Are Jersey shore towns like Ventnor uncomfortable with using technology to better meet the needs of property owners? Or do these elected officials prefer to keep taxpayers in the dark?
Seasonal residents pay full-time taxes and are fine with that. These part-time / 2nd homeowners also understand the limitations of casting a vote in municipal elections.
Fact: second homeowners finance approx 75% of monies needed to run shore towns like Ventnor, even though these folks use few city resources; think education and social services.
So, why don’t local the elected leaders throw taxpayers a bone? Give ’em better access to how their money is spent?
This segment of the seashore population helps keep towns like Ventnor… financially solvent.
How to keep all Ventnor taxpayers in the loop:
Why not utilize commonly available, inexpensive tech to allow second homeowners to follow, understand and participate in local government?
Why is Ventnor City Hall so adamantly against full taxpayer transparency?
The current Ventnor administration ran on a platform that included greater transparency & accountability. To date, Mayor Holtzman and Commissioners Landgraf and Kriebel have not kept that simple promise.
City Administrator, Maria Mento, was kind enough to respond to an email we sent city officials last week. The others did not respond.
‘Why does Ventnor make it difficult for 2nd homeowners, and all taxpayers, to participate in local government?
Advances in Internet technology like YouTube, make it easier and often free, to share vital municipal information. Meeting agendas, meeting minutes, and audio recording of key meetings like the Planning and School Boards.
Margate, Atlantic City, Ocean City and Avalon do pretty good job of recording, documenting and posting audio of municipal meetings. Two towns that are negligent in this regard, are Ventnor and Brigantine. Note: Ventnor Commissioner Landgraf provides planning services to Brigantine, and is Zoning Czar at CRDA in Atlantic City.
Below is response DownbeachBUZZ received from Ms. Mento. These comments were presumably prepared under strict guidance from Mr. Landgraf & Mayor Holtzman.
Our comments below are NOT directed at Ms. Mento, whom we find very responsive and professional.
Our comments are in RED.
From Ventnor City Administrator, Maria Mento:
There was only one meeting in August and unfortunately there was a problem recording that was not realized until we went to listen to it. So how does city clerk ensure meeting minutes are accurate? As you may know, commissioners are required to sign-off on the accuracy of those meeting minutes. These meeting minutes can be used to resolve disputes, or be used in a court of law.
Our network administrator has looked at some upgrades to our recording system, a little pricey, about $14,000 which is a lot of money for the city. No need for a pricey upgrade. Just plug a simple $150. audio recorder into the Commissioner P.A. system that’s already being used. Upload the audio to YouTube for free.
We may have to look at next years’ budget for those improvements should the commissioners agree to go that route. Delay tactic. Commissioners have already shown Ventnor taxpayers much disrespect when sharing their feelings: ‘if taxpayers really care about Ventnor, they’d show up to meetings in person’. Those on the ‘hand-selected’ Ventnor Citizens Advisory Committee who feel the same way, are also showing disrespect to their fellow taxpayers.
The alternative is video recording, and the network administrator is also looking at that. A decision has to be made here which way to go, and if it is a priority now (vs later) to spend the money. Video would be nice, but video is NOT critical or needed. Audio is perfectly fine. Once again, this is a weak delay and deflect tactic.
I think we all realize the audio is not ideal, people can be heard, granted sometimes only when listening very carefully and I get how annoying that can be. On the contrary, audio is ideal. It’s easier & cheaper to deal with. Whoever claims ‘audio is not ideal’ should be reprimanded for that embarrassing and inaccurate statement. We surmise that Mr Landgraf and Ms Holtzman would prefer NOT to be held accountable like the Margate Commissioners. Listen below to the powerful and clear AUDIO from Margate’s recent Commissioner meeting regarding ‘SPOT ZONING’ and ‘Hotel Overlay’ decisions made with little public awareness:
Margate Commision Hotel Overlay 9.7.18In the meantime, the City would love to have you come to our meeting as well as the city taxpayers. I realize not everyone can get here, but for those that can, it is encouraged. Of course, Ventnor officials say they would love all taxpayers to attend these meetings in person. But seriously, city leadership already knows that 99% of part-time residents can’t attend. Most locals can’t attend either, due to family & work commitments.
The door has not been shut to improving our recordings. It’s time and money, and where it fits, in the never ending list of improvements.
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