Cape May County Commissioner Recommends Softer Public Comment Rules

Crest Haven, New Jersey — Cape May County Commissioner Will Morey has asked his fellow board members to consider easing restrictions on public comments at commission meetings. The proposal, presented at the April 22 meeting, aims to reduce the severity of rules adopted in February, which were initially put in place to prevent disruptive behavior. The current rules prohibit speech that is argumentative, slanderous, or aggressive, and restrict anything that might interrupt the fair operation of a meeting. Morey acknowledged the need for order but argued the tone of the rules may be too harsh and could discourage public participation. Under Morey's proposal, the language would be softened to encourage civility rather than threaten enforcement. He also suggested retaining the five-minute speaking limit, enforced with a timer on the commissioners' dais. Most municipalities in the county either follow a similar time limit or do not specify one at all. Morey’s revision would still penalize disruptive or abusive speech but replaces words like “prohibited” with “not permitted” to shift the tone. He also recommended limiting crowd reactions such as clapping and booing to maintain order. Additionally, Morey proposed making full copies of resolutions available to the public before meetings. Currently, only titles and resolution numbers are shared ahead of time, with full texts accessible only by formal request after the meeting. The board agreed to refer Morey’s recommendations to County Counsel for review.