Christie To Hold Manahawkin Town Hall Wednesday On Sandy

Gov. Chris Christie will hold a town hall meeting in Manahawkin on Wednesday to discuss the impact of Hurricane Sandy.

Anyone willing to attend should RSVP here.

The meeting will be at 3 p.m., with doors opening at  2:15 p.m., at Saint Mary's Parish Center, 100 Bishop Way, in Manahawkin (Stafford Township).

Seating is on a first come, first serve basis and open to the public.

Calling it a case of “the good, the bad and the ugly,” Stafford Mayor John Spodofora said during a recent meeting that 2013 will be a rough one for the township.

“The good was the people,” he said. "We were very blessed with employees, who worked tirelessly and then came back to volunteer more of their time; neighbors helping neighbors clean up and gut their homes or work in the shelters and relief center and volunteers that came from all over the country to help after Sandy."

The bad, he said, "were the few people who - no matter what we did - felt it was not enough, but they were few and far between."

But it was the ugly - the damage caused by the storm - that is going to make 2013 a “rough year,” said Spodofora.

The current tax base is certain to drop with an estimated 4500 homes and business having their current assessments adjusted due to the damage they suffered, said Spodofora.

A reduction in revenue is not an option at this point as the township suffered severe infrastructure damage to roads, bayfront areas, the Beach Haven West Community Center and the water and sewer system among other areas, said the mayor.