Interview: Gerald Thornton

Optimistic

With better-than-expected tourism numbers and investment in economic diversity, the future looks bright

Gerald Thornton

Commissioner Director – Cape May County

Where does tourism activity stand after the pandemic? We’re going to be promoting our tourism businesses, and we are glad to be able to get them fully open. We average about 10.2 million visitors a year in Cape May County, so it’s important that we have all of our buildings, facilities and services open. That said, we will follow the medical protocols that are required. We’ve been working with the Chamber of Commerce and businesses have supported us by following the medical protocols so that everyone feels safe. Still, we can’t afford to have another closed season. Overall, however, we had anticipated that about 30% of our businesses would be reduced or go out of business but, fortunately, it hasn’t been too bad. We recovered somewhat toward the end of last summer. In total, the sector was down under 20%, which was better than our anticipated 30%.

What other industries are significant for the county? Our second major industry, which most people don’t realize, is fishing. We are the second-busiest fishing port on the East Coast. We even have a fishing loan program. I think we’re the only county in the state that still has that program and it’s very viable.

We also are making major investments in economic development. We’re investing in the airport’s industrial park, refurbishing the roads in that park. Through another program, we bought the old shopping center in Rio Grande and we’re investing about $25 million to refurbish that and bring it up to date. That should generate about 100 full-time jobs and about 50 parttime jobs.

How has residential activity developed in the county? It’s interesting. One thing people should understand is that 48% of the homes in Cape May County are second homes. One thing that people love is that we have a strong open-space program to maintain the environment and atmosphere of the county. We’re very supportive of our farmers and the farming community, which makes it a rural county with a lot of the amenities of a tourism economy.

What are the prospects for employee-related travel post-pandemic? The world has significantly changed because of Zoom. It’s very obvious to me that our county personnel will not have to travel a long way to go to a meeting. You can have a Zoom meeting that is very productive. You don’t have to travel to Trenton, which is two hours up and two hours back. Unless it’s a significant conference that you need to attend for some reason, that kind of travel is going to be curtailed.

In 2019, tourism expenditure in Cape May county reached almost $7 billion.

( ) County budget For fiscal year 2021-2022, Cape May County passed a budget of $182 million. The approved tax rate for 2021 stands at 23.4 cents for every $100 of assessed value, an increase of less than a penny over last year. To make up for the COVID-19 losses, the 7/10th of a penny increase enables the county to maintain essential services as well as fund county capital improvement projects such as improvements in the Cape May County Airport and the County Commons project. Operational expenses throughout most county departments were restricted to 2020 funding levels and did not increase year over year. Additionally, the 2021 budget has fewer full-time and seasonal employees than last year’s budget. The budget also set aside funding for vaccination efforts. As of June, Cape May County had registered the secondhighest COVID vaccination rate among all New Jersey counties. Almost 60% of the county’s population is fully vaccinated, according to the Center for Disease Control.

“Cape May County continues to have the secondlowest average property tax bill among counties in New Jersey,” said Cape May County Commissioner Director Gerald Thornton. “We have experienced losses due to COVID-19 that caused a slight tax increase but it was not as bad as it could have been. We are also seeing signs of a strong recovery and will continue to make smart financial moves to ensure we protect our county taxpayers both today and in the future.”

Infrastructure Infrastructure improvements are key to supporting the Coastal Shift in Cape May County. Protected by what locals call the “Cape May Bubble,” the county’s location near the water allows for milder temperatures than surrounding areas while also creating a continuous breeze, contributing tremendously to the success of the area’s tourism-driven economy.

County bridges also connect the mainland to several of the barrier islands found in Cape May County. As such, long-term investments in the county’s infrastructure are critical for the recovery and long-term success of its residents and industries.

In the past decade, the county has invested more than $30 million in bridge maintenance and repairs. Updated in February, Cape May County’s Comprehensive Bridge Replacement Plan has identified 28 countyowned or operated bridges that have either passed their serviceable life or are in need of improvements, according to the Cape May County Department of Public Works and the Cape May County Bridge Commission. These guided bridge replacement projects are expected to occur over the following 15 years.

The unprecedented nature of COVID-19 is expected to have only a short-term impact on the implementation of the plan, the county reported. Fortunately, since 2017, the county has actively dedicated portions of its tax levy toward its infrastructure and bridge replacement projects while also working to attract state and federal funding. The phased nature of the design and construction of bridge replacement and improvements is expected to have “modest and manageable” effects on taxpayers, according to the Bridge Replacement Plan. By factoring in natural environments coupled with high quality of life offerings, namely access to water and recreational opportunities such as fishing, the county’s new bridges are expected to be aesthetically pleasing and functionally sound infrastructure projects slated to usher in the Coastal Shift of new residents and businesses coming to Cape May County.

Among other infrastructure assets, the Cape May County Airport (WWD), located in Lower Township, is a key player in the growth of Cape May County’s technology and innovation sector. The 1,000-acre general aviation airport sees approximately 39,000 airplane and helicopter takeoffs and landings in a typical year. Consisting of corporate aviation, recreational fliers, charter and small-craft owners, the bulk of the air traffic is concentrated in the peak travel months of May through September.

A pivotal moment for the airport predated the COVID-19 disruption but has since proved a critical economic development tool that has attracted new tech-based industries to the region. With the first of two proposed buildings completed in 2020, the airport’s Tech Hangars have been the catalyst of the county’s economic diversification strategy. The $6.2 million, 20,000-square-foot complex serves as an innovation hub for tech businesses in Cape May County and a major component of bolstering the Coastal Shift notion of year-round high-paying jobs.

As of June 2021, the Tech Hangars first building is home to three distinct tech companies. Telemetry research firm Cellular Tracking Technologies and provider of tech solutions and services D-Tech USA were the first two companies to move into the Tech Village. In October 2020, regenerative medicine company Aedicell became the latest tech- and bio-based firm to settle in the Tech Village, marking a key economic development win during a highly volatile cycle.

Technology and innovation As the tourism economy begins its gradual ascent to prepandemic levels, Cape May County’s continued efforts to diversify its economic base are ramping up, as seen by the investment activity that landed at the Tech Hangars ( )

Cape May County Airport sees about 39,000 airplane and helicopter takeoffs and landings in a typical year

Wayne Reichle

President – Lund’s Fisheries

Cape May County is centrally located in the mid-Atlantic fishing grounds. During the winter months, water temperatures cool and draw fish south. We harvest several species migrating south, and then again after they turn around to head back north. Right off our coastline, New Jersey is rich with sustainable fishery resources: two MSC-approved squid fisheries, menhaden, monkfish, summer flounder, black sea bass, porgies, sea scallops, and several other species. Our vessels will fish from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras but the majority of our landings are caught off the New Jersey coast. In general, Cape May is in a very special place.