CAPE MAY – A controversy over how best to provide new facilities for Cape May’s public safety departments animated the City Council and mayoral election in 2020. It even resulted in a voter referendum that asked residents to express a preference for a combined public safety building or immediate action on a new firehouse.
Mayor Zack Mullock, who came into office in that election, promised not just action on the new firehouse, but also efforts on a police station to follow soon thereafter. At a March 1 council meeting, Mullock announced that the city would come forward with a bond ordinance for the design of a new police station at its March 15 meeting.
The news appeared to catch some officials off guard, including Deputy Mayor Stacy Sheehan, who said it was the first she had heard of the plan. Mullock did not publicly respond to Sheehan’s questions about details, preferring to leave the matter for the March 15 meeting.
While members of the council and the city manager have expressed agreement that the current police facilities are subpar and must be replaced, a major stumbling block to a new police station has been the lack of an appropriate location for the building. Mullock deferred questions concerning location to the March 15 meeting, as well.
