Talk of the Town: Scott Carew

Moorestown Patch: You’ve said before you try to be as apolitical as possible in this job. I imagine that can be difficult. How do you manage that?
Scott Carew: I think it’s a necessity. It’s actually easy, cause there’s a single principle involved, and that is doing what I feel is best for the township and its residents. I don’t get involved in the political side of things. You take one of the contentious issues we’ve been dealing with in town, my taking a side is not a function of my politics. It’s a function of . And I don’t even think of it as taking a side 'cause I serve both sides … .

Patch: Ultimately you serve the will of council. Have you ever been in a situation where you disagreed with the governing body that was directing you and you had to do it anyway?
Carew: Nothing pops off the top of my head as a specific instance where I had to do something that I didn’t want to do. With a council manager form of government, it’s pretty well outlined how things work, and if there was an issue that I disagreed with a governing body on, of course I would do my best to state my case. But ultimately, if the majority of council directs me … I will go in that direction. I work for them, they’re elected by the people. That’s a healthy way to have it … I’ve told all five of these councilmen, I’ve told other council people I’ve worked for: It’s a healthy relationship if we disagree. I’m not going to be a “yes” man. They know that. But at the same time, I’m not in competition with them either.

Patch: Have you ever thought of running for public office?
Carew: Never. It will never happen. Because it’s two different animals. The goal of a politician is to be re-elected. You don’t see it so much locally, but especially at the state and federal level, there’s probably been many a politician who have sold out principles to achieve reelection. That’s not what my motivation is. My motivation is to serve the people and that’s it … I have no problem putting my head on the pillow at night and going to sleep.

Patch: How long have you been working in the municipal government arena?
Carew: Pretty much … my entire life. My father was a township business administrator. I went to college as an undergrad with a major in public administration. Went and earned my master’s in public administration. Began working in municipal government right out of college.

Patch: What do you find appealing about this profession?
Carew: Two things really stick out. One is that if I do my job correctly and if I do my job well, I am helping improve the lives of the community I serve … The other part of the job that I really like is the fact that no two days are the same. One day I could be out meeting with a resident who’s got a complaint about … anything. And the next day I could be in a meeting with attorneys and engineers talking about a multi-million dollar project. Every day is different. It’s not boring.

Patch: Do you have a favorite spot in Moorestown?
Carew: I love Main Street. Main Street was one of the main reasons why my wife and I wanted to move here. Where I come from up in North Jersey it seems like every suburb has their Main Street. And it’s few and far between down in South Jersey.

Patch: What’s playing on your iPod?
Carew: Right now, Allman Brothers … My tastes aren’t too eclectic. But I married a former musician—my wife was a classically trained musician—so I have developed an appreciation for classical music that I did not have before. I’m pretty much mostly classic rock. It’s funny what, when I started listening to it, was the cutting edge stuff … the whole '90s Seattle grudge movement. But that’s almost now in the classic rock area.