Mayor, challeger meet in well-attended forum ahead of May 10 election
OCEAN CITY — Mayor Jay Gillian and challenger Councilman Keith Hartzell faced off in a forum Monday night hosted by the Ocean City Sentinel.
Both candidates in the May 10 election made opening statements and then took turns answering questions posed by moderator David Nahan, editor of the Sentinel. Some 250 people came to the Hughes Performing Arts Center at Ocean City High School to watch in person and another 250 tuned into the live-stream.
Gillian established his deep roots in the sand by talking about how he worked his way up from cleaning bikes at his family business at 10 or 11 years old to ride mechanic and ultimately owner. He said he got his first shot at operating a retail business at 16, two years before he graduated from Ocean City High School in 1983.
Gillian also discussed his community involvement, noting he played a role in the creation of First Night, with the Miss New Jersey pageant, Gilda’s Club and Shore Medical Center, on whose board he served as chairman.
He talked about education, the things he learned while overseeing a multimillion-dollar corporation and serving on the Ocean City Board of Education as president, and how they leant themselves to running the city.
“Being on the school board and being involved with the school system is probably one of the single most honorable things I think I have done,” Gillian said.
He said his 12 years as mayor has seen unbelievable progress.
“One thing I am most proud of of all the things I have done is it’s been a collaboration of so many people,” he said. “I’m going to be here. I love it here. We have a thriving business; the town is thriving. We have a great tax rate, great leaders, but most of all great citizens, and I’m proud to be your mayor.”
Hartzell praised veterans and talked about his faith in God.
“I want to thank everybody who came out,” he said, noting the cold weather. “More importantly I want to say thank you for your service to our veterans because without our veterans, some of whom did not come home, and those who did come home many times damaged, we wouldn’t be able to talk here tonight, we wouldn’t have the freedom to run for office, the freedom to express our feelings about our town and our direction.”
Hartzell established his own island cred, saying he has been a full-time resident since 1986 but “this town is all about my grandmother.”
He didn’t mention her by name but did say she lived in the city from 1962 to 1976, during which time he spent many summers in the resort.
She was part of the community, working at Stainton’s and serving as a deacon at a local church, and “the guiding light of our whole family.”
“We owe so much to her. She had a rough life but came through it strong, made us all strong, but more important she taught us to love our lord and savior.”
Hartzell said he is a successful businessman in the paper products business for 42 years and noted he has real estate interests in the city.
He served as president of Main Street, was a former board member of the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Exchange Club.
He said he was named Citizen of year in 2005 and won the Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Award in 2007, noting he loved the soul food and that it kept him working with the local community.
“I believe we are at a tipping point on the direction this town is going to go,” he said, firing the first salvo. “I went door to door and found out that people wanted new leadership and vision. I want to preserve our past and secure our future. I want to be a passionate advocate for everyone.”
High-rise hotels
Hartzell has made claims that Gillian wants to build a high-rise hotel on his boardwalk property where Wonderland Pier is located a campaign issue, despite zoning prohibiting them. He said he doesn’t want change.
“When we moved back from Hawaii, I remember coming over the bridge in 1966. I remember how the boardwalk was then and I don’t want it to change one iota,” he said.
Hartzell admitted that City Council took steps to prevent residential uses on the boardwalk, but noted that Gillian and partner Eustace Mita met Feb. 1 “with a bunch of boardwalk owners and pitched a $150 million investment of 100 rooms up on the boardwalk.”
“Since then, other owners have come to me and expressed interest. It’s quite serious; it’s clear and present danger. It’s been discussed openly many times,” Hartzell said. “I will do everything in my power to stop it.”
Gillian responded by saying Wonderland is in the boardwalk zone and high-rise hotels are prohibited. He said Mita “has an idea of what he would love to do but he can’t do it and he knows that.”
Gillian said it was a private meeting at which many things were discussed.
“It doesn’t really matter what people wish or think they can do or not for how much money they have. At the end of the day as mayor, I’ve been here 12 years and there’s been no high-rises, there’s been no buildings and I can’t be bought, it’s not going to happen. Wonderland is thriving,” he said, pushing back against Hartzell’s claims.
