Democrats Jackson, Morley Want To Be Chosen Freeholders Nov. 2

CREST HAVEN — Robert “Bob” Jackson and Patrick “Pat” Morley are Democrat candidates for two freeholder seats on the five-member board.
According to a release, they are “the reform candidates for Cape May County.”
Jackson and Morley have pledged to end taxpayer-paid health benefits for part-time freeholders, to refuse taxpayer-paid pensions, and will never vote for a pay raise for part-time freeholders.
Additionally, they pledge, “not to vote for a tax increase.”
The cited their Republican opponent Gerald Thornton, who has lifetime health benefits paid by the taxpayers of Cape May County.
“He also collects a pension as a retired freeholder, and a paycheck as a sitting freeholder. He collects a pension without retiring,” they stated.
“Susan Sheppard, (Thornton’s running mate) gets her health benefits for being a part-time city councilperson in Ocean City,” they continued.
The pledge by Jackson and Morley “would save county taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a year.”
Both Democrats pointed out that “Thornton has mismanaged his departments. Thornton insisted that the nursing home that he oversees made a million dollars a year, but an independent professional auditor found that it lost $35 million a year.
“When confronted with the information, Thornton said that he had misspoken,” they stated.
“Thornton started a home health agency, insisting that it would make money. Instead, it lost over $800,000 a year.”
Jackson and Morley are concerned about high unemployment in Cape May County.
“The county needs to do something to try to develop good private sector, year-round jobs,” they stated.
Both men “believe that our population in Cape May County decreased partly because there is nothing to keep young people here. Officials talk about developing jobs, but nothing is done,” they stated.
Jackson and Morley propose a plan to develop jobs.
“It has been 10 years since the county leased parts of the industrial part at the County Airport to the DRBA. The DRBA was supposed to have the ability to bring good jobs here. It has not,” they stated.
“It is time to take back the industrial park; the DRBA would continue to lease and operate the airport. The industrial park is not subject to CAFRA regulations. It has enormous potential for good jobs and economic development,” they stated.
The candidates stated the would “hire an economic development firm to develop a plan for multiple uses, including high tech, clean energy industries such as wind and solar power generation, with a focus on research, development and small business.
It could be a Green Energy Research and Development Park,” they stated.
In addition, Jackson and Morley want to work with Lower Township to develop a tax abatement program for companies locating here. That program would be based on the number of jobs created. Especially now, when the governor removed one of two Cape May representatives from the DRBA board, it is more urgent than ever that the county move forward to create economic opportunity at the airport industrial park,” they stated.
“Businesses in the county claim that they could do better if there was more parking for tourists. The county has not offered any leadership on this issue, and each community is left to try to fix problems individually.
“Parking is a continuing problem in nearly every island community, such as Ocean City, Cape May and the Wildwoods,” they stated.
Jackson and Morley propose a countywide parking committee to identify communities that want to work on that together. They want to develop a business plan, and apply for and lobby federal and state officials for money to build parking garages and other parking “opportunities.”
Both men “always valued education, and believe that it opens doors for individuals and creates economic opportunities for communities. They very much want to expand the opportunities offered at Atlantic Cape Community College,” they stated.
Morley point out that he would be the only Lower Township resident on the freeholder board. Lower Township is the county’s largest community, he stated.
Jackson is a life-long county resident. He is former West Cape May mayor, and currently serves on the Pinelands Commission. He is chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cape Human Resources, a local non-profit.
Jackson has coached numerous youth sport teams. He continues to play competitive volleyball on a national and international level for his age group.
He and his wife, Susan, live in Del Haven.
Morley was born and raised in New York City. He worked for 20 years at New York Telephone. He received his undergraduate degree from Mercy College, and law degree from St. John’s School of Law.
He has two adult sons, both of whom live in New York State, and both are physicians, one an emergency room physician, the other is a research physician.
He and his wife, Barbara, live in Lower Township. They have three adopted children, ages, 13, 8 and 7.