Tabernacle Town Hall ‘Stabilized,’ with Lawsuit That Obtained Injunction Preventing Demolition Subsequently Dismissed Community Forum Planned for Public to Give Input on Future of Facility, DPW
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
HOW ASSURANCES WENT AWRY
By Bill B onvie Staff Writer
MOUNT HOLLY—If there is an apt historical analogy for what preceded the breakdown of the Burlington County voting system that occurred on Nov. 5, it might be the way the Titanic was described prior to the luxury liner’s ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912 as being “unsinkable.”
Somewhat similar in tone is the assurance that was given to residents prior to the June 4 primary election that “Burlington County voters will cast
ballots safely and securely with a new fleet of voting machines” which had been slated to be deployed during that event, marking the first time the new equipment would be put into service at all polling locations.
“The Burlington County Commissioners, Burlington County Superintendent of Elections and Burlington County Board of Elections announced the acquisition of the new fleet, describing the improved technology as simple to use, secure and more reliable than the county’s old fleet
of switch-based machines used by voters for the previous 25 years,” read a press release put out at the time by county Public Information Officer David Levinsky.
In hindsight, it now appears that such pronouncements were indicative of a bureaucracy that was both overconfident in the performance of the remodeled system it had put in place and underequipped to deal with the actual turnout it would be expected to accommodate with no prior testing of its capabilities in such a situation.
See AWRY/ Page 11
TABERNACLE—Demolition contractor signs have come off the exterior of Tabernacle Town Hall and the construction fencing and accompanying danger signs that have been around it for months have come down as well, in a sign that historic Tabernacle Town Hall is no longer posing any kind of imminent danger to the general public, has been saved - at least for now - from destruction, and will live on to see another day.
“The stabilization of the building has been completed,” declared Tabernacle Mayor Noble McNaughton during the latest Oct. 28 Tabernacle Township Committee session of the court-ordered stabilization, with the township having subsequently entered into an agreement with Melanie Rodbart, an engineer with J&M Preservation Studio, assigned to oversee the work and who a judge previously found to be “credible” in testifying, as a courtappointed independent engineer, that Town Hall was not posing an imminent danger of collapse and simply needed to be stabilized to prevent further deterioration that could get the building to that point.
Rodbart’s appointment had arisen from a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Attorney Matthew R. Litt, on behalf of
Photo By Tom Valentino
A lengthy line at a polling place in Burlington County on Nov. 5.
Tabernacle Rescue Squad Chief Describes Hitting ‘Roadblock’ as Entity Pursues Hampton Lakes Emergency Squad Merger TRS
Chief Voices His Intent to See Merger Through to Completion Despite Alleging ‘Outside People’ Are ‘Interfering’ with Proposal
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
TABERNACLE—The chief of the Tabernacle Rescue Squad (TRS) revealed during the latest Oct. 28 Tabernacle Township Committee session that a “roadblock” has been hit in trying to merge the emergency squad entity with the Hampton Lakes Emergency Squad (HLES) in neighboring Southampton Township, a plan he had detailed during a preceding Tabernacle committee session.
However, the TRS chief indicated his intent to still try and move forward with the HLES merger by January 2025. Under the proposed arrangement described by Jackson in September, TRS would end its agreement with the Lumberton Emergency Squad (LES), which has been providing staffing to TRS since 2022.
“There have been some roadblocks put up, not by us, not by anybody in this room or in this town, but particularly from Lumberton, causing us issues with us being able to move forward,” declared TRS Chief George Jackson.
As a result, he maintained, the process to begin a merger has “kind of been put on hold.”
“We initially told them that as soon as we were able to staff it, we would give them a two-week notice because our hope was by
either Dec. 1, or shortly thereafter, to have some kind of plan to have staffing, and end the service with Lumberton Township - or Lumberton Emergency Squad, not Lumberton Township,” Jackson said.
Jackson maintained that there has since been a “demand” for the agreement with LES to remain in place through at least Dec. 31.
However, Tabernacle Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown, as well as Township Solicitor William Burns, noted that Tabernacle has since received a letter from Lumberton Solicitor Maggie McHugh (of Malamut Associates) cautioning against any transition on New Year’s Eve/Day because of it being a “holiday,” and asking for an additional week to allow for a “smoother transition.”
“They are concerned that there is not going to be coverage and Lumberton, of course, doesn’t want to be liable for a call that doesn’t get carried because there isn’t coverage,” Brown asserted.
Jackson, whose agency also provides emergency squad services to neighboring Shamong Township in the wake of Shamong EMS being disbanded in 2021, vowed to “have a plan” in place “until we can get this thing through,” whether that be continuing some sort of relationship with LES or
See MERGER/ Page 6
Christmas
6 WEEKS AWAY! Christmas is
Don’t want to stress out before Christmas? Start your preparations now. You’ll be glad you did! During the week, take care of a few important tasks:
Make a list of all the people or families you plan to invite to your Christmas Eve party or brunch.
Call or text potential guests to invite them to your gathering. Ask them to reply as soon as possible.
Plan your appointments, like a haircut and mani-pedi, so you can shine as bright as 1,000 lights during the festivities.
U.S. Coast Guard Vet Who is Also Local Fireman, OEM Coordinator for Washington
Twp. Bestowed Quilt of Valor Honoring His Service
By Nick Weissmann
Barbara Cavileer (left), chief of the Green Bank Ambulance Company, and Loreen J. Wise, one of the founding members of Jersey Shore QOV Chapter #95426, help to wrap a quilt around U.S. Coast Guard veteran Chief Petty Officer David T. Simpson, a resident of Washington Township.
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
WASHINGTON—U.S. Coast Guard
veteran Chief Petty Officer David T. Simpson, a resident of Washington Township who serves as the municipal emergency management coordinator, has become the latest service member to be
bestowed a “Quilt of Valor” by the local chapter of the Quilts of Valor® (QOV) Foundation that launched about five months ago, Jersey Shore QOV Chapter #95426. Laurie Didyk, one of the local chapter’s founding members and its group leader, in presenting a quilt to Simpson during an
See VALOR/ Page 8
Three Republicans Apparent Winners in Pemberton Council Race; GOP to Hold Majority on Public Body for First Time Since 2002
Candidates Not Happy with Breakdown of County’s Voting System, With One Describing Impacts, But Grateful for Voter Participation
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
PEMBERTON—Three Republicans have increased their lead in Burlington County’s unofficial election results from Nov. 5, and with 100 percent of the precincts now reporting, the GOP trio are the apparent winners of the Pemberton Township Council race for three open seats.
As of press time, Republicans Matthew Bianchini (4,704 votes), Perry Doyle, Jr. (4,896 votes) and Harry J. Harper (4,679 votes) appear to have beat out their opponents, Democrats Frank Dickey (4,532 votes), Gaye Burton (4,523 votes) and Leslie Kanfer (4,503 votes).
Doyle, the highest vote getter and a former township policeman, broke the 17 percent mark, while all the other candidates got some 16 percent of the vote in what turned out to be a close race.
Bianchini, Doyle and Harper, in January, will join with Republicans Dan Dewey and Joshua Ward on township council, marking the first time since 2002 that Republicans will hold a majority on the public body. Current Democratic Councilmembers Paul Detrick, Donovan Gardner and Elisabeth McCartney had decided not to seek re-election.
