Hey Middle Township!

The MTPD Leadership Transition

As June 1st approaches, it is hard for me to believe it has been one year since I retired as our Police Chief after over a dozen years at the helm. Much has changed for me personally over the past year. I’ve taken on a new and challenging leadership position with the County of Cape May. I plunged headlong into local politics and here I am, six months into my first year a Mayor of our hometown, writing a monthly column. 

That is a lot!

It is not a stretch to say the decisions that I made regarding my own future directly impacted the future of the Middle Township Police Department. My departure led to the historic appointment of Jennifer Pooler as our first female Police Chief. Chief Pooler brought a steady hand and reassuring leadership presence to a department in transition. She reinforced our ongoing commitment to community policing and created a leadership team that reflected the longstanding, traditional values of the MTPD.

One of the keys to maintaining the professionalism and excellence in our department is a strong commitment to our mission by every officer, every day. Through our investments in training and leadership development, we are always focused on developing and recognizing officers ready to step up and lead.

On July 1st, Chief Pooler will retire after a long, distinguished, and now historic career in Middle Township. Captain Tracey Super will assume the role of Chief and lead a young group of emerging sergeants, lieutenants, and captains who will constitute the next generation of leadership in the MTPD.

In early May, the Middle Township Police Department promoted seven officers into advanced positions of leadership. The coordinated effort was part of the Township’s decade-long approach to maintaining excellence through merit-based succession planning.

Promoted to Sergeant

Ptlm. Jonas McInnis

Cpl. Armondo Jones

Detective Thomas Ritterhoff 

Promoted to Lieutenant

Sgt. Ronald Miller

Sgt. Leonard Larkin

Det. Sgt. Jason Sweitzer

Promoted to Captain

Lt. Ken Martin

Change is never easy, but the name on the badge is less important than the experience and leadership skills that the officer brings to the team. When I retired, I was confident, that Chief Pooler would carry on our 24/7 commitment to excellent community policing. I have the same confidence that Chief Super will do the same. I share that confidence with Deputy Mayor Gandy and Committeeman Norris. 

All the officers recently promoted have been there to answer the call for our residents for many years. They will step into expanding roles of leadership and maintain the standard for ongoing excellence that our residents have rightfully come to expect from our police department. 

Chris Leusner

Mayor, Middle Township

Monday, May 6th – Regular Meeting of Township Committee – 6pm

1. Budget hearing on 2024 annual municipal budget;
2. Final approval of the 2024 budget of $27.59 million, an increase of approximately $419,000 from 2023;
3. Formally appointed Joyce Lee to the position of Tax Collector and Sewer Billing Administrator;
4. Passed a resolution recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month;
5. Formally accepted a $9,161 grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs to support expansion of the MTPD Summer Youth Camp.

Monday, May 20th – Work Session for Township Committee – 4pm



1. Discussion with Township professionals to address ongoing drainage issues in the Ridge Road area of the Township.

Monday, May 20th – Regular Meeting of Township Committee – 6pm

1. Adoption of ordinance to create the Middle Township Garden Club;
2. Adoption of ordinance to revise the structure of the Middle Township Recreation Advisory Council. The updated framework calls for seven at-large members, one representative from the Recreation Department, one liaison from Township Committee and a board secretary; 
3. Appointment of Captain Tracey Super to the position of Police Chief effective July 1st;
4. Award of contract in the amount of $116,625 to Ricky Slade Construction for the resurfacing of the Goshen Sports Complex Hockey Rink.

Middle Township residents are encouraged to attend Township Committee meetings to share their thoughts, questions and concerns with Township Committee. 

Visit the Township website for information on meeting dates and times: https://middletownship.com/

Stroll through Cape May Court House today and you observe the bustling center of both municipal and county government. The area is home to the county’s only hospital and a thriving medical community. Businesses, some new, some long-established, compete for consumer attention in a thriving and ever-evolving business district. 

If you have ever told an out-of-towner that you’re from Cape May Court House, you usually end up having to explain just what that means.

So, how did the center of Middle Township become known by this four-word moniker?

In 1694, over 300 years ago, The Cape May Court House Section of Middle Township was first settled by Shamgar Hand, a whaler from Sagg Harbor, Long Island. Hand and his good friend, Christopher Leaming, ventured to Town Bank on the Delaware River just north of Cape May. Envisioning a land of opportunity, Hand then acquired 408 acres situated on both sides of Crooked Creek from the West Jersey Society. He later purchased over 700 additional acres. This plot of land is roughly the present location of Cape May Court House extending from Holmes’ run to the southern border of the high school grounds. The eastern boundary was the sounds and the western boundary was White Oak.

The first survey of the area was in 1703 by Shamgar Hand’s nephew, Jeremiah Hand. The property acquired became known as “Romney Marsh.” The name of which was derived from the Hand family’s ancestral home in Kent County, England.  

As the village developed, it become known as Middle Town, as it was in the heart of Cape May County. It was in the early 19th century that the county seat became known as Cape May Court House. According to records from the Cape May County Historical Museum, the name originated with Captain Mey, a Dutch explorer who landed at the southern tip of the state, hence the name Cape May. Cape May then became the name of the county and when the courthouse was built, according to common southern custom, the site of the courthouse of Cape May County became known as Cape May Court House.

The original courthouse convened in the first Baptist church in Cape May County. The church was erected in 1715 and converted to the courthouse when a new Baptist church was built in 1744. A larger, permanent courthouse was established in 1774 on land donated by the Hand family. The impressive structure was designed and built by Daniel Hand, Jr., master builder and Shagmar Hand’s grandson.

The current courthouse was constructed in 1927 and recently underwent a major modernization. The historic, old courthouse and many Victorian and Colonial houses still line the main streets as a stately reminder of the special place Cape May Court House holds in the history of not just Middle Township, but of all Cape May County.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment resolves disputes that arise under the zoning ordinances, and grants variances from the strict application of the ordinances. The Zoning Board issues an annual report to the Township Committee describing areas in which it has granted relief and recommends changes to the ordinances.

The Zoning Board is constituted of seven members and up to two alternates (must be residents). Members are appointed pursuant to ordinances passed by Township Committee. Board members serve four-year terms (two-year terms for alternates) and may not hold elective office in the municipality.

The Zoning Board has jurisdiction if the application has one or more of the following: 

1. A use not permitted in the zone. 

2. A principal structure not permitted in the zone. 

3. An expansion of a nonconforming use. 

4. A deviation from a conditional use standard. 

5. A floor area ratio in excess of the maximum permitted. 

6. A density in excess of the maximum permitted. 

7. A height of principal structure, which exceeds the maximum height permitted by 10 feet or 10%.

If jurisdiction is found, the Zoning Board then hears the entire application, including site plan, subdivision and bulk variances. The Board must grant or deny an application within 20 days after the developer has submitted a complete application.

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