“It does get a little tiresome sometimes you saying the same thing. You can pretend or you can scare people and say ‘Hey, it’s going to happen,’ but it’s actually not going to happen. As long as I am mayor it’s absolutely not going to happen,” Gillian said.
Ocean Wind 1
Regarding Ørsted’s proposed offshore wind farm, the mayor said it’s his job to educate the public on the issue and determine the best course for the city. He said the project already has wheels, with support from President Joe Biden and Gov. Phil Murphy.
He also said it’s important that the region have some type of electricity generating plant since B.L. England in Beesleys Point closed.
“We need something in South Jersey. We need to ensure that we have electricity,” he said.
Hartzell accused the mayor of negotiating with Ørsted for years before notifying City Council.
“Once the public got engaged, the majority were against it,” he said.
Hartzell said he wanted the issue to go to referendum to let the voters decide but the state Board of Public Utilities stripped the city of its right to refuse power-transmission cables running through the city.
“Home rule should not be taken away and we must get home rule back at any cost,” he said.
Alcohol sales, BYOB
Both candidates agreed that there’s no place for alcohol in America’s Greatest Family Resort.
Gillian said he is against alcohol consumption, which is why he created First Night as a safe, alcohol-free alternative to New Year’s Eve parties.
Hartzell said he is dead-set against it, returning to his theme of traditions and noting the city was founded as a Methodist Retreat so “people could be closer to God.”
He said being a dry town is the city’s brand and why people come to visit and live.
“I like Ocean City just the way it is,” he said.
Maintaining brand
Gillian said keeping alcohol out would help the city maintain its status as America’s Greatest Family Resort. He said the city has terrific recreation programs, schools, a boardwalk and downtown, services and quality of life.
“What you get for your taxes is amazing,” he said.
Hartzell said the city’s brand is so significant, noting people can’t believe him when he tells them it’s a dry town.
He said the island is close to Somers Point and Atlantic City so people can go out for nightlife then return to their safe home where they make memories and go to church.
“We have to keep the traditions and values,” he said. “That’s why we all love it here.”
Why another term?
Hartzell said he loves living, working and serving in the city but said his hands are tied as a councilman. He would like to be mayor to have more influence on the planning and direction of the town.
“I’ve looked over the past year or two and I realized I didn’t like the direction of the town. I went out and started talking to people and I found out that they shared that vision,” he said. “I didn’t want to sit by and just watch things happen, I wanted to step up and become more involved with the decision making and the planning for the future of our town,”
Gillian said the administration has accomplished a lot over the past 12 years, noting infrastructure and drainage projects and boardwalk improvements.
“We have done a lot of things and I’m very proud of it,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we still need to do. With infrastructure you’re never done. We put a good team together and have had a lot of success and I look forward to continuing.”
Downtown
neglected?
Gillian objected to the idea that nothing has been done to improve the island’s main shopping district. He said there have been sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, bike racks installed and the city is working on improving the streetlights. The city also upgraded the bathrooms at City Hall.
“I think we’ve done a lot downtown and we are going to continue,” he said.
Hartzell said the sidewalks are in bad shape and need a congruent look.
“We have a first-class town, we should have a first-class downtown,” he said.
Hartzell noted parking is an issue and suggested a public/private partnership to build a centrally located garage downtown.
He said he would like to hire a person to oversee downtown and bring back Evenings on Asbury and the seafood festival.
“I want to bring it back to its roots when Friday night everybody went shopping downtown like I did with my grandmother,” Hartzell said.
Plan for former
Chevy dealership
Both candidates agreed that the area around the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center should remain open space.
Gillian said he would like to hold a town hall meeting to get as many ideas as possible before moving forward with a project.
Hartzell said it’s best to wait and get ideas, noting the purchase was worth the cost, which has yet to be determined.
He said it would be something the city would enjoy for years to come.
Pickleball courts
The candidates went back and forth on the location of new pickleball courts, with Gillian wanting new courts at 34th Street to spread the facilities throughout the city and Hartzell wanting them all in one spot at 18th Street.
Gillian said having them all in one area is not fair to residents of the rest of the island and that expanding at 18th Street would require more parking.
Hartzell said pickleball is a community thing and should be located in one spot as the “crown jewel of pickleball.” He said there is little parking at the 34th Street site.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff