Meet the Candidates for Voorhees Township Committee: Week 3
Every week, The Sun will ask candidates in the Nov. 3 election for Voorhees Township Committee seats to respond to questions pertinent to local issues.
This week’s questions:
1.) How do you rate the current relationship between Township Committee and the township’s school districts? What should continue or change about the relationship, and how so?
2.) What are your opinions regarding recent municipal budgets and property tax rates in Voorhees?
Republican: Heidi Handler
1.) How do you rate the current relationship between Township Committee and the township’s school districts? What should continue or change about the relationship, and how so?
While the Township Committee and the school boards are rightfully independent bodies that focus on very different issues, I frankly believe that communication between the schools and the township should be better than it is today and has been for some time. For example, an issue that is near and dear to my heart as a physician was recently brought to my attention. There have been confirmed cases of pertussis this year at the Voorhees Middle School, which can be a very serious health issue. If the school district had notified the township committee, it could have helped to disseminate important information to Voorhees residents through Nixle and other communication platforms. Instead the school did the minimum and sent a letter home to parents of VMS students. A united front in issues such as this could go a long way toward improving public health conditions, and a number of other inter-related issues, in Voorhees.
Additionally, I believe that we could be utilizing more shared services between the township committee and the school boards. Any amount of money we can save from the budget will benefit our children and ultimately the bank accounts of Voorhees taxpayers.
Finally, Dave and I will push our legislators to adopt the Fair School Funding Act at the state level. This plan would ensure that every district throughout the state receives the same level of funding per student. Under the current system, Voorhees taxpayers contribute more money than we receive back in state aid. In practical terms, your tax dollars are being collected by the government and given to school districts in other parts of the state. Dave and I feel that this is wrong, while other candidates in this election support the status quo. If this plan were in place, your tax dollars would stay here in Voorhees to support your child’s education.
2.) What are your opinions regarding recent municipal budgets and property tax rates in Voorhees?
As a long-time resident of Voorhees, my opinion on our township budgets are that they have continued to raise property taxes for far too long. You would have a hard time finding any Voorhees resident who can honestly remember the last time their family received any real property tax relief, while families in other towns in South Jersey have seen meaningful cuts to property tax rates in recent years. Voorhees taxpayers deserve better. Over the years, our budgets have been full of waste thanks to overpaid political contractors and the fact that many politicians on the Township Committee took taxpayer-funded health benefits for years and paid nothing into the system. They thought nothing of taking money for themselves in the budget and sticking your family with the bill. When Dave and I are elected, we will work with Committeeman Mike Friedman, the only member of the Committee who has never voted for a tax increase, to end these horrible practices and finally work to put forth a budget that puts money back in taxpayers’ pockets.
The same politicians have controlled Voorhees Township since the 1990s. Let that sink in. Even though property taxes for the average Voorhees resident have increased more than 75 percent since 1999, the same people remain in office and continue to take more money from you each year. Regardless of ideology, that is far too long for one group of people to control our local government. Voorhees needs balance on the Township Committee. Please vote for Dave Adamson and Dr. Heidi Handler on Nov, 3 to build a better Voorhees for you and your family.
Republican: Dave Adamson
1.) How do you rate the current relationship between Township Committee and the township’s school districts? What should continue or change about the relationship, and how so?
The Township Committee and the school boards and districts in Voorhees are independent of each other, and that is by design. School board members are elected each year so they can focus solely on making our Voorhees schools among the best in the state. However, that does not mean that the township and the school districts should not have a relationship. We currently share some services with the school districts to cut costs and increase efficiency in both budgets. We should be looking to expand this practice to every service possible to achieve even greater savings. Every dollar saved by sharing services is a dollar that goes to the far more important task of educating our kids and building a brighter future for our country.
As a committeeman, I would also advocate for the passage of the Fair School Funding Act at the state level. Currently our tax dollars flow out of Voorhees and into school budgets in other municipalities such as Camden, Trenton and Atlantic City. This is wrong, and it is unfortunate that the other candidates support the status quo. Voorhees taxpayers work hard and our children deserve for their tax dollars to stay here. The Fair School Funding plan would end the status quo and increase the state aid Voorhees receives by thousands of dollars per student per year. The Township Committee should be doing everything it can to push the fight for this plan to become law.
2.) What are your opinions regarding recent municipal budgets and property tax rates in Voorhees?
My opinion on our township budgets is that Voorhees taxpayers deserve better. From 1999 to 2014, property taxes for the average family living in Voorhees have increased by more than 75 percent. In that time, the same politicians have exclusively controlled the Township Committee. Think about everything you could be doing for your family with they money that you now have to send to the government instead. Since Committeeman Mike Friedman was elected in 2010, the tax increases have generally been lower than in previous years. This is due to Mike’s role as a watchdog for your tax dollars. Unfortunately, there is only so much Mike can do by himself, and that is why he has endorsed Heidi and me this year. When we are elected, we will work with Mike and the rest of the committee to finally put forth a budget with true tax relief for your family.
