2022 Year in Review

We look forward to 2023 as a year of hope and optimism.  We should take one last moment to reflect on the eventful year that was 2022.

  • Our Voorhees Township Police Department continued to be equipped with body cameras and we had police officers in all or our schools all day every day. Chief Lou Bordi received the prestigious Sandy Draco Service Award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs.  April Herrington was sworn in as Deputy Chief.  The Voorhees Township Police Department engaged with our community through National Night Out, the 7th Annual Junior Police Academy and the Police Holiday Fund.

 

  • Jim Poland was sworn in as Chief of our Voorhees Township Fire Department and Mike Wharton was sworn in as Deputy Chief. A new fire truck was put into service.  The Voorhees Township Fire Department engaged with our community through Fire Prevention Night, Santa on a Fire Truck, our Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting and Cookies with Santa.

 

  • The Voorhees Department of Public Works continued to keep our streets, parks and athletic fields safe. In spite of a significant increase due to more people working from home, trash removal was seamless.

 

  • With appropriate safeguards for COVID, our Town Hall employees continued to provide the highest level of municipal services in an efficient and effective manner.

 

  • The Township Committee worked hard to reduce spending and control costs. Voorhees engaged in sensible shared services programs with Eastern Regional High School, the Voorhees Township Schools, Gibbsboro, Laurel Springs, Brooklawn, Stratford, Berlin Township and Camden County.  We continued our programs of side-arm trash collection and single stream recycling collection, allowing our manpower to be used more efficiently.  We sold our cell tower, creating revenue of $2.4 million.

 

  • The Voorhees Virtua Hospital continued to expand its medical campus by opening a Proton Therapy Center, a state of the art cancer treatment facility. This is the first such center in South Jersey and a wonderful addition to our “Medical Mile.”

 

  • The Voorhees Road Program continued with the repaving of 22 Township roads. Improvements were made to our sewer system with the installation of 9500 linear feet of pipeline to maintain efficiency.

 

  • We continued to improve our parks and athletic fields. A new pavilion with six picnic tables was installed near the cricket pitch at Connolly Park with a County Recreation Facilities Grant.  The lower gazebo at Connolly Park was also rebuilt.  New benches were installed at Connolly Park’s dog run and a new lacrosse wall was installed at the Giangiulio Complex.

 

  • To help keep our community safe, we continued our Safe Exchange Zone, DNA Home Asset Program, the NextDoor App, the E-Ticketing System, Project Medicine Drop, the Anonymous Crime Tip Line, Nixle and the Safe Cam Program.

 

  • We continued our “Voorhees Saves Lives Program.” Through contributions from private donations, free Uber rides home are provided to Voorhees residents from Dooney’s Pub, Iron Hill Brewery, Ott’s Tavern, the Library II and the ChopHouse in Gibbsboro from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.  Since the inception of this program, DUI incidents have been dramatically reduced.

 

  • We continued with our Shop Voorhees Property Tax Rewards Program, allowing a portion of your normal purchasing dollars spent on goods and services to be applied toward your property tax bill, thereby reducing your taxes at the end of the tax year. Last year, 3,000 households participated with total purchases of over $400,000, leading to tax savings of over $25,000.

 

  • We had another successful Summer Concert Series with tributes to Jimmy Buffett, Pink Floyd and the Beatles. We also held our first Country Rock Night in September.

 

  • Our Voorhees Got Talent Competition drew 28 talented contestants who competed over the course of several weeks. The winner was 15-year-old Voorhees resident, Lily Showers, a talented singer and songwriter who won the $1,000 first place prize.

 

  • Voorhees Township continues to be a destination for new businesses. The Voorhees Medical Center opened on Route 73 on our “Medical Mile” and is the new home of New Jersey Urology.  Archer Law has made its new home on Haddon-Berlin Road in our town.  The “Sweet Spot” was the first medical cannabis facility to open.  Last year, a total of 40 new businesses opened in our town.

 

  • The arts are alive and well in Voorhees. In 2022, we established the first Voorhees Art Commission and the Voorhees Arts Center and Gallery celebrated its 4th
  • Saddle Hill Vineyard and Winery continued to take shape at Stafford Farm. The new owner, Bill Green, has invested significant dollars to beautify the site and make it a community destination.
  • After 17 years of serving as Voorhees Township Administrator, Larry Spellman retired.
  • Jackie Fetbroyt was re-elected to her second term as a member of the Voorhees Township Committee.

Thank you to the many volunteers who serve on our Township’s boards, committees and

commissions.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as your mayor in 2022.  I will again embrace the honor in 2023.  On behalf of the Voorhees Township Committee, we will continue to work hard to make Voorhees a great place in which to live, work and raise a family.