Cahn: Cherry Hill Strong Heading into 2014

As a slate of four council members were sworn in Thursday night, Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn outlined the highlights of 2013 and a plan for the coming year in a state of the township address.

His full remarks are below:

"As we enter this new year, I want to reflect back upon the successes that my administration and the members of council shared in 2013.

Indeed, Cherry Hill is on solid ground and we are looking toward a bright future. When I was elected two years ago, I promised that we would run government efficiently and effectively.

We have kept that promise, and tonight, council and I reaffirm our commitment to running this township like a business; to controlling spending while making the right investments in our community, our infrastructure and our future; to protecting and maintaining open space and enhancing the recreational opportunities that have become one of Cherry Hill’s hallmarks.

To share just a few highlights from 2013:

• This year, we adopted the second consecutive budget with no tax increase—and, in fact, we reduced spending for this coming year by more than $540,000.
• We are reducing municipal debt and are working to pay down our existing debt—with 90 percent of our current debt slated to be paid off in 12 years.
• We continue to fight to preserve open space.
• And we continue to promote economic development, working to attract and maintain tax ratables and jobs across Cherry Hill.
• In fact, business continues to boom, with 12 to 15 new businesses a month moving into Cherry Hill.
• In the last year, we saw the rebirth of the Ellisburg Circle area, with the opening of Lourdes Health System and the news that Whole Foods is coming to Ellisburg this year. And there will be many more positive stories for 2014.
• We have continued to improve our public recreational facilities, and increased our investment in road maintenance.
• We welcomed hundreds of new residents with our first-ever “Welcome to Cherry Hill” Reception in April.
• And we have expanded our e-government services, in an effort to make government more accessible to our residents.

And that is just a very brief snapshot of all we have accomplished in the last year.

Perhaps most importantly, we have begun to engage both our residents and our businesses in an unprecedented way, through our Citizens Cabinet and Business Council. In just a little under two years, we have worked together to identify and solve issues that affect all of us, and I can say without hesitation that these groups have been instrumental in helping us steer the community in the right direction.

The future of Cherry Hill depends on teamwork; on the collective input of all our community’s stakeholders. The only way to effect positive change is to work together, talk to one another, and share the good news when it comes.

To that end, I am proud to continue working alongside all seven of our township council members—most notably, those being sworn in tonight: Council members Dave Fleisher, Jim Bannar and Susan Shin Angulo; and I’m excited to welcome Carole Roskoph onto our team.

I’ve known and worked with Carole for a number of years, and can say firsthand that she will be a tremendous asset to our township. She has most recently served as chair of the township’s planning board; but she has helped to shape our community for years—as a teacher at Cherry Hill West, and as a member of the Cherry Valley Civic Association. I’m truly proud to see her take her seat here on the dais.

Each of the members of council shares my commitment to fiscal responsibility and my love of this community—and as they have always done, I know that they will represent the citizens of this township with honor over the next four years.

Everything I’ve talked about tonight: Our accomplishments from 2013, our community outreach efforts, the teamwork between my administration and town council, and our economic growth, have spurred a ripple effect in our community: Businesses are investing here; people who work here spend their money here and buy homes here, and that investment in Cherry Hill continues to grow exponentially.

So tonight, I stand before you, proud to be your mayor, and proud to say once again that businesspeople—not politicians—should be running our municipal governments.

With our great school system, stable taxes, excellent public safety, and a secure commercial base, Cherry Hill truly is a great place to live, work and invest.

Thank you."