‘Margate Deserves Better’ candidates respond to Downbeach.com questionnaire

The ‘Margate Deserves Better’ team, from left, Calvin Tesler, Aaron Singer and Patrice ‘Tish’ Calvarese.

MARGATE – Members of the “Margate Deserves Better” slate of candidates for the May 9 Board of Commissioners election responded to a questionnaire sent to all the candidates about issues of importance to the voters of Margate. The candidates were asked to provide their individual responses to the following questions:

Margate Candidate Questionnaire

1. The tax rate in Margate has remained stable over the last 11 years, aided mostly by an increase in the ratable base due to reconstruction and raising homes following Hurricane Sandy. What is your plan to control taxes in the future?
2. There has been discussion among some of the candidates about consolidation of the Margate schools, which is a Type I school district with board members appointed by the mayor and annual budgets approved by the Board of School Estimate. Some believe the schools should be either consolidated into one building or merged with the Ventnor City school system. What are your views on this issue?
3. Since Hurricane Sandy and new FEMA regulations regarding building at a much higher minimum flood elevation, homeowners are razing their homes and reconstructing larger homes at higher levels, which some say dwarf existing older homes that have yet to be elevated. What are your views on this issue, and what if anything, would you do about it?
4. Margate’s long-standing rental ordinance adopted in 1983 restricts property rentals to a minimum stay of one week between May 1 and Sept. 30. Compared to other communities, other than parking, Margate has had few complaints generated at rental properties. The city’s ordinance requires an annual license, $100 application fee, and inspection to determine occupancy load. What are your views on short-term rentals that have become popular on AirBNB, VRBO and other online rental platforms? Do you think the city’s current ordinance is adequate or should it be revised? If so, what changes would you recommend?
5. Parking is an issue in most shore communities during the summer season due to the influx of thousands of second homeowners and visitors. What do you believe can be done to enhance parking in the city?
6. What are your plans to support the local business community?
7. What are your views on offshore wind development?

Calvin Tesler

1. The new construction has provided millions in new revenue, and as a result we have a $9 million surplus. A single employee in the Water Department worked more than 600 hours of overtime in 2021. We will use new revenue to control taxes, not waste it. Our team will conduct an operational audit of every department to identify duplicate services and wasteful spending. We will pay attention to costs and actively seek grant money from private sources, as well as from the state and federal government. All purchases, contracts and overtime will be reviewed regularly to ensure they are accurate, necessary and in the best interests of Margate residents.
2. Our team is committed to keeping both the Ross and Tighe Schools open. I look forward to enrolling my daughter in kindergarten at the Tighe School, where I know she will receive the same excellent education as generations of Margate students. We do not support a merger.
3. The Margate commissioners and the Planning Board members have been using FEMA regulations to approve height variances. However, multiple variances are being approved for some and not others. This should be fair and equal across the board. We will appoint Planning Board members that will carefully review all new constructions and respect the rights of the property owners and their neighbors.
4. As we have spoken to people throughout the community, we have heard many complaints about the problems caused by weekly rentals. The current ordinance needs to be reviewed and updated. This issue is also impacted by the type of building that is being approved by the city commissioners and the Planning Board. For instance, the new construction project on Ventnor Avenue will have small two-bedroom apartments above what is essentially a strip mall. The Planning Board knew very well that these apartments will be used for weekly rentals, but they approved them anyway.
5. We will work with businesses and residents to develop a comprehensive parking plan. Grants are available to improve the walkability of our downtown, and to provide alternatives to driving. Possibilities include people movers, open air parking and improved bicycle and pedestrian traffic circulation.
6. The Margate Business Association does a great job and we will work with them to support local businesses. We will work closely with our local business owners on advertising and town wide events to attract customers year round. We love our local businesses and will work to encourage residents and visitors to shop local. We need to embrace our business owners and collectively transform a walkable center of town approach supported by multiple boutique shops, restaurants, and cafes geared to all ages.
7. Offshore wind development is a new technology. Like many residents, I have questions and concerns that have not been answered. The state should put the windmill project on hold until we have more information. Local communities like Margate must be consulted about projects that impact the nearby coastal waters and our quality of life. The offshore wind development companies have given $15 million to a foundation to give out money in an attempt to placate local communities. Mayor Becker and the City Commissioners have asked for some of the “windmill money”. I have questions about what promises were made by our government in return for the money. Large corporations don’t give out that kind of money without expecting something in return.

