WILDWOOD – Mayor Gary DeMarzo will be keeping that title, having decided to relinquish his job as a city police officer following a court ruling from earlier today (Wednesday, May 26).
This afternoon, Superior Court Judge Valerie Armstrong ruled that DeMarzo would be restrained from taking any official actions as mayor until he made a choice between his elected office and his policeman’s job.
DeMarzo didn’t wait long. He made an announcement at the Wildwood Commissioners meeting tonight that he’ll keep the mayoral seat.
In February, an appeals court decided that DeMarzo had to make a choice because he was forced to abstain from many commission votes because of a conflict of interests. The appellate ruling said the residents of Wildwood weren’t being fairly represented by DeMarzo because of the conflicts.
The appeals court overturned two lower court decisions that had allowed DeMarzo to perform his mayoral duties.
The trial court case, decided by Superior Court Judge Joseph Visalli (now retired) and upheld by Armstrong, allowed DeMarzo to remain on unpaid leave as long as he, as a commissioner, recused himself from voting on matters related to the police department on a case-by-case basis.
The appellate judges didn’t go for that arrangement and gave DeMarzo 20 days to choose. That was over three months ago.
Wildwood police Lt. Richard Adair brought the matter before the courts because the city was not enforcing the appellate decision.
DeMarzo was hired in February 1998 as a full-time police officer. He has been on an unpaid leave of absence from the police force since May 2007, when he was elected to city commission. He placed himself on a city layoff list earlier this year.
DeMarzo’s salary as a police officer was over $70,000. He makes only $20,000 as a commissioner.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
