• Home
• News
• Local News
• Atlantic County

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - Local residents are guaranteed at least one new member of Township Committee next year.

It might have been two, but Mayor Nelson Gaskill, who lost in the June primary, is waging a write-in campaign to return to the governing body.

The Republican said he opted for the write-in campaign after many local residents and organizations urged him to try to return to the Township Committee, despite his primary defeat.

Now, residents will chose between five candidates seeking the two three-year Township Committee seats.

Republicans Charles Cain and Richard DeFeo make up one slate. The Democratic ticket includes Harvey Kesselman and Mehri McLaughlin.

The candidates are offering residents a diverse number of projects they want to tackle during the next three years: Streamline government. Open The Cove for swimming on Lake Lenape. Improve Main Street in Mays Landing. Have shared services with the local school district. Engage township residents in helping to develop a strategic plan for the municipality.

Here is some of what the candidates are proposing:

n Cain wants what he calls a "clear and concise plan" for revitalizing Main Street in Mays Landing. That would include new signs, parking and relaxed regulations that would make Main Street business-friendly. He also wants public-private partnerships that could result in Main Street improvements.

"It has so much potential," he said of Main Street.

Cain proposes a moratorium on waivers to township regulations regarding drainage basins.

He also said that The Cove will be open for swimming on Lake Lenape next summer.

n DeFeo wants to bring new industry to the township to create ratables that will keep the local purpose tax rate under control.

"I want to reach out to some big businesses in the process of relocating and see if they might want to come down this way," he said.

DeFeo wants better control over drainage basin development. He believes the township should hold developers responsible for repairs to drainage basins that are failing.

On fiscal matters, DeFeo said he wants to "check out the budget and make some cuts without hurting the community and definitely without laying off any of our township workers."

n Kesselman said he wants to stabilize local property taxes and reduce the township's budget deficit over the next three years.

"One way you do that is to make sure that all of the managers are involved in that paring-down process," he said. "They need to be charged to determine what areas can be further reduced."

Kesselman proposes a strategic plan for the township that he says would give it direction as to its future plans. He also wants more overall resident input.

Kesselman said the Main Street corridor in Mays Landing needs to be revitalized, and that the township should seek all available federal, state and county grants.

n McLaughlin said part of her platform involves controlling taxes, reducing the size and cost of government, and making ocal government more effective and efficient. Securing as many federal, state and county grants as possible could help, she said.

She also proposes a strategic plan for the township, saying, "You have to have some kind of long-term plan and then check with that plan to see if you're meeting your goals.

"At the end of the day, you just can't react to things as they occur," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin wants to work with the local school district in terms of buying and sharing equipment. She also wants more resident input regarding township issues.

n Gaskill said he wants to build on his record of making township government cost-effective and efficient and "continue making Hamilton Township a great place to live" by bringing even more efficiency to government.

"We've done a great job of that the last three years," he said.

Gaskill said some significant accomplishments over the past three years include construction of the Third Street pedestrian bridge, rebuilding Skip Morgan Drive, and buying needed equipment for local fire departments.

Contact Thomas Barlas:

609-272-7201

TBarlas@pressofac.com

The candidates

Charles Cain

Party: Republican

Age: 43

Years of residency: 43

Education: Oakcrest High School

Occupation: Owns Auto Plaza in Egg Harbor Township

Rich DeFeo

Party: Republican

Age: 65

Years of residency: 21

Education: Burlington County College

Occupation: Retired deck builder

Harvey Kesselman

Democrat

Age: 58

Years of residency: 30

Education: Harvard University, Rowan University and The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Occupation: Dean of Education at Stockton

Mehri McLaughlin

Party: Democrat

Age: 34

Years of residency: Three

Education: University of Southern California, Michigan State University.

Occupation: Former human resources professional

Nelson Gaskill

Party: Republican

Age: 60

Years of residency: 50.

Education: Marathon High School, Fla.

Occupation: Retired letter carrier

No comments have been posted. Be the first poster!

PressofAtlanticCity.com offers everyone the opportunity to comment on published stories. However, it is impractical for editors to screen all comments.
If you believe a comment is offensive, please click on the abuse-reporting link and your objection will be considered by an editor. We encourage participants to use their real names, but inoffensive screen names are acceptable. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them.
Please post responsibly. Do not post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy.
Be polite. Don’t hate. Users who don’t play by the rules may be blocked from participating.

View our full terms of service and privacy agreement

Click here to report a comment as abusive.

You must login to post a new comment