State of the County Address

The following was delivered by Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. at the reorganization of Camden County government on January 11, 2007:

THE YEAR 2006 WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL YEAR FOR CAMDEN COUNTY GOVERNMENT. THANKS LARGELY TO THE VISION AND LEADERSHIP OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR MCDONNELL, FREEHOLDERS NASH AND CREAM, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAMDEN COUNTY BOATHOUSE, A SPECTACULAR FACILITY THAT IS SURE TO BECOME A MAJOR ATTRACTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL ROWING COMMUNITIES, AND WILL BOOST COOPER RIVER’S REPUTATION AS A PREMIERE COMPETITIVE ROWING DESTINATION.

OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS WERE RECOGNIZED BY “INC” MAGAZINE WHO RANKED CAMDEN COUNTY AS ONE OF AMERICA’S TOP TEN (10) HOTTEST REGIONS FOR BUSINESS, AN HONOR THAT BESTOWED UPON US TREMENDOUS NATIONAL EXPOSURE AND WILL HELP US TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO OUR COUNTY.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF FREEHOLDER RODRIGUEZ, WE INSTITUTED THE CIT MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE, PARTNERED WITH WPVI TV TO CREATE THE LARGEST WOMEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE EVER AND,WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SURROGATE PAT JONES,PRODUCED CAREGIVERS CONFERENCES THAT PROVIDED LEGAL, MEDICAL, HOUSING AND FINANCIAL ADVICE TO THOUSANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE CARING FOR THEIR AGING LOVED ONES.

THANKS TO THE ASSISTANCE AND INITIATIVE OF OUR CLERK JIM BEACH, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE DESIGN OF AND TO DEDICATE VETERANS ISLAND, ON COOPER RIVER, A FITTING TRIBUTE TO OUR VETERANS.

IN 2006 WE BEGAN THE 83 MILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN ONE OF THE NATIONS LEADING COMMUNITY COLLEGES, CAMDEN COUNTY COLLEGE. THIS INVESTMENT WILL ENSURE THAT OUR COLLEGE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO OFFERING EDUCATION TO THOUSANDS OF OUR RESIDENT. UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF FREEHOLDER RIPA, WE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER THAT WILL PROVIDE STATE OF THE ART SERVICES AND EDUCATION FOR OUR YOUTH WHO ARE MOST IN NEED. IN 2006, WE CREATED WIRELESS HOT SPOTS IN WIGGINS PARK AND IN COOPER RIVER, THE FIRST STEPS IN OUR GOAL TO CREATE A REGIONAL WIFI NETWORK THAT WILL HELP BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND SERVE AS AN ASSET FOR BUSINESSES IN OUR REGION.

IN 2006, WE WERE INSPIRED BY SPEAKER ROBERTS AND THE MEMBERS OF OUR LEGISLATURE TO CREATE THE OFFICE OF SHARED SERVICES THAT WILL HELP GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS PERFORM MORE EFFICIENTLY RESULTING IN REDUCED GOVERNMENTAL SPENDING. WE ALSO CREATED THE OFFICE OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR RESIDENTS.


FINALLY, WE CONTINUED TO INVEST IN OUR EMPLOYEES BY EXPANDING OUR PRE-MANAGEMENT AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS. MEMBERS OF THE FREEHOLDER BOARD, CLERK BEACH AND SURROGATE JONES , WE WORKED VERY HARD IN 2006 TO ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE MENTIONED AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. HOWEVER, OUR WORK IS NOT DONE AND I KNOW THAT 2007 WILL BE A YEAR IN WHICH WE WILL REACH MANY MILESTONE ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTINUE TO MAKE CAMDEN COUNTY A BETTER PLACE TO BE.

IN 2007 WE WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAMDEN COUNTY FIRE TRAINING ACADEMY. WE WILL PARTNER WITH A CEMETERY TO DEVELOP THE CAMDEN COUNTY VETERANS CEMETERY. WE WILL SHIFT OUR SHARED SERVICES OFFICE INTO FULL GEAR AND IMPLEMENT CREATIVE INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE SERVICES WHILE REDUCING COSTS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW OUR CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM AND PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS. WE WILL BEGIN A PILOT CIT PROGRAM, BASED ON THE MEMPHIS MODEL, WITH THE COLLINGSWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WILL DIVERT MENTALLY ILL DEFENDANTS FROM THE JAIL TO A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY. WE WILL EXPAND THE CAMDEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER SO THAT IT CAN ACCOMMODATE ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN CAMDEN COUNTY AND PERMIT THEM TO OPERATE THE FACILITY. WE WILL CONTINUE IN OUR EFFORTS WITH THE FIRE, POLICE AND THE EMT COMMUNITY TO REPLACE OUR 911 COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH A SYSTEM THAT WILL PERMIT INTER-OPERABLE ABILITY AND PREVENT INTERFERENCE FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN CLEMENTON, GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, CAMDEN AND PENNSAUKEN THAT WILL INCREASE THE TAX BASE HELPING TO ALLEVIATE THE BURDEN ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS. AND, WE WILL DO ALL THIS WHILE REDUCING THE TAX LEVY IN 2007. WE WILL SPEND LESS IN 2007 THAN WE DID IN 2006.

WE COULD NOT ACHIEVE THIS REDUCTION IN SPENDING WITHOUT THE COMMITMENT AND DISCIPLINE OF EACH MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF FREEHOLDERS, OUR PROSECUTOR, SHERIFF, CLERK AND SURROGATE. I WOULD LIKE TO PARTICULARLY RECOGNIZE DEPUTY DIRECTOR MCDONNELL FOR HIS EFFORTS IN OUR PERSONNEL INITIATIVES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. HE HAS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO HELP ACHIEVE GOALS. WE CANNOT REDUCE SPENDING WITHOUT THE HARD WORK, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND CREATIVITY OF OUR ADMINISTRATION PARTICULARLY OUR ADMINISTRATOR, ROSS ANGILELLA, OUR DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, KATHY GAVIN AND DOMINIC VESPER, TOGETHER WITH THE HARD WORK OF DEBORAH KATZ AND DAVID MCPEAK AMONG MANY MANY OTHERS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE COULD NOT REDUCE SPENDING IN 2007 WITHOUT THE TOTAL SUPPORT OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES BY THE TREMENDOUS EMPLOYEES OF CAMDEN COUNTY. I WOULD ASK EACH EMPLOYEE TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED AT THIS TIME. OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE ELIMINATED OVER 240 POSITIONS IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THAT IS MORE THAT 10% OF THE COUNTY WORK FORCE THAT EXISTED AT THE END OF 2003. AND YET, WE HAVE NOT MISSED A BEAT IN THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE JUST STANDING AND MANY MORE LIKE THEM RECOGNIZE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX ISSUE CAN ONLY BE ADDRESSED BY PROVIDING GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN THE MOST EFFICIENT MANNER POSSIBLE. ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD OF FREEHOLDERS, I THANK YOU THE CAMDEN COUNTY EMPLOYEES FOR STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COUNTY AT THE HIGH LEVEL THAT THEY DESERVE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR SUPPORTING OUR PROGRAM AND FOLLOWING OUR LEAD IN TRYING TO REDUCE THE COST OF GOVERNMENT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE STATE OF CAMDEN COUNTY IS OUTSTANDING, OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT AND I KNOW THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE CAMDEN COUNTY BETTER TOGETHER IN 2007.

Louis Cappelli, Jr.
Freeholder Director
Camden County Board of Freeholders

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