‘Taxpayers -■ Rip Budget Increase

COURT HOUSE — Ten members of the Lower Township Taxpayers Association last week attacked Cape May County Freeholders for taking advantage of new state legislation permitting them to raise the 1983 budget by 7.5 percent instead of 5 percent. Many of the association's members also belong to the Lower Township Republican Club which has been protesting the election of freeholder Gerald M. Thornton as township GOP leaders. “If the state hadn’t raised the cap, you’d have gotten along with 5 percent,’’ said Joseph Davis, association president. "But we’d have had to lay off 28 or 30 people," said Thornton. •WHAT IK) THEY DO in industry?" asked Davis. "I think you people should tighten your bolts the same as everyone else. They're delaying the Social Security raise." “Laying off 30 people means a residual impact on the county of about $320,000," said Thornton. "It would be difficult to absorb. It would cause layoffs in grocery stores, gas stations." "Don’t give me that," said Davis. "There are people here on limited income not getting any raises. This is a lot of nonsense. If there had been a 10 pefcent cap, you’d have gone up 10 percent.” Freeholder William E. Sturm Jr. challenged Davis to "give me specific examples of where the budget can be cut. •WE ARE PROVIDING growing services to a growing county," he said. "One thing I’ve experienced is that no one wants his ox gored. In 1981 we laid off 39 people and there were calls from Lower Township. When the senior citizen bus didn’t make its trip down Bay Shore Road, my phone rang off the hook. If you waht the services, you’ve got to pay for them." "Well, then, why not hire everybody and put them on the payroll?” said Davis. Joseph Link, association trustee and an (Page 14 Please)

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Shore Protection TRENTON \ The state Capital Budgeting and Planning Commission will review a proposal for a $70-million shore protection bond issue that would include $5 million to combat erosion in Avalon and Stone Harbor and $1.9 million for a seawall along Hereford Inlet in North Wildwood. If the commission approves, the Legislature and governor must agree to put it on the ballot as a referendum.

W| W CAPE AAAY COU1NTY ^ ^ fllmuH

Interest Rate War Continues Rage 22

Cape May Point Mayor Rutherford: An Even Keel

No Connections? AVALON — The Planning Board postponed until Feb. 22 its consideration of a proposal from new owners of the Golden Inn to connect an existing motel section with six small conference rooms and 24 motel units to the existing main motel and restaurant. Some neighbors have complained the change would block ocean breezes, increase traffic, and reduce property values. Headed for the Slots? WILDWOOD — Someone smashed two ^ large glass panels at the front of Union Trust Bank’s 5300 Park Blvd. location early last Thursday morning and stole $8,000 in coins, police reported. And the Winner Is... OCEAN CITY - Council voted 4-3 to override Mayor Jack Bittner's veto of the 1983 salary ordinance, falling one vote short of the required five..Council can still introduce new salary ordinances later, but this action apparently kills an effort by the mayor’s supporters to get a referendum on freezing management salaries since now there’s no ordinance to challenge. Stay Alert WILDWOOD CREST - The proposed 1983 budget is up $380,000 over last year. The tax rate is down, from 86.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 53 cents, but (Page 28 Please)

By JOE ZELNIK Like his father before him, Frank S. Rutherford Jr is a builder, a lifelong resident of Cape May Point, and its mayor Rutherford, 59, left twice: from 1942 to 1946, when he served in the U S. Navy during World War II, and from 1949 to 1952, when he worked on an uncle’s estate out side Media, Delaware County, Pa Mayor since 1967, Rutherford doesn't tick off a list of major accomplishments He’s proud of "just keeping things on an even keel. Nowadays, just surviving is an

CAPE MAY - Although they called New Jersey’s offer of $50,000 in statewide matching funds "a laugh," the Southern Shore Region Tourism Council stopped snickering long enough last week to agree the money should be divided equally among six regions rather than among 21 counties or 567 municipalities. "At least that way we're guaranteed one-sixth of the pie," said council chairman Victor DiSylvester, Wildwood public relations director. "Otherwise, Atlantic City could jump in there and blow the whole thing out of the water." There was less agreement on what to do with the approximately $8,000 the region would receive from the state Division of Travel and Tourism. The council said it

achievement." THE MAYOR’S SALARY is $1,600 a year, $300 less than fellow borough commissioner and director of public works Charles D. Reeves, "who’s down the street with mud on his shoes " FRANK S. RUTHERFORD JR. The tiniest town in Cape May County has a year-round population of 250, "but there’s probably less than 100 people in town right now," Rutherford said recently

should spend the money, but without actually "handling" it ••I DON’T THINK we should be involv ed," said DiSylvester. "That's a can of worms. Who wants responsibility for the funds)’’ "But what's the purpose of a regional council)” asked JoAnn Ritter of Wheaton Village in Cumberland County "You don’t have to handle the money." said DiSylvester Council members proposed the money be used to promote the Cape May Cumberland counties rather than individual communities or businesses within the region. "Promote the area and drop the (Page 14 Please)

"Half are in FiorMa^ In the summer, its population increases 10-fold, primarily because of the town's four protected beaches "We pride ourselves on our beaches,” said Rutherford BEACH TAGS, required since 1972, cost $3 a week, $5 a season before May 31, $6 a season thereafter They bring in about $25,000, of which $11,000 is spent to run the tag program The remainder offsets part of the estimated $24,000-a-year cost of lifeguards. The borough views lifeguards and beach maintenance a service as valuable as police protection, water and sewer, trash collection Cape May Point also attracts thousands of tourists because of the Coast Guardmaintained lighthouse, now a two-way beacon primarily for airplanes, and Cape May Point State Park, with its nature trails, wildlife museum, picnic area, etc Ironically, although just a few yards from the municipal building, both are actually in Lower Township ORIGINALLY Sea Grove, a Presbyterian seashore retreat, Cape May Point today is still a dry town by charter Now it has Saint Mary By-the-Sea, a three « building summer retreat for the Sisters of fct. Joseph in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia •Some 400 sisters at a time come lo the retreat for two-week vacations "They buy beach tags, too," points out the mayor. Also in Cape May Point is a family retreat center operated by the Marianists, a Roman Catholic Religious order (Page 14 Please)

Toiirism Council Opts For Regional Program