WEST CAPE MAY — Deputy Mayor Peter Burke criticized Borough Commissioner Ramsey Geyer, at the May 11 commission meeting, for placing five, anonymous comments on the Cape May County Herald’s website since last November, all of them critical of Mayor Pamela Kaithern, the handling of negotiations by the administration and investigation of the borough losing 40 percent of water it purchases from Cape May.
A Herald reader discovered Geyer was posting comments on stories on the Herald website under the name “WCM Resident,” and traced the identity to Geyer. The Cape May Star and Wave published an story on Geyer and the web postings and an editorial in its the April 29 edition.
Burke said Geyer in an anonymous comment on the Herald website, “trashed a neighboring community’s fire chief.” He said Geyer also attacked Kaithern by stating, “Perhaps the residents of West Cape May should think twice at the next election and vote for a new mayor,” said Burke.
He said after reading the post, Kaithern said it sounded like it could have been written by Geyer.
“She asked him ‘Did you do this?’ and he responded with a denial,” said Burke.
“This is not, in my opinion, the way that we want politics to be played out here in West Cape May,” said Burke.
“If there had been any real effort by Commissioner Geyer to reach out and discuss this matter, these comments would not be necessary,” said Burke. “It had taken two unanswered requests from Mayor Kaithern for a discussion over the past several weeks before a third, personal, in person request was made by the mayor which was finally acknowledged and resulted in a meeting between the two of them earlier today.”
“First, let me state that I am disappointed that before today, my fellow commissioner had not himself spoken about this at all, other than in the newspaper, and then only after he was contacted by the reporter (Christopher South) and asked about his involvement,” said Burke. “Not only is it, in my opinion, an apology to Mayor Pam Kaithern warranted, I believe that every single resident of the Borough of West Cape May is entitled to an apology as well.”
Burke said he believed it was “hypocritical, unethical and dishonest” the way in which Geyer decided to conduct a campaign for community support.
Burke said it was not surprising that politicians are perceived in the way they often are with kind of example being offered. He said on April 25, prior to the Star and Wave story, he sent Geyer, Kaithern and other borough professionals an email on the topic.
“It is one thing to argue a point of view, especially when you are willing to voice that same point of view openly and in public, and quite another to go after an individual or individuals in a manner of veiled secrecy and innuendo,” said Burke in the email.
He said a Star and Wave editorial hit the situation on the nose when it stated, “With free speech comes responsibility,” and “anonymous comments are not honest comments.”
“They stated, ‘He has damaged his credibility,’” said Burke.
During public comment, resident Kathy Gallagher accused Burke of glorifying himself by “putting down,” Geyer. She called it a “disgrace,” and said Geyer wanted to help the community.
“It is a disgrace that we have someone who anonymously makes points and then publicly make other points,” replied Burke in a very loud voice.
Resident John Rowley said the temper of borough hall has “degenerated to a grade school climate.” He said he saw that Burke was passionate about the subject and he wished he had the same reaction when he saw $700,000 of water unaccounted for in the borough.
Borough employee Carol Sabo said the “public trust has been undermined,” and asked for a response from Geyer.
Geyer said he believed the community had already spent more than enough time debating the issue.
“I don’t think it is a surprise that what I said in the Star and Wave that the mayor and I do not see eye-to-eye on how to do certain things, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said.
Geyer said they had not figured out a way to work better together.
Geyer told the Star and Wave “his anonymous comments were intended to get West Cape May residents to wake up and pay attention to what is happening in government.”
Kaithern said her goals and objectives had not changed and her concern has always been for maintaining the character of the town. She said the discourse that had been occurring in the past few months was not what the public wanted.
“I think there are conscientious choices of how things are done,” said the mayor.
Kaithern, Burke and Geyer ran as a team one year ago. Their term has three years remaining.
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