Developer’s Request for Pemboro to Supply More Units with Water Than Previously Agreed Draws Controversy
Developer
Relying on
Municipality Despite Housing Project Being Planned for Pemberton Township, Where Councilman Is Warning That Increase Will Drain Borough of Its Resources
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
PEMBERTON—As construction for an approved age-restricted housing development slated for the some 153acre Greenberg Farm, which abuts both North Pemberton and Arneys Mount roads in Pemberton Township, close to the border of Pemberton Borough, nears commencement, a request to the borough by the developer to utilize more of its water supply than previously agreed upon is drawing protest from a Pemberton Township Councilman.
Joshua Ward, a GOP councilman for Pemberton Township, reportedly discovered the request moving along in reviewing emails of the township administration, and pressed township administration officials for answers at a subsequent Oct. 16 township council session, and then attended an Oct. 21 borough council session to warn of the request potentially arriving on borough official’s desks “shortly, if not already,” claiming it is a “bad deal.”
Borough Solicitor David Serlin, in response to Ward’s revelation, has since acknowledged that in 2021, through a 10-
year water agreement signed between the two municipalities, the borough, which “historically” provides water to 166 units, has agreed to provide water to another 180 new housing units.
However, Serlin recognized, the developer of what would be “Four Seasons at Rancocas” in the township has “subsequently come to us (the borough) and asked us to provide them with enough water for 345 units.”
(Township Administrator and Clerk Kathy Smick later clarified to this newspaper that the borough currently supplies water to 166 properties in the township, and the request is to supply another 345 units, in addition to the 166.)
The Pine Barrens Tribune previously reported that the slated development at the Greenberg Farm “allows for the construction of up to 354 age-restricted homes, of which 40 will be set aside as affordable housing units.”
“At the moment, we are determining if that is feasible,” Serlin said. “We are not sure that it is.”
Serlin pointed to a previous “major study with a prior engineering firm”
See CONTROVERSY/ Page 12
The crux of Bianchini, Doyle and Harper’s campaign was calling for a slowing of the redevelopment in the township.
Harper, who spent 48 years in construction and moved to the township four years ago, told this newspaper he is “just glad to be giving the residents someone who will listen and be a voice for them.”
Bianchini, a resident of Pemberton Township since 1993, and a 37-year U.S. Air Force veteran, meanwhile, maintained that “the residents of our township have gone unheard long enough.”
“They will now have a leadership team that will listen to them and make positive change for Pemberton Township,” he declared.
Doyle conveyed that he is “proud to be a part of a community that has spoken so loud and clear at the polls.”
“They want change, they deserve change, and they are going to get change,” he declared. “If we are able to make it happen for the CURRENT residents of this town, then that is what is going to cause NEW residents to want to be a part of our change.”
He added that it is “time to take care of the ones we already have, and the families that have been loyal to this town for decades,” calling them the “backbone of this town!”
Photo
County Recognizes ‘Error’ with Ballot Count Led to Results Showing 102 Percent Turnout in Southampton District, Discovered by Tribune Mistake of Ballots Being ‘Double Reported’ Being Rectified, County Says; County Attributed Lines Last Week, in Part, to
to other comparable presidential election years and found:
• 2024 turnout: 61.07 percent
• 2020 turnout: 77.64 percent
BID NOTICE
NOTICE TO BIDDERS BOROUGH OF WRIGHTSTOWN COUNTY OF BURLINGTON
Turnout
Percentage
‘Extremely High Turnout,’ But is Accused of ‘Trying to Hide Truth’ Amid Lower
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
SOUTHAMPTON—Turnout in a Southampton Township voting district Nov. 5, reported on the county’s election results website as having exceeded 100 percent, the result of a tally having shown more ballots cast than actual registered voters, is now being recognized by a Burlington County spokesman as being figures that resulted from an “error,” which Democratic County Clerk Joanne Schwartz’s Office is reportedly in the process of resolving.
The improbable turnout number was discovered by the Pine Barrens Tribune, as the newspaper continues to analyze the election results from last Tuesday, Nov. 5, in looking into the meltdown of the county’s voting system on that day, which led to what county officials now recognize were “intolerable” wait times to vote, and subsequently led to purported voter disfranchisement (see separate story).
According to updated, and what are now known to be erroneous figures that appeared on the morning of Nov. 11 on the county’s election results website, and continued showing on Nov. 12, for Southampton Township Election District 6, which comprises the southern half of the LeisureTowne retirement community, 1,611 ballots were shown to be cast for last Tuesday’s General Election, but yet there are only 1,575 registered voters here.
It has led to a district turnout figure to be displayed of 102.29 percent.
Democracy advocates, of course, have tried for many years to boost voter turnout to nearly 100 percent, and two people concluded in a 2022 Boston Globe piece that the only way that might ever
be achieved is through universal voting, which of course is not what is in place.
“On the Southampton District 6 results,” began an email from Burlington County Spokesman David Levinsky, “All posted election results are currently unofficial. Based on your inquiry, the Clerk’s Office checked and identified an error involving some results being double reported in this district. This has occasionally occurred in previous elections, but has been flagged and corrected during the audit before certification. In this case, it is being corrected sooner.”
The election results website, however, had still not been updated to reflect the correction by this newspaper’s Nov. 13 deadline time of 8 p.m.
This newspaper began analyzing county turnout figures for the 2024 General Election in the wake of the county maintaining in a statement, provided last week to the media, that “this election saw an extremely high turnout at the polls, ranking it as one of the highest for total voter participation, including 2008 when the county last experienced significant lines and waits at the polls,” in attempting to explain away why the voting system had experienced “unacceptable” issues.
However, this newspaper has since received rebuttals to that particular remark in the county’s initial statement, challenging its accuracy.
The Pine Barrens Tribune , in further investigating the claim, found that the county currently lists turnout for the 2024 General Election, which includes the suspect figure from Southampton, at 61.07 percent.
This newspaper compared the turnout
• 2016 turnout: 71.52 percent
• 2012 turnout: 74.52 percent
• 2008 turnout: 80.67 percent
• 2004 turnout: 79.02 percent
One way to view these figures, given that in each presidential election year prior to this one the turnout was above 70 percent countywide, is that given the events of Nov. 5 where so many voters reported they simply could not wait in line or even make it in line given the reported accessibility issues, it is entirely possible that the actual number of voters disfranchised could potentially be around 9 percent, if not higher.
(The turnout figure is based on ballots cast, and if voters did not get the opportunity to cast their ballots, they would not have been recorded as part of the turnout figure, so the true turnout will never really be known for certain.)
Nevertheless, Levinsky when asked in a phone interview about 2024 turnout having the appearance of being lower compared to the other presidential election years, responded that the county was not looking at it from a percentage basis, but rather, the total voters participating in county elections have increased as the county’s population has recently expanded.
This newspaper, as a result, analyzed total voter participants for each presidential election years, as a result of Levinsky’s rebuttal and found:
• 2024 turnout: 227,438 ballots cast
• 2020 turnout: 267,122 ballots cast
• 2016 turnout: 224,614 ballots cast
• 2012 turnout: 217,428 ballots cast
• 2008 turnout: 224,740 ballots cast
• 2004 turnout: 209,036 ballots cast
“Concerning the overall election turnout, Burlington County unofficially had 227,438 voters participate in this year’s
See BALLOT/ Page 12
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed bids will be received by the Borough Clerk for the Borough of Wrightstown, County of Burlington, State of New Jersey on November 27, 2024, at 11:00 AM prevailing time, at the Wrightstown Borough Hall, 21 Saylors Pond Rd., Wrightstown, NJ 08562, at which time and place bids will be opened and read in public for: Reconstruction of East Main St. and Railroad Ave. The Borough encourages prospective bidders to submit their sealed proposals prior to November 27, 2024, via certified mail or overnight delivery along with requiring a signature. The Borough is not responsible for bids which are sent for delivery and not received by a Borough employee.
