Wednesday, May 15, 2013
'We've been through the worst that any town can go through, and yet we're still here,' Collingswood Mayor James Maley told supporters on election night.
It was a long road to Tuesday's night's victory in the borough commissioner's election for Collingswood Mayor James Maley and his incumbent running mates, Joan Leonard and Mike Hall. “We've really sold the Edsel this time, because these last four years can't get harder,” Collingswood Mayor James Maley told supporters Tuesday night, referring to the economic recession that plagued the nation, and affected the borough's bond rating in 2011. “We've been through the worst that any town can go through, and yet we're still here,” he said. The incumbents in the borough commission race ran as "Team Collingswood." At their campaign headquarters, a vacant storefront along Haddon Avenue, a mix of friends, family, borough employees and passersby …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Proclamations, purchases, collective energy buying, tax appeals, even George Norcross—it's all here.
Missed Monday's May meeting of the Collingswood borough commissioners? Here's a brief recap of five things that happened. 1. Proclamations Swimmer Andy Schuehler, who had been previously honored by the Collingswood Board of Education for his top finish in the 100-yard breaststroke at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, also received a proclamation from the borough for his achievements. Likewise, borough leadership got a sample of the state-winning performance from the Odyssey of the Mind Pet Project team, and formally commended their efforts to bring "the highest spirit of teamwork and innovation" to the borough. Odyssey of the Mind is still raising funds to send the team to the world championships in Michigan at the end of May. At a cost of …
Friday, May 3, 2013
Despite spending cuts, Collingswood households will face about a $50 tax increase, on average, in the 2013 municipal budget.
Despite cutting costs for five consecutive years, said Collingswood Mayor James Maley, taxes are going up in the borough for 2013. There are indicators that things are on the upswing, however, including an increase in the borough ratable base, declining debt and a housing market that has seen sale prices up 6 percent, according to Maley's latest blog on the borough website. In it, the mayor offers some insight into the financial challenges the borough has faced in recent years, including declining revenues for things like construction and permit fees and ambulance billings. "Since 2009, borough spending has been reduced $2.2 million," Maley wrote, noting that even with fewer dollars going out the door this year, the 2013 budget covers the …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The borough town forum packed in a ton of answers from local leaders Wednesday night. Here's a recap.
Did you miss the borough town forum Wednesday night? (For the first time, the event was streamed live.) If so, here's your recap of some of the top questions from the night. Did the borough get the best deal it could in the recent labor negotiations with emergency personnel? “[On] contracts, do we do the best we can for taxpayers? I feel silly saying this, but of course we do,” Collingswood Mayor James Maley said. Prior to settling its labor negotiations with the fire and law enforcement officials, the borough had held off hiring additional firemen and policemen, Maley said, also pointing out that the new contracts feature “a 15 percent rollback on salaries” and “givebacks on allowances.” “There’s substantial savings that’s allowing us to…
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Firefighter Timothy Tredanari and Police Officers Samuel Rocco and Kenneth Jacoby took their oaths of office at the April meeting of the Collingswood Borough Commissioners.
Collingswood welcomed two new probationary full-time police officers and one new probationary full-time firefighter/EMT at its April meeting on Monday night. Timothy Tredanari joined the Collingswood Fire Department, while Kenneth Jacoby and Samuel Rocco took their oaths of service to the Collingswood Police. It was standing room only at the Collingswood Community Center second-floor meeting room, as uniformed firefighters and policemen lined the rear and side walls, applauding their new brothers in arms. “It’s not just getting the job," Mayor James Maley remarked to the crowd after the ceremonies had concluded. "For all of them it’s something they’ve been wanting to do since they were little kids. So welcome aboard; we congratulate you.” …
The detail slipped out at a packed Borough Commissioners meeting Monday night.
At a busy Commissioners meeting that included the swearing-in of three full-time emergency services personnel and a proclamation honoring the most outstanding volunteer in the borough, the biggest news of the evening slipped out innocuously: taxes in the borough might be going up for 2013. In announcing that the full budget presentation will be delayed for another month, Mayor James Maley mentioned casually that borough taxpayers "may see a slight increase in taxes" for the next calendar year. Pressed for further details from the crowd, the mayor ballparked the figure at about $50 per household, blaming factors like the worldwide economic recession and a decrease in state aid. "If it ends up the way it is right now, it’ll be $50," Maley …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Collingswood hasn't done business with the engineering group, which holds several municipal contracts statewide, in several years, says Mayor James Maley.
Seven current or former executives of Birdsall Services Group, a Monmouth-County-based engineering firm, face formal indictments of violating New Jersey pay-to-play laws. The engineering firm, which does business with municipalities throughout the state is accused of skirting pay-to-play laws by reimbursing employees for their personal, unreportable political contributions, according to a release from the state Attorney General's Office. Instead of making corporate political contributions to campaigns and political organizations that would disqualify it from also earning public contracts awarded by certain government agencies, Birdsall shareholders and employees allegedly made personal contributions of $300 or less, which do not have to be…
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Who's running in Collingswood? Where do I vote? When is the election? We've got you covered.
It's election season again in Collingswood. Although the borough just chose its new Board of Education members at the normal polls in November 2012, the four-year terms on borough commissioners expire this spring. With that in mind, here's your fast, fun primer on the upcoming referendum. Collingswood is one of those New Jersey communities in which municipal government is organized into a non-partisan, three-member commission under the Walsh Act. Each of the commissioners has specific responsibilities that are determined after the election at an internal re-organization meeting. They are: The vote will take place Tuesday, May 14. Election hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at your normal borough polling place. Not sure where to vote? Click here to…
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Merchantville-based McFarlan's grocery is exploring the possibility of opening a second location at the property, but cautions that its plans are exploratory at this point.
Although the plans are very preliminary and lots of hurdles have yet to be cleared, Collingswood could soon be trading in the often-dark National Food Market for the second location of an up-and-coming neighborhood grocer. Janet Stevens, who together with her husband Pete Burgess owns the Merchantville-based McFarlan's Market, said that any formal announcements about purchasing the property would be premature. But the couple is bullish on Collingswood as a second location, and would be very excited about the prospects of bringing their grocery business there. "We’ve been working on this for a year," Stevens told Patch. "It’s going to still involve some time." If the plans hold up, McFarlan's would be the second-latest Merchantville-based …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Collingswood's long-serving mayor tells Patch he is comfortable running on his record.
Of the more than 30 years he has lived in Collingswood, municipal lawyer James Maley has served as the mayor for 13, and has held office in the borough for another eight besides. Maley's practice has been headquartered in the Collingswood since 1987, a town in which he has raised three children, welcomed two grandchildren and expects two more in June. James Maley says he will be back at the baseball fields again this year: His oldest grandson is starting T-ball. "I'm completing the cycle," he jokes. Maley has seen a lot of changes in Collingswood in the years since his own children were playing Little League. And he has weathered a lot of campaign seasons in that time, too. As Maley stands for re-election to the borough government with …
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8:42 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
Oh please, MJT, Joe has repeatedly uses facts. Talk about making it personal, sometimes I don't agree with every single thing Joe says, but compare that with the way that Maley attacks people who don't agree with him. Are you even aware of how the residents of Mt. Holly consider Maley? Are you even aware of the threats and intimidation that were used against people by "Team" Collingswood? It's a … more ›