By AUBRIE GEORGE | The Moorestown Sun
Looking ahead to 2010, Mayor Dan Roccato said the township is going to continue its goal toward remaking and reinventing local government.
In 2009, he said, the township did a lot of work toward creating a more efficient government. He said measures, such as the six budget workshops Council held to address problems under last year’s municipal budget, were an example of that goal in motion.
“We really went through every single line item in a lot of detail and we looked for ways that we could reengineer our service delivery so that we are more efficient, meaning that we have lower expenses across the board and our residents still get a very high quality of service,” Roccato said.
Roccato said Council started out in 2009 with that goal and will continue to look for ways to be more efficient and more responsive in 2010.
“We’re pretty excited about that,” Roccato said. “We did a lot of heavy lifting in 2009 and that will continue in 2010.”
Roccato said residents are going to see more progress on plans for the new municipal complex this year. He said Deputy Mayor John Button and other township officials were hard at work planning a new complex in 2009 and residents will start to see some of that planning come to fruition in 2010.
Roccato said the township hopes to get bid documents out in the first quarter of 2010 so they can get at least part of the project bid on and started.
“We’re very hopeful that there will be shovels in the ground in 2010,” Roccato said.
Also in 2010, Roccato said Moorestown hopes to implement its own cable access channel. Through the channel, residents would be able to view footage from township events, such as Council meetings, and would be able to view pertinent information pertaining to Moorestown.
While officials have reported that the outlook for the 2010 municipal budget is more optimistic than last year’s budget, Roccato said Council still has a lot of work to do in preparing this year’s budget. He said the township made a lot of progress in 2009 and needs to continue making progress in 2010.
In addition, he said, the township would continue to be on the look out for open space acquisition opportunities.
“You never know when that might present itself,” Roccato said. “Perhaps we will see one in 2010.”
Roccato said the township’s biggest challenge this year may be partnering with employee groups to come up with ways to cut the costs for salary, wages and health-care benefits.
“Until we are able to partner with our employee groups to figure that out and come to some middle ground, that will remain, I think, the biggest problem, the biggest threat, facing not just Moorestown, but the entire state of New Jersey,” Roccato said.
On a positive note, Roccato said residents should look forward to seeing an economic renaissance continue in town, which will be furthered, he said, through Virtua Health System’s plans to build a 210,000-square-foot facility in Moorestown.
Roccato said he is very hopeful that the project, which has to go before the planning board for final approval, will break ground in 2010.
“That will be a huge shot in the arm for our local economy,” Roccato said. “It will be a terrific addition not just to our local economy, but it will also be a terrific resource for the health of Moorestown residents. We will have a world-class health facility right here in town.”
In addition, he said, four restaurants opened on Main Street in 2009 despite the recession and he is hopeful that momentum will continue this year.
Roccato also said he was looking forward to working with the Economic Development Advisory Committee, who, he said, has been working on a plan to increase parking opportunities on Main Street.
“They’ve done some thoughtful studying and work around what Main Street could be and how we can improve it,” Roccato said. “I’m looking forward to seeing some of that come to reality in 2010.”
Roccato, who announced that he will not run for re-election this year, said he is most looking forward to Council continuing on the progress it made in 2009.
“I’m really proud of the fact that this Council has come together as a very strong team,” Roccato said. “I think in 2010 you’re going to see this team really hit its stride.”