Specifications and other bid information may be obtained at Kluk Consultants, LLC, 2 Eastwick Drive, Suite 202, Gibbsboro, NJ 08026. tel. (856) 566-0013, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00AM and 5:00 PM. Please call prior to arrival.
Copies of specifications may be obtained upon payment of a non-refundable fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00) per set. No digital copies of the specifications are available for purchase. A fifty-dollar ($50.00) fee is required if mailing of the documents is desired or by providing an additional FedEx Account Number. Mailed checks must include a request for documents with the name of the requested solicitation, as well as the Company Name, Mailing Address, Telephone & Facsimile Numbers as well as the Contact Person’s Name and Email Address. Checks shall be made payable to Kluk Consultants.
Subject to the limitations prescribed by the Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:111 et seq., the Borough of Wrightstown reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or to waive non- material informalities as may be permitted by law.
Wrightstown Borough or the Engineer reserve the right to make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the ability of the Bidder to perform the work, and the Bidder shall furnish to the Owner all such information and data for this purpose as the Owner may request, showing that they have satisfactorily completed work of a similar scope and nature as the current Project awarding contract. Please complete the Contractor Questionnaire/Certification form provided within.
14-Year-Old Charged with Setting October Evesham Forest Fire, with Police Probing
Possible Connection to Second
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
EVESHAM—Arson is suspected of having been behind at least one of a pair of forest fires in Evesham Township that broke out on Oct. 30 and Nov. 7, respectively, and police are now investigating whether the incidents, both of which occurred during an unprecedented dry spell with heightened wildfire risk and burning restrictions in place, are connected.
The Oct. 30 wildfire had been spotted at approximately 1 p.m., in the area near Sycamore Drive and the Berlin Township border.
That fire consumed 52 acres of land over several days, but no structures were damaged.
“Members of the Evesham Police Department’s Investigative Bureau, the
Blaze Nov. 7
Evesham Fire Department and New Jersey Forest Fire Service worked together and located evidence that identified this fire as an arson,” according to a Nov. 13 press release from the Evesham Township Police Department. “Through an extensive investigation, a juvenile was identified as the subject who intentionally started this fire.”
Police reported having arrested the juvenile, described as a 14-year-old boy, on Nov. 7 “without incident.” He was subsequently charged with aggravated arson and causing or risking widespread injury or damage.
He was lodged in the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center, pending a first court appearance.
It was also on Nov. 7 that a second forest fire ignited in Evesham, which burned 375 acres, also occurring in the
area of Sycamore Drive. That inferno, while appreciably bigger and causing a smoke plume that could be seen from Philadelphia, was also contained and damaged no structures.
Police noted in the release that it is “under investigation for a possible connection to the Oct. 30 fire.” A police spokesman confirmed to this newspaper that the Nov. 7 blaze ignited just prior to the boy’s arrest.
The juvenile accused of igniting the first blaze is said to be facing what amounts to two second-degree charges.
Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, during an earlier Nov. 13 conference call with the press, told reporters he had a phone conversation with Evesham Mayor Jacklyn “Jacky” Veasy on the evening of Nov. 12.
He and New Jersey State Police Col. Patrick Callahan also warned of possible “felony” charges being brought against anyone who knowingly acts irresponsible during this dry spell in starting wildfires.
The Prevailing Wage Acts, P.L. 1963, C. 150 (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.25 et seq.), and P.L. 1979, C.303, (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-5.1 et seq.) shall apply to this proposal, and all bidders shall be required to comply with the requirements thereof.
Bidders shall comply with the provisions set forth in P.L. 1975 Chapter 127 regarding affirmative action regulations and P.L. 1977, C. 33, as amended by P.L. 2016, C.43, Statement of Ownership Disclosure. Bidders are required to comply with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 10:5- 31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq.
A bid deposit in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond made payable to the Borough of Wrightstown in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the bid, but not to exceed $20,000.00, must accompany each proposal as a security, which may be forfeited and retained by the Borough in lieu of its other legal remedies, if a successful bidder’s proposal is accepted by the Borough and they shall fail to execute and return to the Borough the required contract and/or bonds within ten (10) days after delivery of the prepared contract and/or bond form to them by the Borough. A non-mandatory prebid meeting will be held at the Borough Hall 21 Saylors Pond Rd., Wrightstown, NJ 08562, on November 4, 2024, at 11:00 AM. All bidders are encouraged to attend this meeting.
Drought Watch Upgraded to Warning as Fire Index Used by NJFFS Reaches Point Reportedly Never Seen in Agency’s 118-Year History
Smoke from Evesham Wildfire Triggers 50-Plus Carbon Monoxide Detectors
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
EVESHAM—A drought watch has been upgraded to a drought warning by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), as more and more of the state is now designated as being in a severe drought by NOAA.
The state last entered drought warning status in October 2016, which persisted in some parts of the state until August 2017.
Only about three-tenths of an inch of rain, if that, has fallen since the state had issued the watch a couple weeks back, all of which fell this past Sunday, Nov. 10. And since that time, it has been windy, drying out what wetting there was from the showery rainfall.
Prior to that little spout of rain, most of the state’s climate sites went between 30 and 42 days without recording a drop of rain, making it the longest ever dry stretch ever in recorded history.
Another dry stretch was forecast as of press time, at least extending well into next week, and the National Weather Service is warning of heightened fire danger continuing during that time.
Major wildfires have broken out during the past week in Burlington, Ocean, Gloucester and Passaic counties. Some have forced evacuations.
In Evesham, where one of those major wildfires occurred, in addition to numerous brush fires, Fire Chief Carl Bittenbender asserted, “I’ve been with Evesham Fire for 22 years” and “these are the worst conditions one can imagine, describing having put “every piece of training into practice” to combat the wildfires.
In addition, the smoke from the situation became so severe that at one point Evesham Fire put out an “urgent message” that “as a result, Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors in homes are being triggered,” explaining “this is due to the sensitivity of detectors to smoke, CO, and particulate matter.”
“We have received over 50 activation calls so far,” the fire department said.
Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, in announcing the upgrade to a drought warning in a phone call with the press, called the number of wildfires that formed in the month of October “frankly staggering.”
“Since early October, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) has responded to 537 fires,” Murphy said. “To put that in context, that is 500 more fires than we saw during the exact same period last year, which is, put differently, a 1,300 percent increase.”
Greg McLaughlin, NJDEP’s Forests and Natural Lands administrator who had recently been serving as NJFFS chief, called the conditions that the NJFFS has faced this fall “unprecedented.”
“The Forest Fire Service uses a national standard drought index called the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI),” McLaughlin explained. “This scale measures the dryness of those fuels
on the forest floor, which includes pine needles, branches and twigs. The scale reaches 800 at its maximum. Currently, we have measured 748 on the KBDI scale. These numbers have never been seen by the Forest Fire Service in our 118-year history.”
In layman’s terms, when the KBDI is registering 800, according to McLaughlin, it “indicates that approximately eight inches down into the ground, the soil is dry.”
“That would require then eight inches of water to bring that same soil back to complete saturation,” McLaughlin said. “The impact of this dryness on wildfires cannot be overstated.”
McLaughlin pointed to the Tea Time Hill Wildfire on the border of Woodland and Tabernacle townships, which he reported “has been burning since July 5.”
“This fire continues to smolder, smoke and burn as it consumes in a downward direction the fuels that have accumulated over the years,” McLaughlin maintained. “This fire will continue to burn through this leaf litter, through roots, and when the opportunity comes for the fire to find an air pocket or perhaps a dead tree, it comes back above ground again. This is a big concern for our agency, as we have to monitor these fires for periods of weeks and months.”
