Listen to podcast: Margate Solicitor John Scott Abbott and Mayor Michael Collins faced angry residents on July 18, asking why Margate blocks live video feeds (ZOOM) of important municipal meetings.
Abbott and Collins blame a recent alleged, ‘Zoom-bombing’ during a commission meeting.
Listen to Abbott defend banning of Zoom video from July 18, 2024:
‘Zoom-Bombing’ is disruptive intrusion by Internet trolls into a video-conference call. So far, Abbott has yet to provide documented proof of the alleged incident.
Margate also prohibits remote commenting.
Margate blaming alleged ZOOM spoof as reason for blocking video access to all public meetings. This suggests city has poor Internet management, weak security protocol, and seriously deficient IT skills.
PUBLIC COMMENT: If Atlantic City, Ventnor, Brigantine and Atlantic County have live ZOOM video of public meetings, why can’t Margate? Most shore towns use ZOOM type video for meetings, including remote public comment.
FACT CHECK: Abbott claims it would cost Margate City hundreds of thousands of dollars to ZOOM city meetings. (FALSE)
Watch Ventnor Commission meetings here.
Watch Atlantic City Council meetings here.
Watch Atlantic County Commissioners meetings here.
Editor’s Note: Margate needs to confer with Ventnor, Atlantic County, Atlantic City and/or Brigantine for ZOOM advice.
In 2021, former Margate Business Admin, Richard Deaney, a resident of Ocean City, decided that Margate taxpayers don’t need to watch Margate meetings via ZOOM video. LISTEN:
75% of the Margate tax base are second homeowners with no voting rights. At the very least, please let them watch and comment from their winter time Florida home.
Margate government is getting a really poor reputation. Which reputation is worse now? Margate or AC?
Towns that don’t provide ZOOM video access to meetings, do not want local taxpayers to see how their money is spent. Margate’s Mayor Collins and Solicitor Abbott can not be trusted with this issue.
I personally witnessed the incident that occurred that’s their rationale for not supporting video streaming of their meetings.
That said, hundreds of thousands of corporations successfully stream they’re meetings on a daily basis. In addition, many municipalities do the same.
There are ways in which it is very possible to secure these meetings and there is no technical reason for them to not support the initiative.
The lack of transparency, in my opinion, is inexcusable on the part of Margate leadership.
The comment above is absolutely accurate. Meetings that are designed to deal with resident/ taxpayer issues should always be open to all. Otherwise, the indication is that there is something to hide. Zoom is the perfect platform for our administration to use to prove that Margate ‘s governance is above board, honest and open.
I fully agree with Joel. The excuse by our city solicitor and Mayor is nothing more than their telling us they don’t want us to know.
For a few hundred dollars a year, we can have Zoom access. For another $2,000 per year, Margate can have cybersecurity.
This is the tip of the iceberg. Margate needs to keep their campaign promises now!
Or… we can now be assured that they lied during the campaign and will continue to to do so moving forward. This looks really bad.
Zoom, Zoom.
Zoom the meetings.
In this day and age, business and government agencies utilize Zoom for meetings.
Margate has an elderly population, out of town second home owners, people at work, etc. that would want to at least be able to view the meetings and maybe even be able make a comment.
Somebody in the comments is now comparing Margate’s government to Atlantic City’s government…the person makes a good point…a sad but good point.
If the meetings are not video-taped with Zoom for all to witness, how can they conduct business? You can’t run a corrupt city while people are watching.
The Becker / Amodeo Dynasty continues with Collin’s at the helm and Horn as 2nd in command.
Upon winning the election, Collin’s and Horn promised Maury Blumberg the mayor seat. They lied! They voted Collin’s to be mayor.
Blumberg knowing he was out numbered and hearing the loss of integrity from Collin’s and Horn, he abstained from the vote.
Collin’s and Horn proved to me and the public that integrity is as steadfast as the outgoing tide.
If you’re not part of their club, be on your toes. They will make your life very difficult.
Let the sunshine into the meetings. It’s time for Margate City residents to see what these meetings are like and how decisions are made that effect the taxpaying residents of our city.
These politicians do not want to share their “dirty hidden secrets” with all of Margate. They are all corrupt and conniving individuals who only want for themselves! As stated above, if you are not part of their “club” they can make your life very difficult. Transparency will show how corrupt they are and they certainly do not want that to be on public display. Shame on them in 2024 not to ZOOM the meetings to the public.
I once lived in a PA township that had corrupt politicians. The taxpaying citizens were at wits end on how to expose these politicians who represented our community for what they were.
Yes, there were and are solutions. Voters were able to get rid of a few. The local news also exposed corruption and getting our citizens to attend planning board and board of supervisors meetings, educated the populace too.
We either voted them out, or exposed their corruption.
It is said “freedom isn’t free”. Ignoring bad government is a recipe for disaster. Making sure our representatives actually represent us takes effort on everyone’s part. Don’t close your eyes or remain silent. Let’s make our public servants do just that: honestly serve us.
We cannot allow our public servants to become complacent in their duties. If they let us down, we must remind them that we are their employers. Corruption in our government will not be tolerated.
Speak up Margate citizens! Be non-violent, but be firm. We expect our government to be honest and proactive.
I tip my hat to Downbeach Buzz. Freedom of the press is crucial to our survival as a nation. Than you for keeping us informed.
This administration lost the people of Margate and quickly. Broken campaign promises.
They screwed over Blumberg and now all of us.
For those who voted them in, are you happy now?