Personal information:

• Professor of History and Writing at Rowan University
• Adjunct Professor, Temple and Stockton Universities
• Vice-president, Shirat Hayam Synagogue
• Volunteer, Seashore Gardens Assisted Living Center
• Volunteer, local food drives

Aaron Singer

1. The millions of dollars brought in by the increase in the ratable base has made the current government complacent. With the increase of revenues caused by the massive increase in building from 2007 to 2022, why hasn’t the average tax bill gone down? The current government has not provided sufficient oversight and is not careful with our tax money. Commissioner Maury Blumberg failed to monitor prescription drug costs, millions were stolen, and now taxpayers are stuck with skyrocketing insurance costs. As a CPA and private sector chief financial officer, I will use my expertise to examine our expenses and eliminate waste and fraud. We will conduct an annual review of city vendor purchases and city contracts. We will aggressively pursue new state, federal and private grant opportunities. We will not be complacent.
2. Margate has two of the best schools in the state, and my team and I fully support keeping our two Margate schools open and independent. We fully support our Blue Ribbon Margate schools, and do not support a merger.
3. We need to reign in the Planning Board, which is using the FEMA regulations as an excuse to permit height variances that are much higher than the variance needed to comply with FEMA regulations. The issue our community is facing is more complicated than simply height. Our concern is the approval of oversized houses on undersized lots. They are giving out multiple variances to a select group of builders, including variances for setbacks, permeable coverage and even landscaping. This is not right.
4. The question minimizes the problems caused by weekly rentals by saying that Margate has few complaints. That has not been our experience. The Master Plan for development calls for an increase in housing for “transients,” and much of the newly approved building is clearly for weekly rentals. The Planning Board approved a mixed-use project with small two-bedroom apartments above retail on Ventnor Avenue, two blocks from the beach. Anyone can see that these will be weekly rentals. The project did not comply with zoning regulations and required numerous variances and waivers. These variances should not have been granted by the Planning Board and this project never should have been built. This is driving out the families and changing the character of our community. We must encourage housing for families, not tourists, if we are to remain “A Residential Community by the Sea”.
5. The first step in resolving parking problems is to stop making the problem worse. Irresponsible building and parking variances must stop. The mixed use project under construction on Ventnor Avenue was required by ordinance to have 30 parking spots, but the Planning Board gave a variance so they only had to provide three parking spaces. This will make it even harder for people to find a parking space and will hurt our local businesses in the area.
6. We support our local businesses and the Margate Business Association. Advertising and town-wide events are effective in attracting customers year-round, and we will encourage both visitors and residents to shop and dine locally. We will meet with our business owners regularly and listen to their ideas and concerns. We will seek state and federal grants to improve pedestrian safety and ensure we have a downtown that is welcoming to cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.
7. Offshore windmills should not be forced on local communities without local input. The state and federal government need to take into account our needs and concerns, and I oppose the windmill project while so many questions about the impact remain. Mayor Michael Becker and the city commissioners have requested a $446,000 grant from a foundation funded by Orsted Wind and Ocean Wind. What strings are attached to this money? What did the mayor and commissioners promise in order to get these funds? The public has the right to know.

Personal information:

• CPA, Chief Financial Officer, Business Consultant
• Experienced corporate and strategic executive
• Served on the boards of many charitable organizations
• Founding member, Rose House providing homes for developmentally disabled adults. 

Patrice “Tish” Calvarese

1. The commissioners have been negligent in managing our finances. They missed the warning signs of skyrocketing prescription drug costs, and now taxpayers are stuck paying increased insurance costs. I will use my background in information technology to implement automated reporting on all costs and expenditures, and then I will personally review the results. We need both careful reporting and careful review so we can reduce waste. Vendor invoices, overtime costs, contracts and insurance expenses must be scrutinized regularly.
2. William H. Ross Elementary School and Eugene A. Tighe Middle School are among the best in our state. At both the Ross School and the Tighe Middle School, 87% of students scored at or above grade level for reading. We support keeping both schools open for the next generation of families and oppose any school merger.
3. Excessive lot coverage with little permeable space has impacted neighborhood flooding. Excessive height blocks views. The commissioners and the Planning Board are using FEMA regulations as an excuse to permit houses that are inconsistent with neighborhood standards. We will appoint Planning Board members that understand this, and will work to preserve our residential community.
4. If we want to maintain our residential character, we cannot permit the increase in weekly rentals. The answer is not solely new regulations; the solution is in enforcing our zoning laws, and not approving new developments clearly intended as weekly rentals. Families cannot make their home in Margate if all the new development is aimed at transients. Can you imagine a town without children? Then we won’t have those great memories and culture. 
5. Parking is an issue for residents and businesses alike. We value our business community, which provides the livelihood for many people in Margate. We also recognize the need to protect the quality of life for our residents, and ensure they have adequate parking near their homes. We will develop a comprehensive parking plan, in cooperation with Margate Business Association, commercial business owners and of course, residents. Possibilities include improved pedestrian routes, people movers, and more open air parking.
6. We will work with both Margate Business Association and individual businesses to understand and support business needs. Events such as Beachstock and the Tour de Downbeach bring visitors and businesses to our town, and we will continue to support them. Traffic, parking and pedestrian improvements are an important part of making sure Margate is welcoming to business and their customers, and we will work to ensure that Margate streets are safe for cars, pedestrians and bicycles.
7. As a resident of a shore town, I have many questions and serious concerns about the offshore windmills. These questions must be answered, and we will fight for the right of Margate and our residents to be heard. The state and federal government should not be imposing these windmills on local communities without regard to our needs and concerns. Lets not make this a another dunes issue. 

Personal information:

• IT Executive specializing in cybersecurity and health information
• Chief Information Officer, Drexel Med
• Recipient of the American Hospital Association Transformational Leadership Award
• Senior citizen patient advocate
• Member, Holy Trinity Parish