Thus, he noted, “while we may declare a fire 100 percent contained, it doesn't mean that the fire is completely out.”
In pointing to the state having recorded almost 550 wildfires this year, “to put this into context,” McLaughlin explained, “since the year 2000, our average number of wildfires in a given year is approximately 1,100.”
“That number has been exceeded this year by almost 30 percent,” McLaughlin said. “If we look at the acres burned during that same average period since 2000, we have almost tripled the number of acres burned from 4,000 to 11,000. So, it is important for us to continue to give the message to the residents of New Jersey to please be careful with fire.”
Murphy said of the decision to upgrade the drought watch to a warning that is represents a “significant uptick.”
NJDEP Commissioner Sean M. LaTourette explained that a warning “enables them to closely manage water systems, direct water transfers among systems, control releases from reservoirs, and modify the rate of flow and streams to balance between ecological needs and our water suppliers.”
While a warning does not institute mandatory water restrictions, but rather is “an administrative tool that impacts supply-side actions, not consumerside actions,” according to the commissioner, “in line with the state’s drought warning, we are amplifying NJDEP’s conservation messaging and strongly encouraging all our customers to use water wisely and to discontinue primarily outdoor irrigation, which uses a large amount of water.”
MERGER
(Continued from Page 2)
establishing one with another agency.
“The issue is that outside people, not of this town, not of Southampton or Shamong, are interfering with what we are trying to do, and that is the unfortunate thing,” Jackson claimed.
A public presentation has yet to be made in Southampton Township on the proposed merger, but at an Oct. 30 Southampton Township Committee special meeting, HLES Chief Eamonn Fitzpatrick-Ruth, who publicly endorsed the merger last month while appearing in Tabernacle, was seen entering into a closed session said to be pertaining to “contract negotiations.”
There was a second public presentation to the Shamong Township Committee by Jackson and Fitzpatrick-Ruth on Oct. 1, in which the chiefs both faced questions from Shamong Administrator Sue Onorato and Shamong committee members.
One of those questions was about the support the merger proposal has received from Southampton. At that time, Fitzpatrick-Ruth described that there had only been “very brief” discussions with the Southampton committee.
“We wanted to just start the conversation,” Fitzpatrick-Ruth told the Shamong committee. “Hampton Lakes, if you know about the history of Hampton Lakes, was in a very bad position about 10 years ago. And we know what it is like to suffer, and we know what it is like to have a service that is not delivering what it should to its residents and patients.
“We fought and made ourselves better over the years. But without saying that time is pressure, right? When we are doing well, it is time to make strides to be better; not to wait until we are crippling and failing to provide service.”
Jackson, in response to questions from Onorato about staffing and costs, committed to having staff on duty 7 days a week, and in initially answering the cost query, pointed to the breakdown of the number of calls for each town (between TRS and HLES): Southampton 50 percent, Tabernacle 19 percent, and Shamong 13 percent, before also pointing out “10 percent, believe it or not” is from Pemberton, followed by Woodland at 7 percent.
“Is there any way to bill them for some of these services that are shared?” asked Onorato of the towns such as Pemberton and Woodland whose primary squad organizations would not, at least initially, be included in any merger, pointing out, “It is not equaling out. It is very heavy.”
Jackson responded, “We are billing when we go out there and do the transport. So, we are recovering this cost in that way.”
But Onorato noted that when the squad is responding outside of its primary coverage area, “it is taking a rig away from us.”
It led Jackson to suggest that perhaps when “we are up and running” that it might open the door to a situation where “we can show that is a problem with the other towns and put pressure on them to fix your problem.”
Ultimately, the squad chiefs acknowledged they estimate an annual budget for any merged entity, as proposed, would be around $1.25 million and as much as $300,000 would be requested from the three townships combined to operate with
two trucks running 24-7, with potentially $100,000 per town requested.
When Shamong Solicitor Doug Heinold asked if the charges to the municipalities would be “prorated based on call volume,” it was something one of the emergency squad representatives said they want to sit down and discuss.
Onorato indicated her wanting to first check with the Burlington County Joint Insurance Fund (JIF), “our insurance provider,” about the feasibility of such an arrangement before Shamong moves forward.
Onorato, in pointing out Shamong currently pays $30,000 for emergency squad coverage to TRS, called the possibility of the township having to pay $100,000 annually a “substantially higher percentage.”
“That is a bigger pill to swallow, for sure, and budget for,” Onorato declared.
Shamong Mayor Michael Di Croce was non-committal on Oct. 1, maintaining the committee “will take a look at this, and then have a discussion.”
“And perhaps we can have you come back in for a meeting,” the mayor added, to “see if there is something we can do, and where we need to move forward.”
Jackson, who appeared during the Oct. 28 Tabernacle committee session to take issue with Lumberton’s municipal administrator for asking the question of “Why?” with respect to TRS’ proposed merger, at one point declared of the request to extend the LES relationship by another week into the New Year that it was the result of “somebody just throwing a cog in the wheel and trying to cause issues for us.”
Last month, he maintained there were efforts to establish a more permanent relationship with LES and that it would have perhaps involved more players, but that a “stalemate” had since developed, and the plan to merge simply with HLES was born out of that stalemate.
“Basically, somebody wants to stay here because it is beneficial for them,” snapped Jackson on Oct. 28.
Jackson, in September, in pushing for the merger, maintained that TRS’ volunteer corps has dropped from 50 to 20 members, whereas HLES currently has 57 members, three of whom are considered full-time staff.
Annual call volume for TRS, he noted, has doubled over time, going from a purported 800 calls in 1973 to 1,600 calls last year. At the same time, TRS has been faced with the challenges of supply chain shortages and rising costs in virtually all areas of its organization, he maintained.
“We face the issues of missing calls, longer response times, and missing billing revenues as volunteers cannot keep up with increasing call volume,” said Jackson of the state of TRS on Sept. 23.
A steering committee had reportedly explored other possible options, prior to recommending a TRS merger with HLES, Jackson had noted, including bringing in a third-party provider or creating a fire district in Tabernacle, but determined both those options are not feasible.
Tabernacle Mayor Noble McNaughton decided Oct. 28 to put Lumberton’s request “on hold” until the Tabernacle committee’s scheduled Nov. 25 meeting. In the meantime, Jackson described his intent of “meeting with you guys shortly” and revealed that an internal meeting was planned “to solidify numbers, to then come to you to present with the subcommittees, to have some discussions.”
New Mayor of Southampton Abruptly Installed Non-unanimously After Public, Paper Left Meeting Advised
‘No Action
Will be Taken’
Reporter Learned of Unexpected Appointment from Concerned Citizen Several Days Later with Town Officials Having Failed to Tell Newspaper
By D ouglas D. M elegari Staff Writer
SOUTHAMPTON—A new Republican mayor of Southampton Township has been selected to succeed Michael S. Mikulski III, who became a Superior Court judge, but the way in which Committeewoman Elizabeth Rossell was appointed to serve as Southampton’s next mayor is drawing major transparency concerns.
That is because during an Oct. 30 special meeting of the Southampton Township Committee, attendees were told by Township Administrator Brandon Umba that while the governing body would be convening a final closed session to discuss “contract negotiations,” when the governing body returns to public session, “no action will be taken when we return.”
And so, the public and this reporter left the meeting, trusting no action would in fact be taken. Additionally, an appointment of a new mayor was not listed as an action item on the provided meeting agenda, with all the items that were listed acted on for the night.
