WILDWOOD MAYOR CALLS FOR TIMETABLE TO REOPEN JERSEY SHORE

May 27, 2020 (Wildwood, NJ)

Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron today called on Governor Murphy to take immediate action and layout a definitive timetable for the reopening of Wildwood and the rest of South Jersey’s seaside resorts.

“As a seasonal economy, summer is critical to Wildwood and the rest of the Jersey Shore communities. While I understand and supported the Governor’s initial statewide stay-at-home order and closure of all non-essential retail businesses, it is time to reopen shore towns. For the last three months people have adopted to the necessary safeguards that can allow us to appropriately function with more normal activities. While we certainly have to be steadfast in maintaining effective crowd behavior and other limitations, we need to act quickly to prevent an economic catastrophe to the Jersey Shore,” Byron said.

The Mayor continued to emphasized the unprecedented fear and hardship local businesses are experiencing. Byron said, “Countless workers, small business owners, and their families depend exclusively on the twenty or so weeks of our seasonal economy. This short span of time cannot be further reduced without permanently crippling people’s year-round survival.”

“I respectfully urge the Governor to relieve the pressing fears of workers and businesses by laying out a definitive timetable for the reopening of Wildwood and the rest of Jersey Shore. I further request that he help businesses prepare for the reopening by providing a specific framework that immediately allows outdoor seating for restaurants as well as reopening small retail businesses. With the loss of the Memorial Day weekend behind us, we simply cannot afford any further delay,” concluded Byron.