Cape May Fact Checkers

07/19/2023

12/17/2020

A landslide, according to Wikipedia, is an election result in which the victorious candidate or party wins by an overwhelming margin.
At the December 15th council meeting, Mayor elect Mullock stated that “2/3 of the public voted against the Public Safety Building.”
FACT: official election results on the Bond Ordinance questions were:
33.99% Yes for the Public Safety Building.
36.11% Yes for a Fire Station.
29.90% No to both.
Therefore, 63.89% voted against the Fire Station.
Therefore, 66.01% voted against the Public Safety Building.
REALITY: Where is the landslide?

11/23/2020

Zach Mullock: “ Given that all discussions centered around the current location being either a Fire Station or Public Safety Building it would have been nice if an Environmental Study would have been done already...”
FACT: The Public Safety Building Advisory Committee ( PSBAC ) met with USA Architects on April 10, 2019, to kick off the project. Adhering to the necessary architectural and engineering services outlined in the RFP, the first order of business was to schedule geotechnical investigators, code study, and environmental analysis. During April, May, and June the progress and completion of these tasks were reported at Committee meetings as members of the PSBAC, USA Architects, and the public worked on the schematic design and conceptual phase of the proposed facility.
Council members and the public had an additional opportunity to review this information at the live streamed October 1, 2019 Council meeting during the PSBAC Progress And Status Report Presentation.
FACTS MATTER.

11/07/2020

Cape May County Library (the FSS ) is listed as one of the grant recipients of the NJ Library Construction Bond Act.
Congratulations to everyone! From the CCA being the long term caretaker and promoter of the FSS to all of the library committee people, Lorrie, many, many citizens, and especially Mayor Chuck Lear, Deputy Mayor Patricia Hendricks, and Freeholder Marie Hayes, whose vision and hard work made the grant participation happen. This will be part of Chuck and Patricia’s legacy. Cape May will have a spectacular library and community center.
This from Susan Briant’s e-mail announcement.

09/30/2020

Councilman Mullock’s assertion is that the current administration is fiscally irresponsible and that city funds are being mismanaged.
FACT: During the Lear/Hendricks administration the Fund Balance Surplus has increased from $3,752,157 to a 2020 balance of $7,379,375. Furthermore, the Balance After Budget has increased from $1,452,157 to $4,080,294, thus insuring city solvency during difficult times WITHOUT affecting Cape May City taxpayers or services.
Source: city of Cape May 2020 Budget Documents

09/30/2020

Councilman Mullock’s assertion maintains that the current administration has cost taxpayers money by having the city purchase a recycling truck and collect its own recycling.
FACT: The lowest recycling bid, over a five year period, would have cost Cape May City taxpayers a total of $2,854,535; by purchasing the truck and providing the city with these services, the city was still able to project a savings, over 5 years, of $1,049,288.
Source: City of Cape May 2020 Budget Documents

09/15/2020

Councilman Zack Mullock states he wants to create a 5-10 year plan.
FACT: The City has a 10 year Master Plan that was revisited and revised in 2019. The Master Plan contains recommendations produced overv18 months of study and deliberation. The Plan was transmitted to City Council. Councilman Mullock NEVER attended a meeting of the Planning Board during any of the Plan deliberations.

09/11/2020

Councilman Zach Mullock’s statement: I am against increasing parking fees.
FACT: Councilman Mullock voted FOR a parking fee increase in August of 2020. The parking fee increase he voted against in 2019 brought Cape May an additional $594,000. The increase in revenue paid for fare-free Jitney service which helped support an excellent business year in Cape May.

09/03/2020

Please read the editorial in Cape May Star and Wave. I will see if I can put it on the page. In satire we often find truth.

08/27/2020

CITIZENS INITIATIVE COMMITTEE LAUNCHED
On May 19th, City Council failed to pass the Bond Ordinance authorizing $15 million funding for the proposed Public Safety Building. Therefore, a Citizens Initiative Petition is being launched that gives voters the power to place the Bond ordinance on the November 3, 2020, General Election ballot.
The first step for the petition is to obtain signatures from registered Cape May voters. These signatures are required to place the Bond Ordinance on the November 3rd General Election ballot. The committee members who will be contacting you are Dennis DeSatnick, Robert Gorgone, Bill Murray, Meryl Simon Nelson, and Heather Turner.