No 'Compelling Reason' for Tax Increase, Deputy Mayor Says

Deputy Mayor Chris Chiacchio says the township should use the surplus to prevent a tax increase this year.

The $1.4 million tax increase proposed in the first draft of Moorestown's 2013 budget won't fly, according to Deputy Mayor Chris Chiacchio. Reflecting on the budget ahead of Tuesday's budget meeting (7 p.m. at the township offices), Chiacchio said council had directed township manager Scott Carew and financial officer Tom Merchel to "drastically reduce the deficit." Chiacchio stated he was speaking for himself, not on behalf of all the members of council, but said, "A $1.4 million deficit is not acceptable ... Everyone agrees a 9 percent increase is not going to happen." Though he had not had a chance as of Monday night to see the budget revisions proposed by Carew and Merchel, Chiacchio said he'd rather use the township's surplus to close…

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What's Your New Year's Resolution, Moorestown?

Find out what some of Moorestown's most important public figures want to accomplish in the new year.

Just because we rarely keep our New Year's resolutions, doesn't mean it's not worth making them.  In the spirit of the season, we asked some of Moorestown's movers and shakers to tell us their resolutions for 2013, ranging from the personal to the political to the community-minded. What do you want to accomplish in the New Year? Share your resolutions with us in the comments.

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Holly Myers

6:35 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Moorestown resident David Friedman inspired me with his daily reflections about kindness in 2012. Did you read them? They were fabulous! I resolve to blog once a week in Patch's Community Voices on the topic - and to do my part to sustain our longstanding commitment to growing a culture of kindness. How we treat one another - and ourselves - really DOES matter. Holly Myers.com   more ›

Departing Council Members Honored by Colleagues

The new Moorestown council members will be sworn in on January 7.

Holding elected office oftentimes is not an easy job, and the three outgoing members of town council drew praise for their four years of service at their final meeting Monday. Just as they ran as a team four years ago, Mayor John Button, Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo and Councilman Mike Testa will leave council together at the end of this year. Though their tenure was occasionally marked by controversy, their colleagues, including fellow council members Stacey Jordan and Chris Chiacchio, lauded their service. “I challenge anyone who thinks it’s easy to come down and give it a shot,” said Chiacchio. “It’s called a political arena; it’s not called a political day at the park. So you have to have respect and admiration for anyone who comes down …

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Party Tickets Set, Mayor ‘Strongly Considering’ Independent Run

“I think we can put a strong ticket out there. It’d be interesting for the town.”

With the Democrats and Republicans having set their respective tickets, Mayor John Button is “strongly considering” running as an independent for township council this fall. The 4 p.m. petition filing deadline came and went Monday afternoon with no surprises. The Dems filed for their already announced slate, as did the Republicans. After finding out he’d been passed over by the Moorestown Republican Municipal Committee (MRMC), Button initially weighed either challenging the official Republican ticket in the primary, or running as an independent in the fall. Monday afternoon, the mayor said he did not file a petition and hadn’t yet made up his mind on an independent run, but was giving it very serious thought. “I’m getting a lot of …

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Town Council May Move School Election to November

Council will consider a resolution Thursday to shift the April election to the fall—potentially reversing the decision made by the Moorestown BOE earlier this month.

Township council is prepared to move the school election to November, potentially reversing a decision made by the board of education earlier this month. Under legislation enacted in January, school elections can be moved—and school budgets taken off the ballot—one of three ways: by voter referendum, by a resolution of the board of education, or by resolution of the municipal governing body. The Moorestown board of education voted 5-2 against moving the election at the beginning of the month. Mayor John Button had previously said, though he personally didn’t see a downside to moving the election, “My perspective is, I’m not the expert … It certainly would be our desire to work together with the school board.” However, because of the number…

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New Parking Ordinance Should Speed Up Snowplowing, Says Moorestown Cop

The ordinance—passed on first reading by town council last week—will restrict parking on certain streets in emergencies, namely snowstorms.

An ordinance aimed at making sure township streets are clear in the event of an emergency will likely hasten snowplowing—assuming it ever snows this winter. Last week, township council passed (on first reading) an amendment to its emergency parking ordinance, which will restrict parking on certain streets in the event of an emergency, i.e. a hurricane, a tornado or, more likely, a snowstorm. Traffic safety officer Sgt. Randy Pugh, with Moorestown Police, crafted the ordinance with input from about 30 or 40 other municipalities across the state. The ordinance will allow the township to issue, in the event of or forecast of an emergency, an emergency proclamation prohibiting parking on certain streets or certain parts of streets. The …

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Under the Radar

A Town Council Kind of Christmas

"The Twelve Days of Christmas," a la Mo'town

After getting dinner started last Monday, I sat down to check my email, although I’m not sure why. The Viagra come-ons have disappeared, but every other company in the universe has access to my email and is bombarding me with instant trash. Lo and behold, there was one keeper: a reminder of a “special town council meeting” at 6 p.m. to discuss the athletic field situation. I did a double take because, after all, EVERY Town Council meeting is special. I also did a double take because I enjoy doing double takes.  After watching the wishes of 1,400 citizens get brushed aside by town council like so much dryer lint earlier this year, I felt a moral obligation to go and let my voice be heard or at least let my grunts of disapproval be heard. So…

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Neighbors on Villa Street Weary of Problems with Residents in Transitional Home

A Moorestown house owned by Family Service in Mount Holly is a distressing predicament for locals.

For most of this year, Moorestown resident Scott Atkinson said he and his wife Patricia have found it difficult to allow their three young children to play alone in their front yard on Villa Avenue, which intersects with Camden Avenue. In the span of two years, Atkinson said the blue house sitting across the street—owned by Family Service of Mount Holly—has been inhabited by mentally-challenged tenants who argue with each other, shout profanities, and bang on neighbors’ doors asking for money and cigarettes.  The house sits amidst a stretch of moderate-size single-family houses.  “On any given day, the police or an ambulance are on our street,” said Atkinson, 43, who has lived in his home for six years. “When we heard Family Service was …

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A Huge Step Closer: Council Commits on Part of Municipal Complex Project

Council will look further at the new police department and refurbishing the recreation center at the next special meeting.

Township Council gave a long-awaited green light to plans for the municipal complex, recreation center and police building, with costs scaled back to an estimated $16 million. For almost two hours Monday night, Rick Ragan of the Ragan Design Group in Medford showed council renderings and schematics of two plans, each one totaling nearly 47,120 square feet. The first plan, Plan A, would combine the library, township offices and council chambers. A second building would house the police department and municipal court. Council decided to follow the second plan, Plan B(1)—a variation of Plan B introduced last month—which will combine the library, administrative offices and municipal court into one building. The police department would have a …

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Town Council Approves Move to Put Liquor Referendums on Ballot

Council members heard plenty of opinions Monday, but passed resolutions to put the liquor license debate to voters this fall.

Now it’s up to voters. Township council approved two resolutions Monday to have referendums regarding liquor sales placed on the November ballot—but not before hearing an earful from residents on both sides of the issue. The council was legally bound, per state statute, to pass the resolutions after Township Clerk Patricia Hunt certified petitions last week—one to approve the sale of alcohol in town, the second to restrict those sales to certain areas—asking for the placement of the ballot questions. Nonetheless, roughly a dozen people took to the microphone to voice their opinions, the majority of them expressing either opposition to the referendums, doubt about the council’s motives or concern about the potential consequences should the …

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