Thornton Overseeing County in Flux

COURT HOUSE — Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton is overseeing a county government that is undergoing change brought about in large part by the state of the economy.
Time, too, has taken its toll on personnel. Long-time county Chief Financial Officer Edmund Grant retired effective March 1, replaced by Francine Springer.
Not as visible to the public, but also retired after 38 years was Deputy Clerk of the Board Roxanne Catarcio.
Elizabeth Bozzelli was recently named to assume Catarcio’s post. She had been director of the Department of Aging.
The man who lost his party’s support for reelection in 2010, then mounted an independent campaign with then newcomer and now Vice Director M. Susan Sheppard and was victorious, is at the helm. Insiders say he spends virtually every day in the county administration offices working on many details.
“I’m really happy with the way the board is working together,” said Thornton in a telephone interview March 16.
The only “veteran” on the freeholder board beside himself is Leonard Desiderio, also Sea Isle City mayor, who is expected to seek reelection in November.
Thornton said freshmen freeholders Kristine Gabor and Will Morey are “very interested and spend a great deal of time and effort,” learning their departments, visiting officials in each of the county’s 16 municipalities.
“(Vice Director M. Susan) Sue (Sheppard) and everybody is working well together,” he added.
There is a possibility that Sheppard will seek the party’s nod to replace W. Robert Hentges as surrogate. That decision will be likely made at the March 28 Cape May County Republican Convention to be held at Naval Air Station Wildwood at the Cape May County Airport.
Also seeking the same nod is James Arsenault, assistant county counsel. There are reportedly two others who have submitted letters of intent to county GOP Chairman Michael Donohue.
Transparency is one thing Thornton has endeavored to bring to the freeholder board. One step toward that goal was set by Thornton dictating 90-minute public caucus sessions prior to every freeholder meeting. While the caucus meetings are open to the public, no public input is permitted, although a rare exception was recently made to entertain a traffic question.
Thornton said he wanted freeholders to be able to publicly discuss every facet of county government before the public. Prior to his directorship, there were no such meetings where questions could be asked by freeholders.
Economic development remains one of Thornton’s and Morey’s main concerns.
Because of that need for county government to do what it can to help businesses, which could then hire local workers, Thornton said this year’s budget includes $50,000 in “seed money” for economic development.
There have also been discussions with Atlantic Cape Community College officials as well as with representatives of Rutgers University, who will “do a small study” to see what resources are available, and what types of businesses “we might possibly be able to attract to Cape May County,” said Thornton.
He cited upcoming job fairs, one on March 24 sponsored by the Women’s Advisory Commission on the Status of Women to be held at Wildwoods Convention Center, as one of the tools being tried to impact the 14 percent unemployment rate the county experiences in winter.
“A major concern that we have discussed with the community college people is that we are losing our younger population. They are moving out. There are just no jobs to support them here,” said Thornton.
“It is important we try to keep as many here as possible so that there is a future for the county.
“As more and more face retirement in 20-25 years, we just may become a retirement and resort community,” said Thornton.
If that becomes the new reality, he said, there would continue to be a need for many support services for those retirees.
Among those increased services will be home health workers, as more retirees opt to remain in their homes instead of going into long-term care facilities.
Visiting Nurse Association is here now, said Thornton. “They have increased their case load significantly, and that has provided more jobs in the county,” he said.