‘I Must Have Knocked On 400 Doors’: New Mayor Tim Carney Knows First-Hand What Stone Harbor Wants and Needs
Most public figures talked their way into high office.
Tim Carney went the opposite route. He listened.
Stone Harbor’s new mayor reaps the reward for his grassroots approach to local government. First as Borough Council candidate in 2023 and one year later as prospective mayor, Carney took his political cue from the people. He went door-to-door, asked what they wanted, and listened. Their feedback forged his two victorious platforms.
“I must have knocked on 400 doors, covering about three-quarters of the voters in Stone Harbor, and asked about their concerns,” he tells Seven Mile Times in March, two months after being sworn in for his four-year mayoral term. “They told me to take care of our finances, control overdevelopment and invest in our beaches and bays. They added one thing,” he says, laughing, “and we are going to hold you to it.’”
Carney augmented their input by hosting debates, community meet-and- greets and living-room discussions to gauge their feelings. The listen-first strategy delivered in spades, vaulting him from a political outsider to the mayor’s office in two short years.
Those elections augmented firefighter and zoning-board member roles that first marked his public service. By the time he sought office, Carney was immersed in this community.
Carney, a Penn State graduate from King of Prussia, Pa., embraces a fresh path. Recently retired, he spent 40 years as a senior vice president in the health-care technology industry. He has stated he will bring this private sector experience to managing the borough.
Over the years, he has become a big part of it.
Carney became a first responder in 2018 with the Stone Harbor Fire/EMS, a role in which he remains active. He later served on the Stone Harbor Zoning Board and gained a wider local presence as the lead singer for The Seabillys, a local cover band that plays classic and Southern rock regularly throughout the area. He still performs with the group on Seven Mile Beach.
Carney’s life blossomed at the right time for this role. He brings a knowledge of finance, employee relations, and negotiations to the mayor’s office. He embraces the new role, says he has much to learn, and awaits the challenge.
“I absolutely love it,” he indicates. “This is really life’s second act. I retired from the health-care industry last spring. I am 62, and still have lots of energy. I love working with the Council on public safety, public works, tourism, and recreation issues. I love solving problems for citizens when they call and look forward to improving our town for its residents and visitors. It’s a wonderful feeling.”
Carney cites three major focus points he is addressing as mayor.
First, restore financial discipline to the borough. That means right-sizing government and walking the tightrope between balancing the budget and not cutting services.
Second, curtail overdevelopment. Homes are getting bigger, which puts a strain on parking and infrastructure. He looks forward to working with Borough Council to create ordinances that curtail development and maintain the charm of Stone Harbor’s business district.
Third, invest in the beaches and back bays. This is the major drawing card for visitors and residents. Carney will focus on ensuring that beaches are well-funded, safe, and accessible to all.
“Look, these are the people’s ideas,” he indicates. “I am just the vessel.”
To sail that vessel, Carney wants to utilize his finance degree from Penn State and more than 40 years’ experience in the private sector to address fiscal issues. He has managed a $200 million budget.
With regard to other topics, Carney believes a crisis in the form of a pandemic, storms or flooding is almost guaranteed in the coming years. He says he will use his experience as a first responder to help guide the borough through these emergencies.
He looks forward to leveraging his time as chair of the Natural Resources Committee to continue protecting natural resources, the bird sanctuary, and habitats within the borough.
He has changed the time of council meetings to 5 p.m. so that workers who put in a full day can attend. Council meetings are also available by teleconference and recordings are posted online after they end.
“Meetings conducted during the day make it difficult for working residents to participate,” he asserts. “I wanted to change that.”
Carney gained some of his best political advice from a prominent figure. One of his early supporters was Suzanne Walters, a 20-year mayor of Stone Harbor and past president of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
That represented a huge assist, as Walters is highly decorated. Carney considers her advice and counsel critically important.
“One of the things she told me is to work closely with council members,” he indicates. “Always respect them, listen to them, and make sure you work together. I talk daily with the council members. It’s a great relationship that we have. We all love this borough and want to make decisions in the best interest of the citizens.”
Carney set out to establish an aggressive agenda, in tandem with the council, in the first year. He is proud of what the governing body has accomplished in the first two months of his administration.
Stone Harbor has received a Cape May County Open Space Grant of $1.2 million to install a new playground on 97th Street. The borough is expanding the courts on 97th Street, providing shade structures and building a new recreation center with public restrooms.
The borough has applied for an $800,000 Jake’s Place Grant to install an all-inclusive playground on 82nd Street.
He has appointed members to the zoning and planning boards, bird sanctuary, and recreation advisory committees.
Carney has also branched out to the public, trying to recruit volunteers for public service.
“As a new mayor, I challenge citizens to serve their borough,” he asserts. “We have talented people with a wide range of skill sets. The greatest gift you can give to a cause you care about is your time. I look forward to asking citizens to serve their borough for the first time.”
As time has proved, he is not shy about reaching out.