This newspaper received a telephone call several days later – not from any of the township officials or elected members of the committee to apologize and inform of the action taken, but from a concerned citizen advising what they had come to learn. This reporter immediately checked the township’s website to investigate the accuracy of the claims and saw that Rossell was listed as township mayor.
This newspaper then obtained video of the Oct. 30 proceedings through an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request, and sure enough, when the committee returned from closed session, Rossell was installed as township mayor.
This newspaper previously reported that Southampton’s codebook reportedly had not been kept up to date, and as a result, the regulations (as is traditional in most other municipalities) did not spell out that in the event that the mayor of Southampton can no longer serve in his or her capacity or becomes incapacitated,
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the Tabernacle Historical Society and several residents, seeking an injunction order after the Tabernacle committee, in its previous makeup of membership, had ordered demolition of Town Hall on the alleged basis of biased opinions.
Litt, in an Oct. 30 letter to the court, requested an “adjournment” of the case “in light of the Certification of Melanie Rodbart, P.E., confirming that the structural issues impacting Tabernacle Town Hall have now been addressed and that the building is not at risk of collapse.”
An attempt at settlement had occurred earlier this summer after the makeup of the township committee changed, but the judge presiding over the case, Richard Hertzberg, said the court had an obligation to maintain jurisdiction due to active public safety concerns.
“Mr. Litt and I agree that the majority - if not all - of the issues detailed in the Plaintiff’s complaint have been rendered moot, and the structural concerns related to Tabernacle Town Hall have been addressed, as certified by Melanie K. Roberts, P.E.,” wrote Township Solicitor William Burns to the court, also on Oct. 30, in noting he “also” has “no objection” to the adjournment of the case.
What followed, later on Oct. 30, was an “Order of Dismissal Through Settlement,” in which Hertzberg declared, in part, that it is “hereby ordered that the above matter is dismissed without prejudice.”
As for the future of Tabernacle Town Hall, a subcommittee created in September has now met for the first time, with it announced by one of its members, Richard Franzen, a former Tabernacle mayor and president of the Tabernacle Historical Society, that “the big thing for me, that came out of that meeting, is we are all very clear that we want everybody in this room, and everybody who has participated in any of the activities since this began back in February, to tell us what you think should be done.”
A special meeting was tentatively planned for some time in December for the public to offer its feedback, though there was back-and-forth as to its proximity around the holidays, whether it should be a townhall style meeting and whether it should be classified as an official township committee meeting. The date, therefore, has not yet been finalized.
“What do you want?” is a question that Franzen said the subcommittee would like to see answered by residents at the future forum regarding Town Hall. “We all spoke out quite
loudly, and quite well, when this all was going down, and now it is time to pony up and say, ‘OK, this is what we would like to see for our town hall.’ And that, I think, is very important. It is important that this be a community decision, and that we all participate in it.”
Franzen said the subcommittee members have arrived at the determination that being able to move the Public Works facility from the current municipal complex is “key” to the future of Town Hall (as that would increase the amount of pervious soil to work with to meet New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection [NJDEP] stormwater management standards for any new construction).
The subcommittee, he revealed, has now identified six to eight places where Public Works might be able to be moved.
“But each of these places has a major problem with it,” Franzen declared. “So, that is something where we are going to be really listening to what you have to say about where you think Public Works should go, too, because you could very well have some ideas that we have not brought up.”
Raymond C. McCarty, chairman of the Tabernacle Land Development Board who is serving on the subcommittee, spoke of the need to “arrive at some kind of balance” for Town Hall “between an authentic restoration, perhaps, or an addition to the old building.”
Deputy Mayor Joseph Barton, also serving on the subcommittee, declared of Town Hall’s future, “We had some ideas that we kicked around, but I am sure someone else may have some better ideas, and we would like to hear what your ideas are.”
“The concept was to create a ‘Town Center’ that could be used by the residents of Tabernacle,” Barton proclaimed. “Public Works is key for the movement, for the fact of the impervious coverage. So, we have to be able to meet (the) stormwater management (requirements).”
Another part of the preliminary discussion was what to do about the existing septic system at the municipal complex, previously said to be in disrepair.
“It would be very beneficial if we could connect to the school’s septic service system,” Barton said. “It would be beneficial if Public Works was not there (part of the existing municipal complex) because it creates more pervious coverage for us to be able to meet the stormwater management plans.”
Barton revealed that Pennoni Engineering has now developed a “couple small site plans for the site,” which are “based on an 8,000 square-foot footprint of a building, and a 10,000 square-foot footprint,” and “without Public Works” at the 163 Carranza Road complex, it is “workable,” but “with Public See TABERNACLE/ Page 8
See MAYOR/ Page 10
Photo Provided
Arnold Harrison III is sworn in on Oct. 30 to the Southampton Township Committee after being selected by the governing body to fill a vacated seat.
File Photo
Elizabeth Rossell, who has been installed as Southampton’s new mayor.
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Works, it is a problem.”
There was no mention on Oct. 28 of a prior committee plan, having since been dropped after both considerable plan development and controversy, to build a municipal complex, to include a new Public Works facility, at 144 Carranza Road. That plan was likely to have exceeded some $8 million.
Still, Barton warned of the new rough proposal, “it is going to be a big number to relocate Public Works, in addition to what it is going to take to either restore, rebuild, or relocate Town Hall.”
Meanwhile, during the Oct. 28 committee session, Township Administrator and Clerk Maryalice Brown revealed that Ricco Demolition, the firm the committee had hired back in the spring to conduct asbestos remediation and demolition of Town Hall, has now reportedly agreed to remove an equipment rental charge of $34,600 from a recent invoice, which officials previously maintained on Sept. 23 was an “unauthorized” charge (with them also blaming Pennoni for not informing Ricco of the need to remove the equipment once the judge’s injunction order was handed down), so long as the township pays the firm $53,000. That latter figure is an amount officials previously recognized Ricco is “entitled” to through “renumeration” in the event the demotion contract is canceled without there being a demo, regardless of how much work was performed.
“They are willing to accept the $53,000 for the original contract, remove the rental contract, and there won’t be any charge,” is how Brown put it now on Oct. 28. “We have to work up the paperwork on that and get everything signed, but that was the verbal agreement.”
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Oct. 14 ceremony held at the Lower Bank Firehouse, pointed out that the “quilts are designed to honor the bravery of those who have served our country” and “are not given out randomly.”
Didyk briefly explained the history behind QOV, noting that back in 2003, “a little over 20 years ago,” Katherine Roberts, “who shares my passion for nursing and quilting,” decided to start what became the first chapter of the organization “from her cozy sewing room in Seabrook, Delaware,” all while Roberts’ son, Matt, was serving in Iraq at the time. The idea to create the organization arose from a “powerful dream” Roberts reportedly had one night when “she witnessed a young soldier burdened by the struggles of war.”
“When he was wrapped in a quilt, his whole demeanor shifted from sadness to optimism and comfort,” recounted Didyk of the story behind Roberts’ dream. “It was like a sign from above showing her the magical healing powers of quilts. And so, with needle and thread, Katherine set out to wrap every service member and veteran of the United States Armed Forces, affected by war, in warmth, comfort, and love.
“Through her foundation, she sought to honor those who had given everything to us, to remind them that they were never alone, and to show them that their bravery
An apparently stunned Committeeman William Sprague, Jr., asked, “We have to pay the contract if the township no longer wants the building demolished?”, despite the previous explanation of officials.
Burns answered, “Yes,” but Sprague retorted that “a judge said that he did not want the building demolished” and “the township had no say.”
“That is not an accurate recitation of what happened,” Burns snapped.
