January Reorg Meeting

Hi Folks:

For those who have not had a chance to read it, below is the reprinting of my editorial piece in the Voorhees Sun online edition ( I was told it was too long for the print edition so here you go!)

Committeeman Mike

On Jan. 2, I participated in my second Voorhees Township Committee Reorganization meeting, or “Reorg” as it is commonly referred to in political circles, as an elected township committeeman.  Every year, the Reorg meeting in Voorhees is replete with the pomp and circumstance of the swearings in of the committeemen elected that year, as well as the designations of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, or Deputy “Mayors” as the case would have it this year, by the rest of committee.  Reorg also features speeches by the mayor and the other official or officials sworn in which inevitably portray an overly rosy outlook for the township in the coming year and a multitude of self-serving pats on the back for various achievements occurring in the year past.

As important as some of the above traditions are, I am not writing this article because of what happens in the first part of Reorg.  It is what happens in the second part of Reorg that has prompted me to write this piece. At bottom, the residents and hardworking taxpayers of Voorhees elected me two Novembers ago not to simply be a rubberstamp for business as usual in Camden County, but to be a true check and balance to a one-sided local government and to shine a light on government activities that Voorhees residents deserve to know about. I believe I have done that and more in my first year in office, however, this second part of Reorg requires special attention.

You see, the second part of Reorg is the time of the year where Township Committee appoints all of its professionals for the year who perform necessary services for the township, all of whom are obviously paid with taxpayer dollars.  Cynics would say this is also the time of the year where local politicians pay their hefty campaign contributors back with lucrative municipal contracts, and as a result, force the very residents who elected them to pay inflated prices for services that could have been secured for far less. As a steward of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars, I bring (and brought) the utmost in fairness and integrity to this process.  Needless to say, I feel that committee as a whole, did not.

Case in point: 15 professional appointments were made by committee on Jan. 2.  I objected on the record to five of these appointments because in each of those five instances, the professionals selected were considerably more expensive than one or all of their competitors who likewise had responded to the RFP for that position and additionally in some cases either did not present the proper qualifications or were not the best suited for the position.  Those objections were as follows:

1.) Township Engineer

After several years of loyal and faithful service with an excellent track record of serving our town and knowledge of our town, committee decided to kick out our most recent township engineer in favor of a firm with markedly more expensive rates (old township engineer’s rates range from $80-$125/hour for a licensed engineer where minimum for engineer at new firm are $135/hour).  And yes, if you’re wondering, the firm selected as our township engineer is a loyal campaign contributor contributing the max amount allowable under law to the Democratic candidates’ campaign this year.  (See October 28, 2011 NJ ELEC 11 Day Pre Election Report).

2.) Bond Counsel

Despite the fact that the competitor responder for this position was a qualified, established, reputable law firm with rates literally thousands of dollars cheaper than those of the firm selected, committee ignored this fact and selected the more expensive firm anyway which will cost the Voorhees taxpayers demonstrably more.  (Fee schedule of $4,000 plus $1 per thousand dollars of bonds issued for the firm not selected vs. $5,000 to $9,000 for $1-$999,999 dollars of bonds issued; $9,001 to $13,000 for $1,000,000 to $4,999,999 dollars of bonds issued; and $13,001 plus $1.10 per $1,000 of bonds issued over $5,000,000).

And yes, you guessed it, the firm selected as our bond counsel is a loyal contributor to the Democratic campaigns in this town year in and year out, and this past year was no different as they once again contributed heftily to the Democratic candidates’ campaign.  (NJ ELEC).

3.) Prosecutor

Here, despite the fact that the RFP for this position specifically states and requires that the responder supply “Cost details, including the hourly rates of each of the individuals that perform services,” the firm chosen for this position (and who has been chosen year in and year out by the majority party) failed to supply this crucial detail and instead provides a vague, amorphous statement that the firm is “agreeable to accept the salary set by Township Council.”

As I argued at the Reorg meeting, this is not a proper response to the RFP because it omits the most important factor for choosing a professional, that of precise cost.

Despite the response being non-compliant, Township Committee again simply rubberstamped this appointment.  That said, even if the prosecutor chosen is trying to state that he should be given the same amount set by Township Committee last year (and that he received last year), that amount was $25,864.

The competitor responder for the prosecutor position, a qualified prosecutor serving in other Camden County towns, properly included the cost details in their response stating that their firm would accept $15,000 to perform the services of Voorhees prosecutor.  As such, Committee would have saved $10,864 for the Voorhees taxpayer if they had gone with this selection.  They did not.  And yes, you guessed right again!  The prosecutor selected for yet another year for this position has been a loyal campaign contributor to the Democratic campaigns in this town year in and year out, and this past year was no different as he once again contributed heftily to the Democratic candidates’ campaign. (See 2011 NJ ELEC Report).  I think we’re starting to see a pattern here folks!

