Freeholders Introduce Budget; Call for Parkway Fence to Go

CREST HAVEN — Bottom line for county taxpayers, the proposed $139.1-million 2012 budget, introduced by freeholders Tue., Jan. 24 will cost an average $190 per $100,000 of property assessment. That is less than a cent over the 2011 budget.
The proposed spending plan will have its public hearing at the freeholders’ Feb. 28 meeting at 4:30 p.m. at the county administration building, 4 Moore Road. For those who want to peruse the budget, it is available on the Cape May County website: www.capemaycountygov.net.
The 2011 budget was $143.7 million.
Amount to be raised from property taxes to support the budget is $94.6 million, up from $93.7 million last year. Amount of revenue other than property tax used toward the budget is $44.5 million.
Of $22.4 million in surplus, about 53 percent, or $11.9 million will be used to minimize the tax bite.
Operating expenses dropped $3.3 million to $69.8 million.
Salary and wages were up $100,000 to $44.9 million. The net effect of the operating and salary and wages was a drop of 3.2 percent That reduction stemmed from an accounting change to reduce offsetting revenues and expenses.
In his budget message prior to introduction, Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton stated, “In developing this budget, after five straight years of revenue loss from transfer fees at the County Clerk’s Office, we experienced a slight increase in transfer fees but the sharp decline in our interest on investments continued. Adding to that, for the third straight year, we had a staggering loss in our ratable base, in 2011 alone, we saw a loss of over $2 billion.
“Despite these financial setbacks, I believe we are introducing a solid budget that will continue to protect the services that residents need and expect from county government while staying affordable to the taxpayers of Cape May County.”
He reminded taxpayers that the tax rate hike was “directly attributable to the loss of ratables.”
Also at the meeting the board:
* Passed a resolution calling on the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which operates Garden State Parkway to “expeditiously remove the fencing between Great Egg harbor Bridge and Drag Channel Bridge” on the entrance to Cape May County.
The resolution notes that none of the board “claims to be an expert on homeland security, but they collectively believe this fencing provides exceedingly limited deterrence to a genuine and sophisticated terrorist threat and overreaches any reasonable and practical anti-terrorist measure.”
That aside, it also noted the fencing, “Creates a disheartening image and unwelcoming impression for tourists entering Cape May County.’
* Refused to act on a request by the American Littoral Society to seek Green Acres funding for open space acquisition. Jessica Daher, conservation coordinator, Delaware Bayshore program, had resolutions from 10 municipalities which advocated the board to act.
Freeholder Kristine Gabor, a former Upper Township committee member, told Daher she had voted for the measure, but had she possessed all the facts, she would not have voted support.
Thornton asked for a show of hands from representatives from any municipality that supported the measure. None went up.
Thornton reiterated the county’s stance that it spent $23 million of local taxpayers’ funds to spare 1,000 acres of open space, and to seek Green Acres funds would mean the inventory would become state property. The county is unwilling to do that, said Thornton.
He said if the Littoral Society could work with the state Department of Environmental Protection to remove that mandate when applying for Green Acre funds, the county might reconsider. He also noted the county would aid any municipality that wanted to seek Green Acres funding on its own.