Week 3: Candidates discuss schools and business
This is the third installment of The Sun’s Meet the Candidates series. This week, we asked the candidates to respond to the following questions:
• How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
• How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Stephen J. Buividas, Esquire (Republican)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
As mayor, I’ll be sure to explore every possible way the township and school district can work cooperatively. However, it is vital that we keep the entities separate and never let politics begin to influence the important decisions we make about the education of our children.
I have met with the new Superintendent of the school district and the president of the Board of Education to discuss ways the township and the district can help one another and have assured them that, if I am elected, they will have the township’s full support.
The best way to work with the school district to enhance education is to find every way possible to reduce administrative costs, ensuring that more money flows to the classrooms and benefits our students. While the township and district already partner in areas such as trash removal, paving and recycling, I believe there are many more areas the two can work together to share services and costs.
Sharing payroll services, health benefit programs, computer/IT management and building/vehicle maintenance are just some additional ways costs can be cut. I would also explore ways the township and district can share liability insurance coverages and will work with the district to get Council meetings and other information important to residents broadcast on Channel 19.
Doing this not only benefits our school children, but it will benefit the taxpayers as well.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
My family has operated a small business in our community for more than 40 years and when I opened my own law practice I chose to locate here as well. My running mates and I have pledged to implement an aggressive and comprehensive Economic Development Plan that includes the attraction and retention of businesses. Our vision is to utilize citizens’ expertise in this effort, as well as the experience of existing Cherry Hill business owners, large and small, to help the township devise the very best, forward-thinking plan possible.
We will review existing township ordinances to remove or refine those that create barriers to businesses. We’ll create a “business ombudsman” program to assist companies looking to locate here through the process. And, we’ll make marketing Cherry Hill and everything it has to offer employers, a top priority.
Chuck Cahn (Democrat)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
Our neighborhoods our the gems of our township, and healthy, vibrant schools help make Cherry Hill special and support property values for all our residents.
While the mayor and council do not control the schools, as leaders we can set the tone and work collaboratively with the superintendent, the school board and the PTAs.
As mayor, I will work closely with the superintendent to find areas in which we can share services and operate more efficiently to save taxpayers money. I will partner with the district to secure grant money that will benefit both our schools and our township, and I will fight for our schools in Trenton.
I also will use the Citizens Cabinet model to bring together representatives from our PTAs and the school administration to open the lines of communication and identify creative solutions for improving programs while keeping an eye on the bottom line.
By working together, we can offer more joint programming through our recreation department, our library and our schools to meet the diverse interests of children of all ages. Having been a member of the Haddontowne swim team and the Cherry Hill East football team, I know firsthand the lessons these programs can teach about teamwork and leadership.
I also will establish a township-sponsored community service program in which students can satisfy community service requirements by assisting with activities ranging from park clean ups to camp programs.
At the same time, I will personally volunteer in the schools whether by reading to children, serving as a mentor or speaking to students about my business and career experience.
As a product of the Cherry Hill schools, I value the education I received and am committed to ensuring all students have access to opportunities that enhance their learning experience.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
As a businessman with more than 30 years of experience owning and operating a successful company, I will make bringing in new business, supporting existing businesses and improving our local economy my personal mission.
To start, I will establish an aggressive Small Business Council to help small businesses start, grow and create jobs. Far too often, our small business owners drown in red tape and get lost in a bureaucratic maze. This council will work to streamline the process and to provide assistance to small business owners who are the engine of our local economy.
We have too many vacant office and retail spaces in our township, and as mayor, I will encourage new businesses to reuse and recycle these available spaces. This is a fiscally responsible way to grow our economy and hold the line on taxes for our homeowners.
In addition, I will meet regularly with commercial realtors and bankers, who often are the first to know about new businesses, to market our available spaces and the benefits of locating a business in Cherry Hill.
Bringing in new businesses helps keep taxes down for the rest of us who pay our taxes.
To attract and retain businesses, however, we also must keep our roads, our neighborhoods, our community, safe. I am against a countywide police force because we need our officers here, protecting our township.
Finally, I will work with the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners and other community service organizations to marshal the talents of local businesses to offer practical training and guest lectures so other business owners can benefit from the shared knowledge.
COUNCIL CANDIDATES
N. John Amato (Democrat)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
Partnering needs to start at the top, and with Chuck Cahn as mayor, I am confident that he will establish an effective working relationship with the Superintendent to enhance educational opportunities for students across Cherry Hill.
As a Councilman, I will support efforts to strengthen the communication between the township and the school district and will make sure our programs are coordinated so that they are meeting the needs of our community.
I also will work to engage the senior community to serve as volunteers and mentors in our schools and to assist with after-school programs and tutoring.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
Of the 25 largest private-sector employers in Camden County, more than 40 percent are located in Cherry Hill alone.
As Councilman, I will work to retain and grow that number by continuing the township’s investment in infrastructure and long-term strategic planning.
I also will promote the township to the business community through meetings with the Chamber of Commerce, existing business owners, bankers and Realtors.
