FREEHOLDERS RAMP UP SHARED SERVICES
Office Coordinates Savings for Camden County Towns
For Immediate Release: June 28, 2006
Contacts: RON TOMASELLO cell (609) 970-6384

The Camden County Freeholder Board has taken another big step forward in controlling the cost of government by creating the Office of Shared Services.

The new office offers effective tax relief for all residents by facilitating the sharing of existing county and municipal resources, employees, knowledge and expertise to provide quality government and substantial cost savings.

“The concept of shared services is nothing new for Camden County. We have assisted our 37 towns with shared services initiative in the past but now, with the creation of this new office, we are moving to a much higher level of coordination and commitment,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “This office is a reorganization of existing personnel and resources into a one-stop shop to provide municipalities with increased opportunities to share services with other municipalities and the county to provide the taxpayers more with less.”

The Office of Shared Services will be led by Louis DiAngelo, a 10 year employee of Camden County, most recently serving as Insurance Manager. Mr. DiAngelo is no stranger to the concept of Shared Services. As a member of the Executive Board of the Joint Insurance Fund he has assisted in regulating insurance coverage for 31 towns within Camden County as well as the health insurance coverage for 28 towns. He also serves as Chair of the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Board.

Currently serving the residents of Bellmawr as President of Borough Council, Mr. DiAngelo has served as a Member of Council for 30 years. He is also a member of the Camden County Association of Mayors. “Lou DiAngelo’s knowledge of county and local government and relationships with local elected officials makes him a perfect fit for this position,” stated Freeholder Director Cappelli.

Approved on June 22, 2006 at the Freeholder Board’s monthly meeting held in Winslow Township, the Office of Shared Services is responsible for coordinating a myriad of services ranging from office space and employee training to road maintenance and public safety. The office broadens the Freeholder Board’s efforts to promote a strategy that offers greater efficiency in the delivery of government services on all levels.

“The goal is to cut spending by reducing duplication of personnel and equipment throughout our towns,” said Cappelli. “This office will ensure services are consistently coordinated and uniformly administered.”

Examples of Shared Services currently benefiting Camden County include a road salt storage building jointly utilized by the county and the borough of Oaklyn, animal control services in various municipalities and recycling. The County’s 911 call center and central dispatch are also excellent examples of shared services already at work.

“Even though Camden County has long been a leader in putting shared services to practice, we felt we could do more to answer the call from the state,” said Cappelli referring to the plan of New Jersey Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. to streamline laws, remove regulatory barriers and create an institutional environment where regionalization and shared service opportunities can flourish.

In April, the Freeholder Board submitted a grant application to the state Department of Community Affairs to expand the concept of shared services among the county’s 37 municipalities and county government.

Camden County also took the lead role earlier this year in a partnership to purchase natural gas at a significant savings thanks to the group buying power and diversity of the South Jersey Power Cooperative (SJPC). The SJPC includes Camden, Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland Counties, along with k-12 school districts, vocational-technical schools, municipalities, utilities, authorities and housing authorities.

This is yet another component of the Freeholder Board’s overall commitment to reduce the cost of government. Another measure, an employee reduction plan that reduced the county workforce by more than 300 employees over the past year and a half, saved approximately $8 million in 2006 alone.

“The county will continue searching for innovative ways to control costs while maintaining high quality county services for all residents,” said Cappelli.

Back to Main Press Releases Page

>> Top of Page <<