CAPE MAY – Once again, a $15 million bond ordinance, intended to support the design and construction of a new public safety building, in Cape May, failed to get the needed supermajority vote to authorize a new bond issue. The ordinance has repeatedly appeared on the agenda and has frequently failed to win the needed votes.
A strong disagreement on the city council over the cost and location of the building has prevented the project from progressing. Council members Stacy Sheehan and Zack Mullock have voted against the ordinance, arguing instead for separate new structures for the police and fire departments, which, they say, would cost less. They also point to issues with the plans for the proposed combined safety building, raising concerns about parking and the “fit” of the proposed building with the city’s historic structures.
Support for the project from Mayor Clarence Lear, Deputy Mayor Patricia Hendricks and Council member Shaine Meier falls one vote short of the four votes needed for a bond ordinance. Supporters argue that the building design is appropriate for the space, noting that the design and the location are products of a two-year effort by a council-appointed advisory committee representing all of the relevant stakeholders.
The latest failure of the bond ordinance came as Mullock and Sheehan expressed concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 and 2021 city budgets, given the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Wildwood – So Liberals here on spout off, here's a REAL question for you.
Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
