Some Jersey Shore towns want the ‘shoobies’ to stay home

What do you do if you legally own a second home at the Jersey shore but want to get out of the city? According to some local officials, the answer is: stay home.

As reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, mayors in some south Jersey shore towns are suggesting their seasonal Philadelphia residents don’t come to stay right now.

Of course, the visitors who actually own second homes at the shore (and pay taxes) feel that they have every right to be there. The Inquirer quotes a Cape May County Freeholder, Gerald Thornton, as being worried that the additional population might put a strain on local medical facilities if the virus hits hard at the Shore. The mayor of Ventnor, Beth Holtzman, told the Inquirer, “The only way the curve is going to flatten is for people to stop moving.”

It’s kind of weird to hear Shore towns discouraging visitors, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Of course, again, a lot of the “visitors” actually own property there and have every legal right to stay in their homes, but they are reporting a somewhat chilly reception by the locals. According to the Inquirer, the city of Wildwood is actually considering closing the boardwalk to address the problem.

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