4.) Engineer Consultants for the Environmental Commission

The firm chosen for this position was the most expensive firm by far out of the five qualified responses provided to the township, yet committee decided to select them anyway. This firm is also not a stranger to political contributions donating frequently to the Camden County Democratic Committe.  (See NJ ELEC).

Lastly, although they were ultimately selected, several of my colleagues on committee, ostensibly on orders from their party bosses above, had initially voted to remove one of our long time loyal insurance brokers in favor of a designated party preferred broker. The broker to be kicked out was one that has been with Voorhees for years,  they have been a faithful, steadfast member of our community, they are located in Voorhees, they employ six Voorhees residents and have given back to Voorhees without hesitation whenever the township has asked.

On the afternoon of Reorg, and only after I and several others raised a stink about this disgraceful intended move, did my colleagues on committee reverse their vote and decide to stick with our longtime, loyal broker.

Now, political opponents and detractors will most certainly try to deflect and claim that I have set forth the above solely for political reasons.  Nothing could be further from the truth and fortunately those opponents and detractors can’t run from this truth as it is there in simple black and white.

What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong at its most elementary level.  Residents from all political parties should be enraged by the above.

In this economy, or any other economy for that matter, hard-working Voorhees taxpayers should not have to pay the elevated prices of political paybacks solely to benefit politicians who care only about themselves and who are beholden to powerful machine bosses.  As the sole check and balance on the Voorhees Township Committee, it is my duty to shine a light on such improprieties and I will continue to do so as long as the residents of Voorhees provide me with the honor of serving.

Week of Dems Stifling Free Speech and Progress

Hi All:

This past week, we unfortunately witnessed a display of arrogance and hypocrisy  by Democratic legislators in our district that amazed even me.  In addition to jobs, the two most important issues for Voorhees residents and surrounding towns are: 1.) oppressive taxes; and 2.) quality education.

As many of you know, tonight, Voorhees Middle School was supposed to serve as host for a Town Hall Meeting with Senator Michael Doherty, to discuss the Senator’s “Fair School Funding Plan” with Voorhees residents and offer an extensive question/answer session on the plan. This NON-PARTISAN event promised to educate and bring valuable information to residents on how we can bring more money into our schools and demonstrably lower property taxes at the same time.  The Senator’s ground-breaking plan would ostensibly give our schools with the fair funding they deserve in order to truly cultivate our children’s learning experience, while at the same time providing unheard of tax relief that has been so elusive in Camden County and in Voorhees where taxes have skyrocketed over the past decade.

Not only was I looking forward to learning more about the Senator’s plan, but so were hundreds of our fellow neighbors.  Unfortunately, your elected Democratic legislators of the 6th District, decided to put their paranoia and their politics first and place their concern for the Voorhees taxpayer a far distant second.   For Democratic legislators who claim to care so much about education and education funding for our kids, the hypocrisy of their actions are truly incredible.

Because the Town Hall happened to be scheduled for three weeks before the election and because Sen. Doherty happens to be a Republican, your 6th District Democratic legislators took it upon themselves to intimidate and bully the Voorhees School administration into canceling this event.   I am angry not just because I helped to organize this event and bring the Senator here to speak to our residents, but I am angry because these issues are so vitally important to our residents and to our children.  Yet, because of their paranoia and desire to maintain absolute power, control and influence,  your 6th District Democratic legislators, stifled not just freedom of speech, but the opportunity for true progress.

I hope all of you are as disgusted as I am with the actions of our Democratic state legislators in the 6th District.    I encourage you all to call the offices of Lou Greenwald, Pam Lampitt and Jim Beach at 856-435-1247 and demand an explanation as to why they felt it was necessary to bully and intimidate the Voorhees Administration into canceling this important Town Hall and why they are more concerned with their own political position, than the welfare of the residents they were sworn to represent.

All the best,

Committeeman Mike

September 19 and September 26 Meetings

Hey Folks:

Long time no speak!  Now that summer is over the Voorhees government is back in full swing!  A few topics to mention covered at our work meeting on September 19:

1.) Buzby Landfill Site We are moving forward with the landscape architecture program at Rutgers University to assist the township in transforming what was once a vast landfill into a beautiful passive recreation park.  In all likelihood, a solar panel project will be installed on the back section of the park (so as to be obscured from view as best as possible) and will take up no more than 20% of the land for the planned park.  The solar panels will create green renewable energy which will allow the township to pay for the creation of the park itself without using tax dollars.  Right now, the Rutgers students are busy designing their concepts for the park with ideas ranging from Asian gardens, to walking paths to water features.  As Voorhees residents what would you like to see in the new environmental park?

