CAPE MAY – Cape May City Council began the formal process of approving a 2016 budget by introducing one at the Feb. 16 meeting. The city manager’s proposed budget, presented in January, called for a seven-tenths of a percent increase in the tax levy.
The proposed $17.4-million budget introduced by council incorporated changes proposed by Mayor Edward Mahaney to bring the local property tax rate, 33.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, increase to zero the same as the 2015 rate. Slightly over $9.5 million will be supplied by taxes to support the proposed budget, if it is adopted as introduced.
The changes to the budget introduced by City Manager Bruce MacLeod included both alterations to expected revenue and reductions in items of expense, including an increased use of the city’s budget surplus.
Mahaney pointed out that the surplus, a result of what he termed “conservative budgeting and prudent management,” was at record levels this year allowing greater use to balance the 2016 budget while keeping a surplus reserve that is a quarter of a million dollars greater than last year’s opening reserve.
The three utility budgets were part of the introduction, all remain self-liquidating, and none call for additions to fees for service.
Council also introduced an ordinance to establish a CAP bank which provides a rolling three-year reserve for municipalities to use in the event of unexpected expenses that otherwise would drive the municipal budget to violate the state cap on annual increase in taxes.
A public hearing on the budget will be held March 15 at the council meeting. Summary documents regarding the introduced budget are available on the city website in advance of that hearing.
Police Controversy
After a couple of months in which it appeared the ongoing controversy regarding the city police department and its embattled commander, Capt. Robert Sheehan, had stopped dominating the public comment period of council meetings, this one was a reminder that the controversy still rages.
At the Feb. 2 council work session there was a heated exchange between Mahaney and former city police chief Robert Boyd.
Boyd had continued to press for more information on the status of police department issues which led to Sheehan’s demotion from chief to captain one year ago, and which still includes an unresolved suit by Sheehan against the city regarding that personnel action.
In that exchange, the discussion was almost over with Boyd returning to his seat when a remark by Mahaney reignited the controversy.
Mahaney said that Boyd had “retired overnight” and that the city was “still cleaning up the mess you left.” Boyd returned to the podium and a heated exchange ensued in which Mahaney said he did not want “to embarrass you in front of your wife” as Boyd pressed for an elaboration of what constituted “the mess” he left.
That confrontation, at the tail-end of the previous work session, spilled over into the Feb. 16 meeting when former-council member Jerry Inderwies, who resigned his position in reaction to council’s action to demote Sheehan in March 2015, demanded that Mahaney apologize to Boyd and his wife, both of whom were present.
Inderwies praised Boyd for his 30-year career serving the city and criticized Mahaney for his “unprofessional remarks” which Inderwies said were a “disgrace.”
With Patricia Hendricks also using the public comment period to call for an apology, Mahaney defiantly said “I stand by my remarks.”
That exchange was followed by news that Feb. 17 would mark the opening of a disciplinary hearing against Sheehan for failure to meet the requirements of the Attorney General’s Guidelines for firearms qualification back in 2009 when he was a captain.
The exchanges during public comment, and the start of the new disciplinary hearing, make clear that the controversy still impacts the city and shows no sign of ending soon.
March 3 will mark one year since the action by council to return Sheehan to his rank as captain over an alleged infraction of rules regarding compensatory time for Lt. Clarence Lear.
Lear recently settled his case with the city and took retirement as of Jan. 1, 2016.
Fire Museum
The Fire Museum, on land adjacent to City Hall, is in need of heat and air conditioning.
Council was informed of the efforts by the museum to bring the 1918 fire truck “to pristine condition” and the need to prepare the museum to house the truck.
Extreme temperature variations in the current building have a negative impact on the equipment. Mahaney, appearing to speak for other council members who nodded approval, said that he agreed that getting a temperature control system for the museum was important.
He asked MacLeod to organize a meeting soon with City Engineer Thomas Thornton, city officials, and museum personnel.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
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?
