CAPE MAY – At the City Council meeting July 19, Deputy Mayor Stacy Sheehan renewed her call for putting City Manager Michael Voll’s job up for advertising and competition.
Voll has been in the role for almost two years. He has worked under a series of one-year contracts, which is unusual in terms of administrator positions in other county municipalities.
Under Cape May’s form of government, the city manager serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the city and is charged with overall oversight of the city’s departments and personnel. The position has been somewhat volatile since the retirement of long-serving Bruce McCloud, who left following the 2016 municipal elections.
Neil Young, currently the city’s chief financial officer (CFO), replaced McCloud as city manager, but resigned and returned to his role as CFO when his initial three-year term expired.
Young was replaced by Jerry Inderwies Jr. in February 2020, but Inderwies chose to resign after serving only one year in the role. His action was prompted by the change in administration following the 2020 elections.
In response to Sheehan’s call for advertising the city manager position or beginning the negotiations with Voll now, Mullock pointed to the fact that four members of the five-person governing body will be up for reelection in November. He said the council that emerges from that election process should be the one to make the appointment of a city manager.
Circumstances surrounding the resignation of Council member Chris Bezaire are partly responsible for the large number of current council seats up for election. Only Mayor Zack Mullock will not have to campaign for reelection in November. The council members whose terms will require putting their seats on the ballot are Sheehan, Shaine Meier, Lorraine Baldwin, and Michael Yeager.