In addition, I will support initiatives such as the Live Where You Work program that benefits businesses of all sizes by making it easier for workers to find housing close to their jobs. Programs such as this also support the creation of a sustainable township by reducing traffic and strengthening communities.
Maria Heckendorn (Republican)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
As a former School Administrator I believe a cooperative environment is essential between municipal government and the Cherry Hill School District. Open communication will provide the conduit that will enhance and increase awareness about government to our students. Through an amicable partnership, this will heighten the township’s understanding of school operations and needs, and the school district’s awareness of municipal operations and needs.
As a former teacher/administrator, I will always be an advocate for educators. It is my vision to assist the Cherry Hill schools through a productive partnership. An example of this would be to consider a project team concept where township officials and school officials meet to coordinate joint projects that will focus on offsetting budgetary costs and/or school- related issues. I would like to see teachers invite the mayor and council to speak about government issues either on the local, state or national levels. I believe it is important to inspire and educate our female teens to consider a career in government. Consideration in forming a school club focusing on Women in Government with involvement in the community could become a school initiative.
I believe it is fundamentally important to focus on how we can expand communications between the two entities. There needs to be consistent feedback between school and government. Helping to research other avenues of funding and assisting our schools to maintain their status of Best Practice and Blue Ribbon Schools is a number one priority.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
As a Councilwoman I will make it a priority to re-evaluate our Economic Development Plan, using our community’s experts and forming a strategic committee and plan that will promote business development in the township. It is vitally important that citizens are also aware of how important it is to retain the businesses we have by supporting them.
Promoting expansion of successful business is another way of increasing our tax base and providing jobs. State and regional programs can help finance business expansion to assist in keeping local economy moving. There are agencies such as our local Chamber of Commerce and our Regional Economic Development Agency that can help our businessmen with expansion and funding through a federal grant. In retaining businesses in our community, it is important they are appreciated. We must keep and grow what we have.
Bringing new business to a community is a difficult challenge. Businesses seeking to move to a community respond to issues of taxation and the zoning/planning process. A review of current land use and business ordinances is an absolute priority. Businesses considering a move also look for enhancement and attractiveness of the area or community.
I would also work on forming a Business Advisory Committee made up of existing township businesses and residents, charged with developing criteria for new business including incentives and a Web-Site for Business that provides information about Cherry Hill in an easy and eye catching way. This could be coupled with the use of other social media networks. Networking is the primary source for attracting business.
As your Councilwoman, I will participate in the process of overseeing Economic Development and the successful completion of the Garden State Park Project. The rightful completion of this project is vital to Cherry Hill’s economy.
Melinda Kane (Democrat)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
My three sons graduated from Cherry Hill schools and I know firsthand that our school district is among the best in the state.
The township and the school district can partner to share services so that more dollars are going to the classroom than going to administrative and operational costs.
Moreover, the township and school district can work together to ensure programs are not being unnecessarily duplicated and that they are tailored to the interests of our community.
In addition, the township and the school district should identify joint funding sources for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
In order to keep the local economy moving, we need to keep Cherry Hill moving, literally.
Our central location provides easy and convenient access to major cities across the Northeast including Philadelphia, New York and Washington D.C. However, we need to make sure our roadways are taken care of to ensure the smooth travel of motorists and most importantly the safety of our residents.
Maintaining and improving our roads and other infrastructure, will enable us to attract new businesses and retain existing ones and will help support the long-lasting economic vitality of our community by attracting others to come to Cherry Hill for our shopping, dining, recreational, and commerce opportunities.
We also need to keep our roadways safe by adopting common-sense approaches to calm and improve the flow of traffic on our main arteries as well as on our busy side streets.
Moreover, we need make the main corridors into Cherry Hill more welcoming by improving signage and making our greenery more attractive.
Dr. Dolores Kelly (Republican)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
The township partnering with the school district can enhance education by recognizing the needs of the schools and, thus, establishing a voluntary association between the two. The township can make an assessment and decide what resources can be contributed as well as recruiting local businesses and organizations in the effort, thereby becoming a district-wide partner.
Partners, including local businesses and organizations, can offer job shadowing, career days, tutoring, mentoring, teacher appreciation, academic acknowledgment, just about anything that will assist the school district. Our local businesses and organizations can recommend a diverse amount of specialties and fields of expertise.
There also needs to be a partnership with the community for schools. Our schools need renovation and through partnerships with the private sector, the financing of construction and renovation can be reduced.
When it comes to technology, as a candidate, I believe we can save the township money through shared computer administration as well.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
As a candidate for Council I would meet with the local Chamber of Commerce and discuss how customer bases are changing. Through workshops, the township’s economic development team could provide business owners with directions for growth and energize them by building their appetite with thought provoking sessions. We need to provide information, strategies and resources to develop a vision for our township. We must recruit businesses that are best suited for our particular community and help retain the businesses we have, and keep them thriving.
We also need to consider that our area is historical and create strategies to enhance regional tourism. Establishing a local tourism office and involving all the township’s civic associations to contribute their time, expertise and knowledge of the history of our township should be explored.