The township attorney then maintained the judge “said the building could not be demolished, on the week when it was supposed to be demolished, pending further action” and “following that date, this committee actually passed a resolution rescinding the demolition.”
“This committee did that, not the judge,” added Burns, and when challenged again by Sprague, asserted, “This committee rescinded the resolution of the prior committee to demolish the building.”
And because of that, Burns noted, the committee has no recourse in paying Ricco $53,000. A discussion was supposed to be had by the committee on the Ricco bill in an ensuing executive session, but the committee emerged without taking any action to resolve the matter.
Local Mary Ann Holloway, prior to the committee entering closed session, disputed Burn’s recollection of events, noting that the Pennoni engineer who had previously maintained the building was in an imminent danger of collapse has since been “replaced” as the township engineer, alleging that his boss took that action “knowing that he had no right to prepare that report.” She then charged, in recounting a committee session earlier this year, “it was brought up on the microphone, on tape, that there was alleged collusion to get that report done.” Holloway, in then maintaining she was in the courtroom when Hertzberg issued a “stay” on the
would never be forgotten. She felt a simple quilt could carry the weight of the world and bring healing to those who needed it most. And in that belief, she poured her heart and soul into a cause that would change lives one stitch at a time.”
As of the time of the local Oct. 14 presentation to Simpson, all the QOV chapters combined, according to Didyk, have now presented a total of 24,492 quilts this year. And the lifetime total is 397,886 quilts.
“Each one is earned through nominations and careful documentation, adding to the significance,” Didyk declared. “Every stitch is a heartfelt expression of gratitude and respect for our servicemen and women, serving as a beautiful reminder of their sacrifices.”
Simpson, according to Didyk, served in the Coast Guard from 1991 to 2014, including during Operation Enduring Freedom.
“He started his adventure on the U.S. Coast Guard Genshin, a cactus or A-class boy tender right in picturesque Atlantic Beach, North Carolina,” recounted Didyk, who noted she has known Simpson for about the past 30 years. “This 180-foot cutter had a full plate of responsibility, from maintaining aids to navigation to conducting research and search and rescue missions, handling law enforcement tasks, and even greater (tasks).”
As Didyk put it, Simpson’s “next adventure” was an assignment in “charming” Cape May, “where he hopped aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Mako, a sleek Marine Protector-class boat.”
demolition, claimed it was that decision that put the committee in the position it was to have to rescind the demolition resolution.
“You know that when a corporation enters into a contract, if something happens, they have to mitigate their damages,” said Holloway in refuting Burns. “They cannot continue on as if nothing is happening. The mitigation of their costs has to be done.”
Holloway also took the Tabernacle committee to task for having approved on Sept. 23 two bills from Pennoni for $35,727 and $25,638, respectively, related to the sincecanceled relocation plan despite McNaughton recognizing that the charges contained in the bills are “difficult to understand” and that some of the hours billed are “kind of a shock to me” and “seem excessive to me.”
A third bill submitted to Tabernacle by Pennoni, for $27,000, said to reflect the prior work of the engineer in question, was also challenged earlier this year, but ultimately paid.
“Pennoni had no right putting a gentleman here that wasn’t licensed to do it,” said Holloway of the engineer in question being a chemical engineer, and not a structural engineer (though he is a state recognized P.E.). “And one more thing, … it seems like the gentleman that owns Pennoni is a very honorable man because when he found out … he yanked the guy. There is no doubt in my mind if somebody from this council, with authority, talked to him directly, that bill would have gone away. You have a right to sue him!”
(The mayor, in June, announced the appointment of a new engineer from Pennoni to serve as township engineer, and then it was revealed that Pennoni has a structural engineer on staff, who was also brought in and issued an opinion that would ultimately concur with that of Rodbart on the state of Town Hall. The previous township engineer from Pennoni, at one point, maintained there was limited availability in finding a structural engineer to respond quickly.)
Also generating some controversy at the latest Oct. 28 meeting is a purported recent ask of Construction Official Tom Boyd, who had sided with the position that Town Hall was posing an imminent danger of collapse. He reportedly wanted a “Certificate of Appropriateness” sought for the stabilization efforts.
Rodbart, as a result, sent a letter to Hertzberg on Oct. 24, just prior to work commencing, contending that, ‘“A certificate of appropriateness shall not be required for routine repair or maintenance, nor interior renovations unless the interior has been expressly found to possess significance according to the designation criteria of 7:506.154.’” She continued that the “emergency structural stabilization work” should be considered “exempt,” and “can accurately be described as routine repairs, as it is meant to correct damage to building elements from age, improper past repairs, or weather.”
McCarty, in raising the purported request on Oct. 28, recognized that the work has since been done, but asserted, “I find it amusing that no such request was ever made before COVID, when the building was extensively renovated upstairs and down. And everybody wanted to stick their head in the sand when the building was going to be demolished. Nobody wanted to hear my concerns that they should come (before the Land Development Board) for that certificate.”
McCarty, however, said the board was to hold a meeting to perform “cleanup” action on the request.
The Tabernacle committee, during its Oct. 28 session, also “ratified” an emergency $35,240 contract to All J’s Services (awarded on an emergency basis) to perform the stabilization work suggested by Rodbart. “The cost for the Town Hall repairs is less than what it cost me to get a deck fixed up,” McCarty quipped.
9th Legislative District
“This impressive 87-foot vessel has a diverged range of missions, from search and rescue to law enforcement, coastal security, and even keeping an eye on the president’s safety,” Didyk noted.
From there, according to Didyk, “Dave went ahead and commissioned the U.S. Coast Guard Rollin Fritch, a 19thCentury Sentinel-class cutter that broke new ground by being the first one to be home ported outside of the Caribbean.”
It was also noted by Didyk that Simpson
“had the opportunity to be stationed in Atlantic City, where he worked at a small boat station,” in addition to his having served on the Maritime Safety and Security Team in Staten Island.
“After an impressive 28 years of dedicated service, Dave proudly served his stripes as Chief Petty Officer and Boatswain Mate before his discharge,” Didyk said. “Throughout his journey, he See VALOR/ Page 10
Photo By Nick Weissmann
Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf (left), who presented Coast Guard veteran David T. Simpson with a state Senate and General Assembly citation, and Mayor C. Leigh Gadd, Jr. (right).
Fun Winter Activities to
The winter vacation season offers a unique opportunity to embrace the cold and enjoy some outdoor fun that creates lasting memories. Break up the monotony and infuse a little delight into your routine by adding a new activity to your winter break.
TRY ICE SKATING
Whether at a local rink or on a frozen pond, ice skating is a classic winter pastime that brings joy to all ages. Many cities set up outdoor rinks with festive lights and music, creating a magical atmosphere.
GO ON A SLEIGH RIDE
Make the Most of Your Christmas Vacation
Experience the charm of a horsedrawn sleigh ride through snowy landscapes. This activity provides a serene and nostalgic way to enjoy the winter scenery while bundled up in warm blankets. Some sleigh rides even include stops for hot cocoa and bonfires!
BUILD A SNOWMAN OR FORT
Embrace your inner child by building snowmen, igloos or snow forts. This is a fun activity for families, encouraging creativity and teamwork. Don’t forget to have a snowball fight for added fun.
GO TO A WINTER FESTIVAL OR MARKET
Many towns and cities host winter festivals and holiday markets featuring local crafts, food and entertainment. These events are perfect for finding unique gifts, enjoying festive treats, and soaking in the holiday spirit.
Create cherished moments with family and friends while celebrating the beauty of winter.
