2025 Year in Review

We look forward to 2026 as a year of hope, love and optimism.  We should take one last moment to reflect on the eventful year that was 2025.

  • The Voorhees Township Police Department saw the retirement of Chief Lou Bordi who proudly served our community for 38 years.  Chief Bordi was at the forefront of many policing initiatives, especially those involving community engagement and school safety.  Under his leadership, we were the first town in the area to put a Police Officer in every school all day every day.  We thank Chief Bordi for his service and we congratulate our new Chief of Police, April Herrington.  Last year, the VTPD continued all of their successful programs, including the Citizens Police Academy and Junior Police Academy.  They initiated the Blue Envelope Program, which supports drivers with autism and communicative disorders by allowing those drivers to put all vehicle paperwork in a blue envelope to enhance safety and positive interaction with the police.
  • Under the leadership of Chief Jim Poland, the Voorhees Township Fire Department kept our families safe. They engaged with our community through Fire Prevention Day, Santa on a Fire Truck, our Holiday Parade, Winter Festival and Cookies with Santa.
  • Under the leadership of new Director of Public Works, Chris Taylor, our streets, parks and athletic fields were kept safe. Snow removal and trash removal were done seamlessly and efficiently.
  • Under the leadership of Township Administrator Stephen Steglik, 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, 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.
  • The Voorhees Road Program continued with the repaving of 18 Township roads and five courts. With a New Jersey DOT grant of $854,000, pedestrian and bike lane improvements were made to provide better access to the Ashland Station.  With another New Jersey DOT Safe Routes to School Grant of $1.246 million, new sidewalks were installed on both sides of Van Buren Road and Lucas Lane.
  • We continued to improve our parks and athletic fields. A new playground was installed at our Soccer Complex.
  • To help keep our community safe, we continued our Safe Exchange Zone, NextDoor App, Project Medicine Drop, the Anonymous Crime Tip Line, Nixle and the Safe Cam Program.
  • We continued to make our local government transparent and accessible. We televise all of our Township Committee Meetings and we regularly update the Township website.  Over 8,500 follow the Township on Facebook, 3,000 on Instagram, 1,000 on Twitter, almost 6,000 on the Township App and almost 10,000 on the Next-Door App.
  • The Township engaged in Community Outreach Programs including our annual Rabies Clinic, Real I.D. services with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, local Motor Vehicle Inspection through the NJMVC, Senior tax assistance, TSA pre-check enrollment, housing and mortgage assistance programs and shredding events.
  • 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, 2,000 households and 19 businesses participated in the program.
  • Over 10,000 people attended our Summer Concert Series featuring the FM Band and tributes to Bruce Spingstein and the Beatles. We also had our first Food Truck and Music Festival in September and Movies under the Stars.
  • The Arts are alive and well in Voorhees. In 2025, the Voorhees Art Commission sponsored many programs for residents of all ages, including the Fifth Annual Voorhees Got Talent Contest, Art in the Park, Healing Art for a Hero’s Heart and Classics by Candlelight.  The Art Commission had a presence at every Township event.
  • Voorhees continued to embrace and celebrate our diversity.  Our Cultural and Diversity Committee continued to be “ambassadors” of celebrating our differences, holding a Juneteenth Freedom Celebration and another successful International Day in October.  In Voorhees, we acknowledge our differences, we embrace our differences and we celebrate our differences until differences make no difference at all.
  • Voorhees Township continues to be a destination for new businesses.  Our Voorhees Business Association (VBA) holds monthly networking lunches and successful happy hours.  As a result of a partnership between the Township Committee our residents and the VBA, a total of 46 new businesses opened in Voorhees Township in 2025.
  • On October 27, Township Committee unanimously approved a Redevelopment Agreement with Hoboken Brownstown Company to launch a major revitalization of the former Echelon Mall area, now known as the Voorhees Town Center. This transformational partnership sets the stage for the property’s rebirth as a vibrant, mixed-use destination.  The plan includes a mix of residential, retail and civic uses with new townhomes and apartments, over 38,000 square feet of new commercial and entertainment space and a multi-level parking garage.  New park areas, bike paths and landscaped public gathering spaces are also part of the plan.  A 30,000 square foot donation of indoor space from Hoboken Brownstown to Voorhees Township for community use was also included.  We look forward to this area once again being the “heartbeat of our community.”

 

Congratulations to my colleague and friend, Jackie Fetbroyt, who was re-elected in November to 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 2025.  I will again embrace the honor in 2026.  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.