I would examine and identify our current property status of our main corridors throughout the town. This would entail all layers of present zoning thus establishing a clear path for highest and best use. Identifying and inventorying zones is paramount in establishing proper feasibility use in conjunction with traffic patterns. With this large scope of knowledge one could then approach commercial real estate companies, industries, businesses, both commercial and retail. This also provides the footprint or path for being proactive rather than reactive as we have been in the past. Further, this can also update any current or future master plans and possibly avoid future zoning battles or litigation.
I also believe we need to identify dead zones of inactive use and possibly come up with broader visions of feasible use, while at the same time, not disturbing any concepts of Smart Growth. Cherry Hill is a dynamic town and yet it could be the regional center of something so wonderful that would generate more jobs and more commercial tax ratables. A convention center or conference center is only one bold visionary example. Cherry Hill may benefit from the minds of our local college students; knowledge sought from federal incentives for renewable and efficient building grants; and I would seek to have an online forum whereby the citizens of Cherry Hill could engage on various topics. Within this framework of creating economic and business models it is vital to keep all exploratory costs to a minimum or zero dollars.
Sara Lipsett (Democrat)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
As the mother of two school age daughters, the former president of the Horace Mann PTA, and a substitute teacher, I recognize the important role of the township in enhancing education for our children.
As Councilwoman, I will ensure the township works with the school district to make the best use of our recreational facilities, our parks and our library so that students have access to meaningful, educational experiences beyond the school day.
Much like I did when I led efforts to build a new playground at Horace Mann, I will bring together representatives from the township, the school district and the PTAs to work collaboratively to achieve our common goals for our kids without putting an extra burden on our taxpayers.
I also am committed to serving as a role model for young people — especially girls — who are interested in becoming involved in government, and will encourage other elected leaders to donate their time to mentor our students.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
I will continue the strategic planning process for our township’s redevelopment and will make sure this process involves neighborhoods and businesses.
I also will advocate for Smart Growth, by targeting vacant commercial or industrial-zoned properties for revitalization. By using our existing infrastructure and underutilized assets we can attract and retain new businesses, while also preserving our open space.
As a member of the planning and zoning boards, I have seen how bureaucratic red tape can curtail redevelopment efforts. I will work with Chuck Cahn to cut this red tape and ensure the township balances the needs of businesses with the needs of our neighborhoods.
Additionally, I will support efforts to encourage Cherry Hill residents to “buy local” and patronize the small businesses that keep our local economy strong.
Ann Madden Tufano, Esquire (Republican)
How can the township partner with the school district to enhance education?
The success of the Cherry Hill School District not only impacts our students in a positive way, but it impacts the quality of our community and even the value of our homes. The continued success of our schools is of paramount importance to our community and finding ways to help enhance the quality of education must be a priority for our township leaders.
The best way township government can help enhance education in Cherry Hill is by continuing to work in conjunction with the school district to find ways to reduce administrative and operational costs so more of our education tax dollars are dedicated to learning. It is also important that our tax dollars are used to keep all school buildings well maintained. Moreover, students and teachers should have access to technology that will enhance the educational experience. I believe township government should partner with the school district to help in these efforts by sharing services, purchasing jointly, becoming more sustainable, and by strategizing together to find other ways to reduce operating costs. We will work closely with the Superintendent of Schools and the President of the Board of Education to make these goals become a reality.
As a Councilwoman — and as mother — ensuring that we do all we can to improve the already wonderful education Cherry Hill students receive will be a main focus for me and for my running mates.
How will you work to bring new businesses to town and keep the local economy moving?
Developing and implementing a coherent and aggressive Economic Development Plan is a top priority for me and for my running mates. Cherry Hill has as wealth of economic “jewels” that must be completely leveraged to attract the right kind of businesses. Maximizing the use of the “golden triangle” on Route 70, better utilizing and seeking grants to develop the NJ Transit train station at the Garden State Pavilions, and marketing Cherry Hill as a business-friendly community are all imperative. We’ll make these things, and other pro-business initiatives, a priority.
It is critical that we welcome new businesses to our community by making it easy for businesses to do business here in Cherry Hill. I have spoken with countless business owners who have had a difficult time just getting a business opened here in Cherry Hill. We want to streamline this process. Consequently, we will scrutinize all of our local ordinances that apply to businesses. Some of these ordinances, like the Sign Ordinance, are antiquated, and often hinder businesses in their advertising and marketing strategies. We will work to update these ordinances to make them more business friendly.
Additionally, given our unfortunate unemployment rate, many of our residents now are thinking about opening their own business in order to make ends meet; however, they do not know how to open a business. As a government, we need to support these entrepreneurs by providing free education to assist them. This free education can be provided by local attorneys, accountants, business consultants, and marketing specialists who volunteer their time to teach a class for new business owners that will be offered on a quarterly basis throughout the year.
In addition to the fantastic infrastructure we have, Cherry Hill is home to a vibrant Chamber of Commerce and residents with a wealth of knowledge. My running mates and I will use these resources to help us develop a comprehensive and dynamic Economic Development Plan. Together, I’m confident we can create an environment that is the most attractive to business owners throughout the region.