2.)New Website This is an issue I pushed for during my campaign and have pushed for while on Committee.  I am happy to say our new website design and concept is moving forward and should be ready for full rollout in October!   The new site will be more user-friendly for Voorhees residents with more information at your fingertips.  As I promised constituents, residents will now be able to access ALL past meeting minutes, agendas and budgets.  This will prove to be the biggest demonstration of transparency we have seen in some time and the residents deserve it!   The website will also focus more on promoting and marketing our wonderful township businesses whose successes are vital to the township’s health and well being.

3.) Energy  Also discussed at the meeting was the potential of having Voorhees Township serve as an Energy Aggregation company which would not only provide a solid revenue stream for the township but would also result in reduced electric bills for residents who might “opt in” to the program as electricity would now be purchased in bulk.  More to come on this exciting new possibility, so stay tuned!

 

9/26 Meeting

At tonight’s meeting, which was again unfortunately sparsely attended, Halloween trick or treating is set to occur from 2-8 pm in Voorhees on Oct. 31st.  Additionally, a “Place to Place” liquor license transfer for Firecreek Associates was approved which was the old Diamond Diner license which Preit now owns.  Firecreek Grill promises to be a terrific new addition to the Voorhees Town Center and a great new option for area residents.  Firecreek will essentially share the license with its attached neighbor Doghouse Gourmet Burgers so both establishments will be permitted to serve alcohol.

Lastly, Voorhees has joined a consortium of 8 towns in Camden County to bid for trash removal services.  This has resulted in a first year savings of $118,000 in this shared services initiative!    Smaller, efficient government and shared services are the way to go and we need to continued to do more of the same in every area!

Till next time, send me your ideas on the new Voorhees Environmental Park and make sure to come out to the committee meetings to let your voices be heard!

All the best,

Committeeman Mike

June 13 Meeting

Hi Everyone:

The highlight of tonight’s meeting was the adoption of the Voorhees Twp. Municipal Budget. As I stated at the meeting, while I am happy with a great deal of our budget and the fiscal responsibility that Committee largely exhibited this year (as opposed to the last ten years), I could not stand behind the document as a whole and voted agains it.  I voted against this year’s budget because we have still allotted some $100,000 for taxpayer funded health benefits for my fellow committeemen.  In this economy, when so many Voorhees residents are having difficulty paying for their own healthcare costs, it is absolutely unacceptable that under this budget residents must pay for the Cadillac health plans of 1/4 time elected officials.    That said, there will be a small decrease in municipal taxes this year for each household in Voorhees.  However, we can and must do better as we move forward in terms of increased transparency and efficiency in our local government.  In that regard, I look forward to a vastly improved township website and corresponding services which promise to provide the Voorhees taxpayer with a new and improved responsive government and an ease of doing business with the township not previously seen.

Lastly, please come on out to my monthly coffee this Friday at 8 am at our new location, Panera’s in Voorhees right off of White Horse Road.  I look forward to answering any and all of your questions and concerns regarding our town and its government!   Till next time!

Committeeman Mike

May 23rd Meeting – First in New Town Hall!

Hey Folks, a small but spirited crowd joined us as we held the first public Voorhees Township Committee meeting in the new Town Hall at the Voorhees Town Center.  As I’ve said before, our first class township finally has a first class town hall to do business in and to serve as the face of the township.  Our move has also spurned new confidence in the town center already as five new tenants have agreed to make the Town Center their home since the township has set up shop just last week.  Strong ratables and a strong Town Center will only serve to help all of us and solidify the financial health of our great town!

As for the meeting, the main highlight was the unanimous passage of an ordinance to appropriate funds for a revaluation of real estate in Voorhees.  Originally I was against his revaluation as I was concerned about spending $325,000 and was concerned that those residents who have recently and proactively appealed their taxes, would face a tax increase in a reassessment scenario.   However, when it became clear to Committee that once again this year the township will in all likelihood be forced to disgorge approximately $475,000 in tax appeals coupled with the reality that Voorhees residents as a township are paying over their fair share of Camden County taxes, I decided to change my vote to a Yes vote on this ordinance.  As a result, properties in town will be adjusted to reflect the true value of the current market, thereby removing the necessity for tax appeals and saving the township hundreds of thousands in disgorgement payments.  The clincher for me though was the fact that with this revaluation, EVERY Voorhees resident’s county taxes should go DOWN across the board to reflect our new fair share of county taxes which have been disproportionately high since 2005.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the reval.