Gifts for the People Who Serve You All Year Long
The holidays are the perfect time to say thank you to the hairdressers, bus drivers, babysitters, baristas and many others who regularly serve you. If you’re wondering what to get them, here are some ideas.
• PRETTY HAND SOAPS
• HOLIDAY DISH CLOTHS
• SCENTED CANDLES
• A SCARF OR SHAWL
• A SOFT BLANKET
• A TOTE BAG
• PREMIUM COFFEE OR TEA
• A TO-GO MUG
• A BOTTLE OF WINE
• A BOX OF CHOCOLATES
• CONCERT OR THEATER TICKETS
• MOVIE PASSES
If you know a little about their tastes, you can also consider something more personal like a book you think they might enjoy, a sweater or a decorative item for their home or workspace.
The point of buying gifts for the people who serve you is to thank them
for the positive difference they make in your life all year long. Don’t forget to include a nice card with a handwritten message expressing your appreciation.
Tips for Making the Perfect Playlist for Your Festive Gathering
The right mix of tunes will set the tone and ensure everyone has a great time at your holiday get-together. Follow these tips to craft a playlist that hits all the right notes.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
some crowd-pleasers, classics and a few unexpected choices to surprise and delight your guests.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT APPS
Consider the age range, music preferences and cultural backgrounds of your guests to ensure your playlist appeals to everyone. For a family gathering, you might want to include a mix of classic and contemporary hits. A more formal event might call for Evergreen Jazz or instrumental music.
PICK A THEME
Decide on the ambiance and vibe you want for your gathering. Whether it’s an elegant dinner party or a lively holiday celebration, tailor your playlist to match the mood and theme of the event.
MIX THINGS UP
Incorporate a variety of genres and tempos to keep the energy flowing throughout the gathering. Blend in
Utilize music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music or Pandora to create and share playlists with ease. These apps offer a wide selection of songs and allow for collaborative playlist creation, making it simple for guests to add their favorite tunes.
Happy playlist-making!
GRATEFUL TO OUR VETERANS
AWRY
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Nowhere in that release, nor in others put out before the election, in fact, was there any hint of possible trouble on the horizon once the shiny new Dominion devices were wheeled out for what was widely viewed as one of the more critical elections in recent history.
Instead, Superintendent of Elections Dawn Marie Addiego, who was identified as “the custodian of the machines,” assured voters that the devices on which many would be casting their ballots for the first time (despite their already having been used “during early voting periods the last three years” and “by thousands of Burlington County voters during this year’s primary election,” according to a subsequent press release) had been “extensively vetted and are certified by both the federal government and the State of New Jersey” and were “highly secure,” “easy to use,” and “reliable.”
“Voting with the new machines will be different for voters who haven’t cast ballots during the early voting periods, but it is still a simple process that voters should find easy to learn,” Addiego said.
Or, as Burlington County Board of Elections Chairman Joseph Dugan was quoted as saying, “the technology may be different, but what is most important is voters will be casting their ballots safely, securely and with the knowledge their choices will be properly counted.” Dugan went on to note that “we are grateful to have new and reliable equipment in place with the added security of a voter-verifiable paper trail” in what was expected to be a “highturnout election year.”
Adding to those official reassurances was Burlington County Commission Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, who serves as liaison to the county’s elections offices.
“Voting is a fundamental right and Burlington County voters have several different ways to exercise that right,” O’Connell declared. “It doesn’t matter which method voters choose to cast their ballot –by mail, drop box or with a machine – all three methods are secure, and voters can be confident their ballots will be counted.”
What actually occurred, however, was that an undetermined number of Burlington County voters ended up going home in frustration without having had the opportunity to cast a ballot at all due to the hours-long waits that were attributed to unfamiliarity with the new machines and longer times for the voting process to be completed on them, as well as what was alleged to be an inadequate number of machines to accommodate the turnout and technical glitches involving those in operation.
And that was in spite of a last-minute court order to keep the polls open until 9 p.m. (with the voting process reportedly extending past midnight in some locales and some polling sites allegedly being unaware of that ruling and turning away voters who came back) resulting from an eleventh-hour civil action filed by Attorney General Matt Platkin and Sundeep Iyer, director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, against both the county Board and Superintendent of Elections, which claimed that “voters have effectively been disenfranchised” and would “suffer irreparable harm” unless “allowed to return to the polls and be provided reasonable accommodations” to do so.
In fact, by Nov. 12, a full week after this
failure of the countywide voting system, to assure all registered voters of a chance to cast a ballot in the future without having to endure untoward hardship, another press release from Levinsky informed the public that “local citizens who wish to provide their input (on the episode) can do so by submitting written accounts of their experiences and concerns to the following email: 2024Election@co.burlington.nj.us.
“The Burlington County Commissioners believe the long lines and waits during the 2024 General Election were unacceptable and that voters deserve clear answers about why this occurred and how it can be prevented during future elections,” the latest release said, adding that the information received will be used by officials conducting a review of what took place “to develop findings and make recommendations.”
The release also noted that “Commissioners support the call from the chairs of both major political parties for the Board of Elections and Superintendent of Elections offices to conduct a comprehensive review of elections procedures, equipment and processes with the goal of making improvements,” and were also calling on them “to work around the clock to restore public confidence and certify the election results.”
A written report containing findings and recommendations, it added, is “expected to be made public by January 30, 2025.”
“The long lines and waits at the polls were intolerable and Burlington County is committed to taking any and all actions necessary to ensure that the situation is not repeated in future elections,” the release concluded.
The existence of those “long lines and waits” was also attested to in the legal brief filed by an attorney representing Platkin and Iyer, which noted that on the morning of Nov. 5 the Office of the Attorney General and Division on Civil Rights “received reports of widespread technological breakdowns affecting the functioning of the machines at multiple locations across Burlington County, including polling sites in Mt. Laurel, Cinnaminson, Moorestown, Westampton, and Evesham.”
“These technological issues have caused unacceptably long lines—in some cases exceeding three hours, and as of 6:30 p.m. potentially exceeding four hours in some places—and have placed extreme burdens on citizens’ ability to exercise their right to vote,” according to the brief.
The document goes on to claim that the Attorney General had received reports that multiple voters had left polling sites without voting “on account of voting machines that were not operative and long lines” and that “disabled and elderly voters unable to stand in long lines, in particular, have been forced to abandon their attempts to vote in the face of long lines, and have not been granted reasonable accommodations for their disabilities in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD).”
Examples of the latter cited in the brief include those of a voter from Eastampton Township with medical disabilities having had to forego voting after being denied a request to move to the head of the line to accommodate her ailments and a report from Mt. Laurel of seniors with limited mobility having to wait in line for more than two-and-a-half hours with both “insufficient seating” and a lack of available parking spaces provided for such individuals. A police officer was also reportedly seen instructing them to park several blocks away and refusing to allow a wheelchair-bound woman to be dropped off in the parking lot.
Another allegation made in the lawsuit is that “following the breakdown of machines across polling sites in Burlington County, several sites ran out of emergency ballots (or did not have emergency ballots available), directly resulting in long lines and voters leaving polling places without being able to cast their vote.”
Additionally, it maintains that even “after machines at the affected polling sites were brought back online, long lines continued due to the backlog created when the machines were down, as well as difficulties faced by voters unfamiliar with the new machines and their multi-step process for casting a vote.”
In Westampton Township, for instance, it notes that two- and three-hour lines with more than 100 people in them were being reported, and in Cinnaminson Township, social media postings reported early breakdowns of equipment delaying the opening of polls with two machines subsequently crashing, and a polling place “turning away voters” after “offering paper ballots to the first 30 people in line.”
