Crest Candidates Explain Views

WILDWOOD CREST – If the voters of Wildwood Crest were looking for fireworks at the Oct. 25 Borough Commissioners’ candidates’ forum, they will have to wait until the Fourth of July.
A large group of residents gathered in the gym at Crest Pier to hear three incumbents and three challengers explain why they should be chosen to lead Wildwood Crest into the future as borough commissioners.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Cape May County, and broadcast by Coastal Broadcasting 98.7FM, the forum featured formal questions for candidates, with no opportunity for rebuttal. After opening remarks where incumbents and challengers summarized their experience and qualifications, questions were presented according to a formula where three candidates would answer the same question, while the remaining three received a different question.
Representative Issue Questions
Storm Protection
On the topic of preventing/mitigating major storm damage that shore towns routinely face, incumbent Commissioner of Revenue and Finance Joyce Gould, with 24 years elected experience, noted that there would be a new dune installed in 2019 to protect the beachfront. The size of the beach also provides protection.
Challenger David Thompson, a local business person and volunteer firefighter, asserted that the real problem “is the back bay where most of the damage is done.”
He supports the new bulkhead project and believes “We must dredge back there” referring to deepening the “back bay” areas to minimize flooding.
Challenger Robert Bethel, an employee of the Wildwood Crest Department of Public Works and volunteer firefighter, stated, “We do not get the worst of the storms so far.”
He added “I am not a fan of the dune project,” calling it a “waste and a mistake.”
Working with Other Municipal Governments to Save Money
Incumbent Donald Cabrera, Wildwood Crest Commissioner of Public Works and chief executive officer of his own company cited several shared services agreements with other municipalities including court clerk, and also offered a recycling agreement with Lower Township as examples. 
He also wants to look further into a combined dog park with Lower.
Incumbent Carl Groon, the commissioner of Public Safety and local business owner, cited the soon-to-be completed county Emergency Dispatch system as one way to save money.
Challenger Darleen Devlin, real estate associate and borough purchasing agent, payroll processor, and accounts payable clerk agreed with the examples already given but noted her opposition to sharing the tax assessor position with Bridgeton stating that there are several qualified people right here in the Crest.
Impact of Drugs/Opiates on the Community
Bethel believes “We must start in the households” and the schools. He stated that he has known people who suffer from drug abuse and that there is a need to start early.
Gould called the problem an “Opiate Epidemic” and noted that the problem often starts at home with family members taking pain pills; she feels family members must be vigilant to see warning signs.
Thompson also felt action needed to start in grade school; he would like to see school programs that begin in grades 1 through 4.
“We need to hit them when they are young,” he said. He also wants neighbors to call the police when they see activities that may indicate drug sales or use.
The issue of declining full-time residents in the Crest was discussed; candidates Thompson, Bethel and Gould agreed that the growth of condominiums and multi-family residences accounts for the lack of single-family homes to which full-time residents are attracted.
Taxes were also mentioned as a cause. 
Gould noted that ratables are actually higher, and she believes that a lack of full-time jobs is causing the youth of the community to complete their education and then leave for other areas with more job opportunities.
Candidates Groon, Devlin and Cabrera generally agreed that taxes were under control in the Crest; Devlin warned that they must control debt and avoid unnecessary capital spending.
The issue of beach fees came to candidates Cabrera, Groon and Devlin.
Cabrera and Groon stated that they wanted a study to determine if the costs of starting, administrating and enforcing beach tags would be worthwhile.
Devlin opposes the idea because of those costs.
The health of the business climate in the Crest was discussed by Bethel, Thompson, and Gould. Gould feels that because businesses are spread out over a large area, they may not all survive; while Bethel and Thompson support some sort of wine-bar concept to draw more people to the Crest.
Gould noted that the Crest is a dry town, which they should keep that way.
The election for Wildwood Crest Borough Commissioners will be held Nov. 7 when three positions will be filled for four-year terms.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.