In the meantime, I hope to see everyone at the annual Kirkwood Memorial Day Parade at 11:00 am on Monday starting at the Carriagebrooke restaurant to honor our nation’s fallen veterans and to celebrate Voorhees!

May 9 – Last Committee Meeting in the Old Municipal Building!

Hey Folks:

Although brief, the last ever Committee meeting in the old Voorhees Municipal Building on Haddonfield-Berlin road was held this past Monday, May 9.  On Monday May 16, the new Voorhees Town Hall will be open for business at the Voorhees Town Center.  I encourage all residents who are able to, to come on out to Town Hall for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 10:30 am on Monday.

The new building will be larger, safer and more energy efficient than its predecessor saving thousands in tax dollars in energy costs each year.  This building will finally provide our town with the central government building that a leading Camden county township like ours deserves and that our residents can be proud of for many years to come.  Coupled with a new township website, which we are in the midst of of creating, our local government is finally stepping up to offer vastly improved service and communication to all of its deserving residents.

Thank you again and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Grand Opening on Monday and at my monthly coffee with residents next Friday the 20th, 8 am at the Country Club Diner.

All the best,

Committeeman Mike

April 26 Meeting

Hi Everyone:

Very brief meeting today.  In short:

Time for public hearing on the 2011 Budget began tonight.  Unfortunately no one spoke on the budget, but public hearing is open until the budget is approved next month, so if you want to speak your mind on our municipal budget come out and do so!

Revaluation:  the proposed revaluation of real property was tabled again until the May 23rd meeting.  Again, we have to diligently analyze the makeup of the tax appeals that have been filed.  If many are residential and are residents filing for the second time in a row, these appeals most likely will not have as large an impact, making the revaluation less necessary.  However, if there are many first time appealers and commercial appeals, these factors will necessitate a revaluation in committee’s eyes.   We will know for sure by May 23!  If you have opinions on this issue please attend the next couple of meetings and let your voice be heard during public portion!

Committee also passed a resolution to apply for $650,000 worth of open space funds from the county to purchase open space behind the Coliseum.  We are very hoepful that  the county will come through for us on this one.

I want to also congratulate Detective Bob Monahan who retired this week from the Voorhees Police Department after nearly 30 years of faithful service!  Congrats Bob and thank you for all you have done for our township!

Last of all, remember to vote in the school election tomorrow April 27!   Till next time…

Committeeman Mike

Question to Residents: County Police or Push for Regionalization?

Hi Folks, I wanted to pose a question to my fellow Voorhees residents and get some feedback as to your feelings on a very important issue that is facing not only our township, but all of Camden County.

Recently, the Camden County Freeholders unveiled their plan to actively push for and institute a consolidation of all municipal police forces into one county wide system.  Coincidentally, this push occurred only after Camden City laid off half of their police force due to budget cuts.  Now, as a fiscal conservative, I am always looking for ways to cut waste and improve efficiency.  However, I feel that for Voorhees, a move to the county system would be counterproductive and quite frankly devastating for a number of reasons.  It simply does not make sense for larger, well-run towns in the county such as Voorhees to move to such a set up.  Our incredible police force in Voorhees which has made Voorhees one of the safest places to live in South Jersey is one of the reasons families move to our great down.  Moving to a countywide system would lead to potential termination of some of our officers and move others to patrol higher crime areas such as Camden, leaving Voorhees at risk.   The countywide system may very well work for some of the smaller towns and boroughs, but I don’t feel it is a fit for our town.

What I do feel that would make more sense though is to move more towards a regionalized police force with Voorhees remaining as the major component while servicing some of the smaller towns around us.  Potentially towns like Gibbsboro, Berlin Boro, etc.  Obviously such a plan requires further study and many discussions with these other potential partners, but I will bet dollars to donuts that our force can efficiently and cost effectively patrol these towns while consequently bringing in significant added revenue to our township.  It would be a win win for all partners involved.  This is consolidation that makes sense in my opinion.

However, I want to hear from you, the Voorhees resident.  Reply to my blog and let me know your thoughts. Do you agree with a County wide police force which would include Voorhees, or would you prefer something along the lines of a regionalized force like I have proposed?       Let me know and I will be sure to communicate the will of the residents to Commitee!

All the best,

Committeeman Mike

April 11 Committee Meeting

Hey Folks, hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful summer-like weather in Voorhees today! On that note, our whole family had wonderful time for a good cause here in town at the Walk 4 Life fundraiser to help fight cancer starting at Connolly Park on Saturday morning.  Hundreds of Voorhees residents took to the streets to walk and raise money for this worthy cause and we couldn’t have been more proud to be part of it.

