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Jan. 20 to 26
Six Energy Orders
President Trump held to his promise to begin a transformation of the federal government on Day 1 of his new term. Of particular importance to Cape May County are the six energy-related executive orders he signed in a flurry of activity.
The president put new restrictions on wind power development, including bans on new leasing for offshore wind projects, along with a temporary suspension of federal leasing and permitting for both onshore and offshore wind projects. Trump’s actions are termed a temporary pause put in place to give federal agencies an opportunity to reexamine environmental and economic impacts of wind power projects.
Another order lifted restrictions on oil, gas and mineral production in Alaska, opening up areas for development, one goal being a significant increase in the nation’s energy supplies. The newly opened areas for development include parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The president declared a “national energy emergency,” providing his administration with some new powers that can be used to expedite approvals for fossil fuel infrastructures. A focus here is to secure the power supplies necessary to support data center needs because the development of artificial intelligence is seen as a national security issue.
One order establishes a mandate for government departments to find ways to lower energy prices for consumers. This goal can include terminating or altering climate-based regulations that have the effect of raising the cost of fuel and food.
In a more general order, the president incorporated a range of provisions that would ease Biden-era regulations and incentives for appliance efficiency standards and promotion of electric vehicles. The order would also further ease regulations on oil and gas production.
The president withdrew from the Paris agreement. This means the agreement is no longer a basis for U.S. climate-based regulations. Symbolically it also removed the United States from a global leadership role in the international struggle with climate change.
These actions will have impacts in Cape May County, where many will welcome the actions regarding offshore wind. What those impacts will be cannot be predicted now, but they may play a role in the gubernatorial election this year.
Home Sales at 1995 Levels
The high cost of home ownership has driven home sales to levels they have not been at in 30 years. High mortgage rates combined with home price levels have put the market out of reach for many who seek to own a home. Rising home insurance rates and property taxes add to the burden. The Wall Street Journal says that sales of existing homes fell in 2024 to the lowest level since 1995.
In December 2023 Rocket Mortgage designated Cape May County a seller’s market. In December 2024 the company lists the county as a buyer’s market. While prices are holding, homes are on the market longer. St. Louis Federal Reserve data confirms the trend but also shows a history of slow sales in the county in winter. Supply is also tight, which helps to hold prices at levels unaffordable for many buyers while mortgage rates are high.
Nationally, there were 1.15 million homes for sale or under contract at the end of December. That was down 13.5% from November and up 16.2% from December 2023.
In Cape May County two opposing trends may be affected by any slowdown in preexisting home sales.
For the last two years the county has been able to reduce its tax rate while actually seeing an increase in its tax levy due to the rising value of homes. Anything that negatively impacts price or gives homes a prolonged stay on the market may have an impact on the county’s major source of revenue.
The county is in desperate need of affordable housing. Many who work in the county cannot afford to live here due to the high cost of ownership and/or rents, circumstances that might encourage the development of affordable housing.
Resort mayors like Zach Mullock in Cape May City and mainland mayors like Chris Leusner in Middle Township have both declared that adding more affordable housing to their towns is an important priority.
School Spending Issues
The 2025-2026 school year budget will be a challenge in many towns. Spending is up, and state aid to public K-12 schools is down nationally. The N.J. Business and Industry Association says the Garden State ranks third in the nation for per-pupil spending. While there is great variability in spending across the state’s almost 600 school districts, spending in New Jersey is higher than in most other states.
In Cape May County the range of spending per pupil in county school districts is huge. It ranges from Middle Township’s $16,318 per student to North Wildwood’s $47,001. Economies of size may play a role, but Middle’s nearest district in terms of student population is Ocean City, where the spending per pupil is over 50% higher, at $24,874. These numbers are from the 2024-2025 school year budgets.
Combining the spending trends with significant decline in state aid is a recipe for severely constrained budgets.
Lawmakers in Trenton are busy providing relief in a form that will allow districts hit hard by the loss of state aid to circumvent caps meant to limit annual tax increases. In effect the state is offering to pass on the revenue problem from lost aid that was once its expense to the taxpayer in the form of an above-the-cap increase in the local school tax rate.
This all happens as some county school districts struggle with wholly inadequate funding. Just last week Dennis Township eliminated courtesy busing and the band program. Both Dennis and Middle townships school districts attempted to increase their revenue from property taxes through September referendums. They both lost by significant margins, as voters said no loudly and firmly. Adding to the problem is the loss of pandemic aid to schools.
Meanwhile, just days ago the 2025-2026 budget software application was released by the state Department of Education.
Calls for reform of the state funding formula are loud and gaining in number. Critics of the formula say that cuts some school districts have experienced go far beyond what should be expected due to enrollment declines.
Regardless of the arguments, the budget process for the next academic year is beginning.
Happenings

*Friends and family of 17-year-old Hayden Schofield, of Villas, gathered on Saturday, Jan. 18, on the Washington Street Mall in Cape May for prayers and a bike ride to commemorate the teen, who died in an accident Jan. 14.
*Eustace Mita, the ICONA Resorts chief who hopes to build a major hotel in Ocean City, had a message for local leaders recently: The county needs more hotels.
*Officials have removed more than 30 cats and dogs from a Middle Township house with so much accumulated clutter and animal excrement that two police officers wore hazard gear to get the animals.
*Wildwood police used a new boardwalk surveillance system to identify a juvenile who spread graffiti on a boardwalk ramp at Juniper Avenue on Friday, Jan. 10.
*Amid a flurry of Day 1 activity, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum that directs a comprehensive review of offshore wind leasing and permitting processes, while also pausing all “consideration of any area in the outer continental shelf for any new or renewed wind energy leasing.”
*Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan was relieved of her duties Jan. 20, President Donald Trump’s first day in office.
*Superior Court Judge J. Christopher Gibson has concluded that a 34-year-old Middle Township teacher charged with the sexual assault of a former student was not a flight risk or likely to commit a crime if released.
*The Stone Harbor Borough Council has selected Kenneth Biddick to fill the council seat vacated when Tim Carney was elected as the borough’s new mayor last fall.
*Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland has appointed a monitor to oversee the day-to-day operations of the West Wildwood Police Department in the absence of Police Chief Jackie Ferentz, who is on a leave of absence pending retirement.
*It wasn’t until the Board of County Commissioners Jan. 2 reorganization meeting that Commissioner Will Morey, who was critical of some board actions and decisions last year, learned that some of his duties were being reassigned.
*The Stone Harbor Borough Council has accepted the affordable housing obligation calculated for the borough by the state Department of Community Affairs. The 10-year obligation, from 2025 to 2034, is 26 living units.
*The Army Corps of Engineers presented more details of its scaled-down plan to protect back-bay areas of the state from storm surges and sea level rise at a public hearing Jan. 22.
*Avalon is taking steps aimed at protecting its residents and environment in the face of large-scale construction on Seven Mile Island.
*Having won reelection in November, Cape May Mayor Zach Mullock gave his fifth State of the City address at the City Council meeting Jan. 22. He pronounced the city “strong and vibrant.”
*Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. vowed to protect the jobs of city dispatchers as the governing body moved to eliminate its dispatching system and join the county’s centralized 911 service.
Spout Off of the Week
Villas – I am a disabled Army vet on a very limited income. My home is all electric and I live alone. My temps are kept at 60. How can I possibly pay a $400 electric bill?!?! How much is enough?