COUNTY FREEHOLDER DEBATE INCLUDES FIREWORKS ON SPENDING

Spending on projects, like the new Cape May County Jail, dominated discussion during the Cape May County Freeholder debate on Wednesday night. The debate was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and 987 The Coast. Incumbent Republicans Gerry Thornton and Marie Hayes faced off against Democrats Dan Kurkowski and John Amenhauser. The Democrats made it clear that they wanted to go after the spending on the new Cape May County Jail construction, which will cost over $30 million. Thornton and Hayes said that the state was going to force them to make some decision and this one would be the best financially for the county in the long-term. Other topics discussed included tourism, open space, heroin addiction, and economic development.