 

On to the agenda from tonight’s meeting.

-Revaluation:  the proposed revaluation of real property was tabled until the April 26 meeting.  By April 1, Voorhees received approximately 370 tax appeals which is about 30 more than last year with more coming in.  Committee tabled the ordinance so we can truly see what appeals are being filed.  If many are residential and are residents filing for the second time in a row, these appeals most likely will not have as large an impact, making the revaluation less necessary.  However, if there are many first time appealers and commercial appeals, these factors will necessitate a revaluation in committee’s eyes. We will know more by the end of the month.

-Second reading on traffic ordinance:  this ordinance was carried so in the very near future, there will be a newly instituted 25 mph speed limit on Centennial road between Kresson and Cooper, so be careful!

-Second reading on bond refunding: in short Committee passed this ordinance to refinance 1.315,000 of outstanding debt for a much lower interest rate saving the township at least $44,000.

Some notable resolutions:

-A resolution for the acceptance of maintenance guaranty for Smoothie King was passed.  This clears the way for the Smoothie King on White Horse Road to have a drive thru.  I highly recommend their smoothies, perfect for after the gym!  Good luck guys it’s always great to see a Voorhees business continue to grow!

-A resolution authorizing a leaf collection agreement between Voorhees and Gibbsboro was passed.  This is a good example of shared services but we need to continue to do a lot more in this area which is something I will be continuing to focus on.

-A resolution was passed to provide the employees of Voorhees Township with an “opt out” choice to opt out of their township provided medical plans. The opt out will be 25% of their plan cost or $5,000.  Whichever is less.  Currently no employees opt out of medical.  If employees begin to take this opt out choice it could save the township significant amounts of money in healthcare costs and is a smart fiscal endeavor.

 

On a completely different note, the school board and budget elections are two weeks away on Wednesday April 27.  I am looking forward to voting for the school budget this year as I know it is the only way to retain all of our terrific programs and ensure our kids get everything they deserve.  However, I still believe that there is entirely too much waste and duplication at the administrative levels in both districts.  This is something the school board members must deal with and must be held accountable for.  That said, I am also excited to endorse the two candidates whom I feel are the very best choices in this year’s election.  Both Matthew Dortch and Bruce Karpf are terrific candidates who understand the two vitally important goals of serving on the school board, that of ensuring the top notch programs and reputation of our schools, but at the same time bringing a strong sense of fiscal responsibility and understanding that waste and inefficiencies must be dealt with head on to bring relief to the long suffering Voorhees taxpayer.    I have the utmost confidence that these two individuals will do the very best for our kids and for all taxpayers in our town.  Good luck guys!

 

Next Committee meeting will be April 26.  No Work meeting this month due to Passover. My monthly coffee will be this Friday at 8 am as usual at the Country Club Diner.  Come on out and ask any questions you may have concerning your township government or any other issues you’d like to discuss!

 

March 28 Meeting

Hello fellow residents.  We had a fairly large turnout at tonight’s meeting which is always great to see.

First off, we had a second reading on an ordinance to to codify and implement provisions of the 2010 master plan amendment.  Again, the master plan must be reexamined every six years.  The ordinance passed 5-0.

Second, the second reading of the ordinance to allow for a reassessment of properties in Voorhees was tabled until the next meeting on April 11.

The first reading of an ordinance to improve the safety of Centennial Blvd. between Cooper and Kresson roads was carried.  The traffic regulations imposed will include a 25 mph zone in the area right in front of the crosswalk on the Centennial side of Main street.

We also had a first reading on an ordinance which was carried to refinance 1.4 million dollars of outstanding debt, going from an interest rate of 3.25% to a rate of 1.25% saving the township $44,000.  We have our top notch CFO Dean Ciminera to thank for that one!  Every dollar saved is a step in the right direction!

In addition to several additional ordinances, several individuals attended the hearing to show their support for the school budget.  One resident communicated to Committee that there exists a Facebook page, “Voorhees Voice” which provides an explanation of the budget and answers many questions residents may have.  I haven’t seen the page yet, but plan on checking it out.  Obviously, it’s always beneficial for people to have as much information as possible available to them, especially if they feel like they don’t have a good grasp on the budget, etc.  I applaud the concerned citizens who put this together and encourage all residents to continue to ask questions of all elected officials, including school board members, as it is their right to have their questions answered prior to any vote.

Thanks again for your time and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the next meeting!

Best regards,

Committeeman Mike