Budget Hawks

From 1917 to 1931, William Pappy Lake was the Keeper of the Light at Sea Girt. In 2014, his great-grandson, William Mountford was elected president of the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens’ Committee. The Lake family had stayed in Sea Girt this entire time. His grandfather, Elvin Lake, was one of the four hero lifeguards of the Morro Castle and then on the Borough Council.

Bill Dunn, lighthouse historian, who lived on Beacon, published “Sea Girt Lighthouse, The Community Beacon,” outlining the rich history of the structure and the people who served in it. It was the third book about Sea Girt’s History after 1965’s by Richard Venino, and the 2008’s Sea Girt A Brief History by Joe Bilby who was a curator at the National Guard Militia Museum. Books were sold in the lighthouse during Sunday tours.

Dr. James Rotolo replaced Paul Cerami, who decided to focus on family as his council term was expiring. Rotolo stated he was for government, “where less is more”, putting him in line with Mayor Farrell’s pledge to keep spending low. The urologist was worried about the high cost of staying in New Jersey for some of his older patients. William Foley, who was uncontested for his second term, also came out for cutting waste.

Ken Farrell and Lorraine Carafa kept looking for ways to save money. Their 14-15 budget was smaller than the year before. They next set their sights on the County Library tax. High real estate values in town resulted in Sea Girt contributing a significant premium to the County system relative to the value delivered. Carafa estimated the town was getting less than $50,000 in services from the county for its contribution of almost $400,000 in taxes. If the library were independent, those tax dollars would come to Sea Girt and would allow for much better services.

Digital Services were making inroads on physical media

Technology was rapidly changing the nature of libraries and how books and media are shared. The trust created by the donations of Sara Zock to restore the building had reduced significantly. A fundraising group, “Friends of the Sea Girt Library,” had grown out of that tradition, and Patricia F. Gibbs, Mary Elizabeth Walsh, Joan Trutneff, Jean McFadden, and Meg Holsey formalized the group and sought 501-c3 approval.

The Firend’s of the Library have been invaluable to the library operation and support

The local library tax could be used to fund a new addition to the building, more in line with modern uses for community centers. The discussions noted the need to get voters on board, and they began to educate people about the concept. A win would take an ordinance, an election, and a two-year notice period to the county before there would be an independent Sea Girt Library.

The Shore was back. As many rental houses in Manasquan and Belmar came back online after missing 2013 due to Sandy repairs, the increase in volume was felt most at the Parker House. The grand weather on weekends drove crowds to line up at the popular bar.

Uber, one of the hottest new tech companies, had come to New Jersey in the fall of 2013. An Uber driver could pick you up and drop you off anywhere in his or her own car. The town, which tightly regulated cabs, had no regulations for this concept. Many neighbors were not happy with the impact of noise, parking, and patrons on their property. The borough had multiple discussions where owner Tony Sophia defended the establishment, and many residents came out in support, while others begged for additional action.