Public Invited to July 28 Forum on Proposed Roads Referendum
The Ocean City Community Association will sponsor a discussion of a nonbinding referendum suggested by Councilman Keith Hartzell.
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The Ocean City Community Association will host a forum 9:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 28, at the Ocean City Free Public Library to seek feedback on if and how Ocean City could accelerate the capital projects schedule for drainage and road improvements.
The group is hosting the event in an effort to facilitate a timely public discussion on a "concept" raised by Councilman Keith Hartzell at the July 12 City Council meeting. Hartzell suggested the city should consider a nonbinding referendum asking voters if they'd be willing to pay a special assessment to fund road improvements.
The additional income could help double what the city could spend on its infrastructure and cut in half the time it would take in completing work (now estimated at longer than seven years), to improve drainage, reduce flooding, and to reconstruct and repave Ocean City's streets.
The City would have to decide by early August to ask the county election officials to place such referendum on this November's ballot.
Association members and potential members are invited. Membership to the group is $10 for any property owner in Ocean City.
Karen Bolden
7:21 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Hartzel is crazy........let's see the thought process: let's ask the already over-taxed citizens, in a time of recession, to pay MORE for something that the city has failed to address with money we have ALREADY given to them in the past!!! OC needs an overhaul of its government not its roads......starting with Hartzel and his followers
propertywatcher
10:05 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I remember right after this past Memorial Day, the front page of the Gazette boasted the amount of money the City raked in (unexpectedly) from the additional parking spaces added (by removing the skateboard park) to the Municipal Parking Lot between 5th and 6th and the boardwalk. Where is that money going?
BET
8:24 am on Sunday, July 29, 2012
how do you think they can pay a average yearly pay of $108,000.00 to the fire department................ coming soon to OC............ raise the cap on the fire chiefs salary to more than the three reports directly to him salaries.
propertywatcher
10:08 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Ha, ha, ha! Hmmm, what else is July 28th????? Night in Venice ring a bell? Perfect planning!
Wyatt
10:19 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The really fair way to do this is a front foot assessment, as is done when sidewalks, curbing, etc. is installed But residents shouldn't complain, the shoobie property owners will pay 80% of any special tax assessment, and they don't use the roads that typically flood - they're not here for 10 months of the year and the other 2 its only their tenants. They'll cover their added cost by raising their rents.
BLDShamrock
9:40 am on Friday, July 20, 2012
That's a pretty narrow minded way of looking at this Wyatt....not all property owners are "shoobies" as you put it and use their homes year round. You're right that residents shouldn't complain since many "residents" get a vote and don't even pay taxes while those of us who don't lie and claim this as our residence have absolutely no say. But meanwhile I wait for the enormous pothole at the end of my driveway to become large enough that I will have a swimming pool before it get's filled. The corner floods every time the tide changes but as you put it we don't "typically" use the road......just anytime I want to get to my house. Perhaps you should broaden your perspective a bit.
Doc Anderson
9:33 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
I think this is a great opportunity for intelligent discussion of the problems and potential avenues to address these items. The problems are evident; the solutions are a bit more difficult to arrive at and/or implement.
The people in Ocean City are completely capable of bringing up solutions to problems, and, of level headed discourse on the topics.
This is our time to bring potential solutions to the table, be open minded of divergent thoughts, and help to arrive at a consensus for "paving the road to success" for all of us who call Ocean City home.
RhondaVW
9:54 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012
Hi Doc,
There are porous asphalt products out there that the city should look into but what i really think is needed is some sort of inexpensive paver system that would allow more or better drainage but also allow repairs or mechanical work to be performed without ruining the street. Perhaps I'm wrong but it seems to me that no sooner is a road repaved then it is filled with substandard patches and the process starts over again.
Even an expensive, porous paver system with proper drainage below grade might be cheaper in the long run.
propertywatcher
10:27 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Very well said Doc. Now all we have to do is get the City Officials to really HEAR the potential (and viable) solutions and VOTE and ACT accordingly.........not just hold a forum and then do whatever they want......which is usually the way they work.
BLDShamrock
9:43 am on Friday, July 20, 2012
And find a way that ALL taxpayers can vote on this as it affects ALL taxpayers not just residents. A vote in a local election by residents doesn't seem fair to the whole when it is only a small voice making a financial decision such as this.
Neil Kaye
11:00 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Dang, it would be great if the majority of tax payers (non-residents) could vote on this instead of being held hostage by the Town. Eventually, increases in property taxes will result in people not wanting to underwrite everything. You are sadly mistaken if you believe that "shoobies" can just raise rates forever to cover all of this.
RhondaVW
10:03 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012
There is definitely a limit and I think we are there. I spoke with someone this past week whose relatives broke a long tradition of vacationing in Ocean City because they figured out it was cheaper to go to Europe.
Ocean City benefits from some long history and we are an easy sell to families conditioned to vacation here. But once those migration patterns are broken who knows what it would take to repair them.
BET
9:40 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012
Pete g. you were elected this year...... how about showing the UPS way of getting things done.......
Colonel
11:18 am on Sunday, July 29, 2012
ALL HOMEOWNERS, regardless of residency, should have the ability to vote on every referendum as well as every local election in Ocean City. 60% of the owners experience taxation without representation in Ocean City. If we had a say, the city would probably find a lot more people amenable to doing projects of this nature.
Eric Sauder
12:15 pm on Sunday, July 29, 2012
Yep. I've tried to drive that point home but am not having much success. I think non-resident property owners should have representation on Council. If they can't vote for a representative maybe one can be appointed or elected by the residents to represent them. Frankly I don't think our government welcomes that input. They have enough trouble with some of the residents :) I mean you don't have to live here to be informed. This is the information age baby and information is being disseminated to all who seek it out. And you have a vested interest in what happens here.
Email addresses for the mayor and council members are listed on www.ocnj.us. I suggest non-resident property owners petition those council members.
Doc Anderson
2:33 pm on Sunday, July 29, 2012
Rhonda and all, great feedback on the posts!
To me, this is exactly the type of thinking and discourse that needs to be encouraged. Only with input from everyone in the community can we benefit from the vast talents, thoughts, and experiences that so many OC'ers have!
I encourage property owners to change to have OC as your residence, allowing each to vote here, where your votes have a material impact!