Heidi and I will end the practice of putting politics before community when selecting professionals and contractors for township jobs. The taxpayers should not have to pay more so that political donors of those in charge can make more money. Recent budgets sadly still continue this practice, and unless we change something at town hall, future budgets likely will as well.
Voorhees voters have a clear choice this year. We can choose to continue being a town that scares away young families and retirees with property tax bills that are essentially a second mortgage payment, or we can be a town that attracts dynamic new families and encourages long-time residents to remain here forever. On Nov. 3, vote for Dave Adamson and Dr. Heidi Handler to build a better Voorhees.
Democrat Michelle Nocito:
1.) How do you rate the current relationship between Township Committee and the township’s school districts? What should continue or change about the relationship, and how so?
Both the Township Committee and the school district share a common desire to create and support a learning environment that fosters growth and a superior academic experience for the children of Voorhees. As with any relationship, continued effort and commitment on behalf of all parties involved is critical.
I do recognize that there is room to strengthen the relationship between the committee and the district. I say this not because I believe there is a lack of care or effort by the township or the district currently, but because I believe that Jason Ravitz and I offer a fresh perspective. With both of us being parents of elementary and middle school children currently attending schools in the district, we have a pulse on what is happening every day. We understand the issues and concerns parents have, and we have an appreciation for today’s educational experience, which is much different than when we were children. Change is the only constant, and we believe that we must work with the district to continue to prepare the children of this community for a world that is rapidly changing.
This is my third year serving on the Parent Faculty Association at ET Hamilton and the second year I am serving as co-president, so I understand how important it is to strengthen the relationship that the township committee has with the school district. I am prepared to serve as a voice for residents of our township, and I am confident that my relationship and history as a volunteer in the district will be of tremendous value in creating regular communication between the committee and members of the district. We are committed to making sure all of our children get the best possible education and that Voorhees schools receive their full share of state aid.
2.) What are your opinions regarding recent municipal budgets and property tax rates in Voorhees?
If elected, tax stability will be my primary objective. While Voorhees Township controls only 15 percent of your entire tax bill through the “local purpose tax,” with the local schools, the high school, fire district and the county accounting for the balance which the township has no control, it is important to run the township like a business by streamlining operations. In 2010, the operating municipal budget was $14,732,897. Five years later the operating expenses total $14,543,684. This is a decrease in spending over five years of 1.28 percent. In 2010, Voorhees employed 177 workers. Today, Voorhees employs 164 workers, which includes an increase of six additional police officers and a Class II Officer in every school within the township.
I am a firm believer in vehemently pursuing any and all federal and state grants. In the past three years, Voorhees has secured $2.4 million in grant money. Finally and perhaps most importantly, we need to be good stewards of the citizens’ tax dollars. For instance, in 2015, there was zero increase in the local purpose tax established by Township Committee. It is my intention and goal to keep the progress of the town moving in the right direction.
Democrat Jason Ravitz:
1.) How do you rate the current relationship between Township Committee and the township’s school districts? What should continue or change about the relationship, and how so?
My running mate, Michelle Nocito, and I believe that our children are our most precious asset and all agree that Voorhees has one of the best school systems in South Jersey.
We have children in the Voorhees school system. Michelle is the co-president of the E. T. Hamilton PFA and I am a past board member of the Camden County Technical Schools. We strongly support having a police officer in every school, initiatives to make sure our children get the best possible education and smaller classroom sizes. Michelle and I are committed to a more effective partnership with the Voorhees School District through more shared services programs and a school board sub-committee comprised of members of the Voorhees school boards, Township Committee and residents. Michelle and I believe that Township Committee, along with the Voorhees and Eastern Regional school boards, can increase shared services programs so residents are not paying for the same services more than once. By working together, the separate taxing entities in the township can help cut costs, yet maintain the high level of municipal services and great public schools to which Voorhees residents are entitled.
2.) What are your opinions regarding recent municipal budgets and property tax rates in Voorhees?
Michelle Nocito and I are dedicated to cutting spending and reducing the size of government while maintaining services Voorhees residents expect and deserve.
Before I decided to run for Township Committee, I researched the municipal budget and local tax rates. According to official township budget records, in both 2011 and this year, there was no increase in the municipal tax rate, which is the only one controlled by Township Committee. From 2012 to 2014, the tax rate was kept below the state mandated 2 percent cap. Michelle and I are business people and will use our experience to manage the budget to make sure every tax dollar is spent wisely and not wasted. We are committed to long-term stability by doing more with less through more shared services arrangements and delivering services to Voorhees residents as efficiently as possible. Our vision is to keep Voorhees, with its great school system, one of the most desirable places in which to live, work and raise a family in South Jersey.
