
Mahon said the borough will share the court with the same judge, prosecutor and public defender. She said the borough would honor its agreement with Judge Louis Belasco Jr., which runs until June.
She said by law the borough will have to appoint the same officials that the Lower Township court uses, and will do so at the reorganization. Other court employees will remain township employees.
Mahon said the Wildwood Crest governing body agreed unanimously on the change. She said prior to the 2018 agreement, the administrative court judge recommended to the court administrator that the borough enter into a shared arrangement for the court.
Mahon said she is happy with the agreement with Lower Township.
“Lower Township represented themselves as being very efficient and professional. The township was very helpful and courteous,” she said.
Lower Township Manager Mike Laffey said the township and borough would enter into the shared service agreement as soon as it was approved by the court vicinage. Given that approval, the municipalities are ready to make the change as of their respective reorganization meetings.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