Levinsky, as county spokesman, was subsequently emailed a series of questions by the Pine Barrens Tribune in an attempt to shed further light on how the county voting system is structured and who has ultimate responsibility for seeing that it functions properly, which he endeavored to answer on the afternoon of Nov. 13, just prior to this newspaper’s deadline time.
When asked to explain how voting officials are chosen, what criteria are used in the selection process and whether there are prescribed limits on their terms, Levinsky provided the following response:
Superintendent of Elections (currently Dawn Marie Addiego):
Nominated by the governor with the advice and consent of the New Jersey Senate for a term of five years or until a successor is appointed, with responsibilities that include registering voters and maintaining voter records; custody and maintenance of voting machines and poll books; enforcing election laws and ensuring compliance with the National Voting Rights Act.
Board of Elections: (currently Joseph P. Dugan, Sean Earlen, George Nyikita and Reva Foster)
Consists of four members, two from each of the major political parties, who are appointed by the governor to staggered twoyear terms and not permitted to hold an elected office, and given responsibility for receiving and counting all ballots, including those from military and overseas voters; recruiting, training and supervising poll workers, and overseeing polling locations, including accessibility and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, and issuing of challenger permits and badges.
County Clerk (currently JoAnne Schwartz):
Elected by the voters of Burlington County to a five-year term, this constitutional officer is responsible for receiving applications for vote-by-mail ballots, including those for military and overseas voters; mailing and handing out vote-by-mail ballots, including for military and overseas voters; mailing sample ballots; processing optout-requests for vote-by-mail ballots; accepting petitions for county candidates, independent General Election candidates for county and municipal offices, local and regional school district candidates and fire commissioner candidates; designing and printing all ballots; posting election results as they are received from the Board of Elections, and publishing final results.
Queried who was most directly responsible
for having ordered these particular machines and the number of them assigned to each jurisdiction and on what those decisions were based, Levinsky replied:
A search for new voting machines began in 2021 after New Jersey’s early voting law was signed, a process in which staff from all three elections offices participated before settling on the purchase of Dominion ICXs (ballot marking devices) and tabulators, which he noted were “certified by the state and the federal government and provided enhanced security through a voter-verifiable paper ballot,” which he said was also “mandated by the state.”
“These new machines,” he pointed out, “were deployed during early voting periods in both the primary and General Elections in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2024, since “it was determined that the county’s old fleet of voting machines could no longer be reliably used for Election Day voting, the decision was made to acquire additional ICXs and tabulators for voting in all polling locations.
“While all elections offices provided input on the selection of new machines, ultimately the Superintendent of Elections Office was responsible for the request for the county to purchase the additional Dominion machines,” he added.
The county spokesman offered a less direct response, however to the question of whether there are now “things” or “flashing warning signs” that in hindsight he believes were overlooked, in assuring the public about the advantages of those new machines and how much easier they were designed to make the entire process.
“The old fleet of machines was well past their useful life and could no longer be relied upon, were increasingly likely to malfunction, and could no longer be repaired or replaced,” he maintained, whereas “the Dominion machines worked well during the prior year and early voting periods and provided enhanced security not present with the old machines.”
But he did note that the aforementioned review that the Superintendent of Elections and the Board of Elections were ordered to conduct by the county commissioners “is expected to look at decisions surrounding the new machines and their deployment on Election Day.”
When asked which official was responsible for seeing that an adequate number of emergency paper ballots were provided and if any effort has been made to determine why these appear to have been in short supply in some locales in the county, according to the attorney general’s lawsuit, Levinksy replied, “The Burlington County Clerk’s Office is responsible for printing of all ballots, including emergency ballots,” adding that “every voting district receives the stateprescribed number of emergency ballots.”
Levinsky also called reports of one or more truckloads of voting machines having been sidelined “absolutely false.”
“While there were some technical issues with some machines that needed to be addressed on Election Day, the Superintendent of Elections Office reported that all issues were addressed at the polling sites and no machines were removed from any polling locations or replaced on Election Day,” he asserted.
Finally, in response to whether representatives of this newspaper could speak directly with any of these election individuals, the county spokesman would only say that “media outlets that have questions or want information from elections officials can address their questions to the Public Information Office.”
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months of his (mayoral) term, and after that, however she chooses.”
Heston responded that he thought it was Raftery’s opinion that the senior member of the committee would continue serving as mayor for the remainder of the year until the governing body’s January reorganization session, but Raftery cut him off, disputing that notion.
“I merely said once Michael’s replacement was seated, then we can have a discussion about who is going to be the mayor, OK?!” Raftery contended. “The senior Republican official (serving as acting mayor) is the law – it has nothing to do with me personally!”
It led Heston to declare, “Now that you are saying it that way, I do recall it!”, and then after some silence, Raftery exclaimed, “Call a vote!”
Heston pointed out, however, that, “Don’t we have to modify the agenda?” Morris, however, seemed to indicate that wasn’t necessary and one “can call for a vote anytime,” and a 4-1 vote ensued to appoint Rossell as mayor, leading Raftery to declare, “Congratulations Elizabeth!”
Heston, when he voted, quipped, “Sure!,” while Young firmly cast an opposing vote. Rossell was then sworn in as mayor.
The way in which Rossell, who has served on the governing body since 2014, was appointed overshadowed her becoming what is believed to be the first woman mayor of Southampton Township. Rossell made history in 2019, when she became the first-ever woman deputy mayor of the township.
The primary reason the special meeting was called to order, as per the provided agenda, was to fill the committee seat vacated by Mikulski by a statutory deadline, with the governing body emerging from an initial closed session to conduct interviews with three candidates that had been recommended by the local GOP organization.
The governing body emerged from the interviews by unanimously choosing Arnold Harrison III, who, according to his Facebook page, is a council representative at Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, over longtime meeting regular and LeisureTowne Trustee and past Board of Trustees president Evelyn “Evie” Doherty. (Doherty also served on the Southampton Board of Education for three years, the township Zoning Board for 12 years and the township Planning Board for three years.)
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Harrison was sworn in by 8th District Senator Latham Tiver, who reportedly agreed to a deal with Governor Phil Murphy to elevate Mikulski to a judgeship in exchange for signing off, as part of senatorial courtesy, on Murphy’s nomination of John Jay Hoffman as an associate justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Harrison, in the months before a statewide media outlet report about the deal, had been observed sitting quietly in Southampton committee chambers.
Tiver, a former Southampton committeeman who at one point ran with Rossell for township committee, is a business representative for the Operating Engineers Local 825.
DROUGHT
(Continued from Page 6)
“From shorter showers to using your dishwasher when fully loaded to reducing outsourced water use and winterizing your irrigation system, all of these actions can collectively help preserve our state’s valuable water resource,” the commissioner added.
The next upgrade, which would come with restrictions, is a drought emergency. Officials were asked repeatedly during the call about when they might pull the trigger on such a decree, with LaTourette answering “we hope to not get there” and it is the point of the actions that come with a warning of trying to prevent the need for an emergency.
“And so, we can’t say by when we would
go to that emergency,” LaTourette said. “It is certainly determined based on precipitation, how dry the winter is, and how well we are able to conserve.”
Until then, Murphy vowed that state officials would use their “blowhorn” in calling for water conservation, telling reporters “we can’t get inside of somebody’s shower, so we’re just going to have some of this, or a lot of it, has to be folks doing the right thing for the
good of the order.”
“But the very fact we are raising this from a watch to a warning, that in and of itself does not just indicate technical steps that are being taken, but it indicates a level of seriousness,” Murphy said. “Do we still have the option if we need it to go to an emergency? Absolutely.”
A drought emergency was last declared in 2002.
