Carol Sabo
In a political landscape where convictions vary drastically and the mere mention of an elected official’s name can spark discord, residents of West Cape May speak of their mayor, Carol Sabo, with fondness and respect. Her years of education and work in the fields of sociology and advocacy have made her a beloved and caring leader throughout the county.
Whether sitting on her front porch with her husband Mark and their son Christian, stopping at West End Garage to chat with friends, or getting her coffee at Ostara’s, Carol Sabo’s keen sense of community has helped lead West Cape May into a prospering and desirable home for many.
Do you consider yourself an unlikely mayor?
As a social worker, advocacy is part of the job. For me to be in government is a natural extension of being a social worker. When you define social work, it’s all about advocacy. I worked with children and families my entire career. Working with the borough of West Cape May is a natural extension of that.
Can you tell me of a time when your skills as a social worker had to be put into action as a mayor?
We have a commission form of government, which means the three commissioners each have an equal vote. This is my sixth year as mayor. When you’re an elected official you are representing the people who have elected you. You have to collate what you understand to be the things that people want you to do in their best interest.
Give me an example of a time when you couldn’t make everyone happy.
The most recent example was the retail cannabis dispensary. In 2019, the state approved recreational cannabis in New Jersey. Overwhelmingly it passed by the voters in West Cape May. In 2020 we passed an ordinance allowing the cannabis dispensary. When push came to shove, people came forward saying they didn’t want it and asked why it wasn’t put to a vote. Well, it went to a vote and the elected officials allowed it. It had all been discussed in public meetings, but then when it happened some people came forward not wanting it. There are those who have a misguided notion on the role of cannabis in a community. It’s a personal choice for adults to make. It may or may not be your thing, but I support the ability for people to utilize a legal substance.
Has the dispensary proven itself as a worthy business in town?
There have been no problems at all with the dispensary. None whatsoever. It’s been very well managed and engineered to have little impact on the area. It’s in a business district and we want to see it well trafficked.
The overall issue of parking always seems to be a complaint. Please comment on that.
Have you gotten a sandwich from West Side Market lately? They’re always busy! Their sandwiches are phenomenal, and the meats are fresh. Ostara’s Coffee Shop is doing very well. I pull up and there are five or six cars parked in front of it; I park farther away and walk. I am tired of hearing complaints about parking. This is a tourist area, and we are doing so well. Thank goodness there are so many people wanting to patronize our businesses. My focus is how to make it more accessible by foot and by bike.
I’d like to ask you about the political demographic of the area. Cape May County has traditionally been a Republican county. When I look at a map of registered voters in the county, the majority of districts in the county are red. West Cape May is always a small spot of blue in the midst of all that red. Why?
West Cape May has always been known as the quirkier side of Cape May. It’s one of the reasons that Mark and I chose to live here. It’s always been more of an artistic community. It’s a unique place in the overall dynamic of the area. Politics aside, it always seemed to me to be a very tolerant and inclusive community. That inclusivity and kindness is one of the things I love about West Cape May.
Can you talk about historic preservation in West Cape May? Are older buildings protected here as they are in Cape May?
We have a historic district as well. Our HPC was started in 2006 after the Moffitt House came down on Broadway. When that was torn down with no nod nor attempt to preserve it—despite the fact that there was interest in saving it—that activated a group of residents to formulate a historic district. And there will be an effort to define that more as time goes on. We have to remember that as the years go by, what is considered historic are also the bungalows from around 1910 or so, and we have so many beautiful examples from that era here in town.
You told me once that you had a decade of your life which you called, “mohawk hair and I don’t care.” Tell me how Mohawk Carol became an elected government leader.
(laughing) I did say that, didn’t I? Well, back in the 80s when I was a sociology major in college, some very amazing professors steered me toward looking at the inequities in the world. I was trying to view things from the perspectives of others. That’s where the advocacy started with me. I used to campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment in college—and we still don’t have one.
Were there any issues you were passionate about back then for which you’ve had a change of heart?
Not really, because it’s been the issue of reproductive freedoms and women’s healthcare. It was a deep concern for me then and is more of a concern for me now. Sadly, you can’t take your foot off the gas with these issues. Civil liberties and the right for people to live safely and freely never go away.
As a woman in a leadership role, do you experience challenges and prejudices that surprise you?
I’ll give you a funny example, although it’s not so funny. New Jersey holds the Conference of Mayors each year in May. Every year at the conference they hand out some swag—a vest or a polo shirt or what have you—but they’re always in men’s sizes. I asked once how many female mayors were there in New Jersey. The answer is that there are over 100. I said, “Do you think we could get some of these polo shirts in women’s sizes and styles?” The answer I got was, “These are unisex.” (Carol opens her arms and gestures toward her torso) And I said, “No, trust me, they’re not.”
Are young girls today who aspire toward leadership roles and public service still in need of role models like you as girls 40 years ago would have been?
Yes, we all need people to look up to in positions of leadership. You never need less of what you are striving to be in life. I encourage young women—and everyone—to make the jump from sitting back and feeling hopeless to taking action and being involved on whatever level you can. The values that my mom and dad taught me were important were education, health care, and the environment. When I look at leadership, I want leadership concerned with those three things.
Years ago, I remember such a sense of division between West Cape May and Cape May. That is obviously no longer the case and I have heard many people suggest the two municipalities should merge as one. Do you see that happening?
No, I don’t, and for many reasons. As much as we have a good relationship with the City of Cape May, we have very individual identities and different needs.
What are some of the aspects of the West Cape May government that would never work in Cape May?
I don’t like that question because people always try to compare. Each municipality needs to do what is right for them. One size does not fit all—just like those polo shirts they give out at the mayors’ conference (laughing).
I can’t not speak about the West Cape May Community Christmas Parade without talking about the power of social media. It’s a spectacular parade and yet social media seems to become a virtual barroom brawl of words when people give opinions about the parade.
We are very proud of the parade, which has a long tradition in this town. Things grow and change over the years and decisions are made to always improve the parade. We even know that the island hosts more visitors on parade day than on the 4th of July. I would expect that each business that does well on that day, because of the influx of visitors, would support the parade. There is great economic impact due to the parade. It’s organized by a group of volunteers and there are always naysayers who take to social media thinking they have a better solution. We start discussing the parade in June and then we start the fundraising. The curtain of the computer empowers people to be nastier online than they might be in person. If people have criticisms, they know where to find me, or are welcome to volunteer their time and ideas at our meetings.
Are you still in love with the quirky and artsy West Cape May that you and Mark decided to call home so many years ago?
There are times I have to pinch myself to realize how blessed I am to live here. People travel far and spend a great deal of money to visit here, and I just sit on my front porch and take it all in and say to myself, “I am truly blessed.”
