Galloway Township Candidates Make Final Push Before Tuesday's Election

It’s the economy.

It's not just a catchphrase made popular by Bill Clinton's campaign en route to his victory over George H.W. Bush in  the 1992 presidential election.

It's what a majority of candidates are learning as they’ve hit the campaign trail in the final days leading up to Tuesday’s Galloway Township municipal elections.

Six candidates are vying for three open seats that carry four-year terms on Nov. 8.

Incumbent and challenger are on the Republican slate, while incumbent and challengers and are on the Democratic side.

, elected as a Republican four years and the mayor of Galloway Township for the last two, is running an independent campaign. He missed eight weeks of township business from late August to mid-October, and thus, his seat was vacated. His absences, which he claimed were due to threats to himself and his family, brought with it much speculation about his personal life. He is on the ballot and able to be elected next Tuesday.

While discussion about his personal life dominated the summer, as the election rapidly approaches, voters are reminding candidates of why it is they have been chosen to represent the township.

“The economy and taxes affect everyone,” Coppola said. “The value of people’s homes is decreasing. They’re seeing their values drop like crazy. Their value is down, but their taxes are not down. One source of revenue is taxes, and people are worried about paying the bill.”

“Most people feel they don’t get anything for their taxes,” Gorman said. “We’ve had to make cuts to things like leaf pick up, and people feel like for what they’re paying, they deserve more. It would be nice if we could bring back those services, but it’s a balancing act. Ratables, shared services and some different things can help reduce the burden on the taxpayer.”

Bringing in ratables and development is something Gorman and his Democratic running mates have been vocal about during this election cycle, and it’s something the Republicans recognize a need for as well.

“People want to know what we’re going to do moving forward on future development,” Tyrrell said. “They want us to hold the line on property taxes. Costs are going up and it’s up to us to hold the line more than ever, and make sure people can continue to live in the homes they have. I don’t want to have to tell people their taxes are going up. We’re going to put good people on these committees to make effective decisions.”

“Someone was asking us about Harrison Beverage. They were on Delilah Road and they recently moved to Hamilton Township,” Krumaker said. “They asked us why Galloway was not even in the running. I can’t tell them how things went down, but these are things we need to be doing. We’re behind and we’re going to have to play catch up.”

“The economy and jobs is a big question,” McElwee said. “Taxes are going up and they’re asking us our philosophy. They’re trying to figure out how to survive. Taxes are up and services are cut. … We can’t promise taxes won’t go up. We can’t make empty promises.”

That is how Gorman was elected four years ago. He prides himself on the fact that he made no empty promises to voters, and McElwee is following in his footsteps. Things are different for Gorman this time, however.

“Last time, I had no record to run on,” Gorman said. “Now I have a record. I think I proved I can work with everybody.”

Coppola also has a record he can run on. He ran in a special election last year against Krumaker for the seat left open when William Ackerman left council in 2010. He had already been selected by the Republicans to serve prior to the special election, and now that the seat has officially expired, he’s out on the campaign trail again, where things are a little different this time around.

“I can rely on what I’ve done as opposed to making promises,” Coppola said. “ … I understand the concerns of the people. I appreciate the opportunity I have and I take it seriously. I have Galloway’s best interests at heart, and if the voters feel like I’ve done right by them, they’ll vote for me.”

Coppola and Gorman are both known councilmen, and the voters of Galloway Township know how to find them.

Those who are relative unknowns need to find a way to get their message out, which means knocking on a lot of doors and making a lot of phone calls.

Tyrrell feels as though he’s knocked on the door of just about everyone in Galloway Township. His wife is even making phone calls for him while taking care of their three children as her husband is out campaigning.

“It’s been challenging for my family, but my wife has really stepped up to the plate,” Tyrrell said. “ … A major concern among people is making sure we behave with integrity. … We have to put ourselves up there as role models with family values and make sure we are servants to the community. We need to keep in perspective that we are the voice of the people.”

The Democrats have hosted a series of meet and greets, including with neighborhood watches and small businesses.

“We’ve stuck to our platform of bringing transparency and balance to Galloway,” McElwee said. “Right now, the Republicans have a 6-1 edge, and we’re looking to bring balance to the council. … We continue to work on the trash issue and bringing stability to council. People want people who are going to work hard to serve Galloway. Councilmen are held to a higher standard, and the people deserve better.”

'A slow recovery'

On Thursday night, Krumaker was working the phones after a week of going out and meeting voters, with more homes to visit and follow-up phone calls to come over the weekend.

“They’re looking for people to work together for the benefit of the township,” Krumaker said. “ … We need to bring in ratables. We can’t court businesses if we’re not focused on that, and I don’t see that happening. We need to get a plan together. Hopefully in 2012, we can begin to move forward.”

Krumaker believes councilmen need to have a hands-on approach to the community.

“Being on council is not just about going to council meetings,” Krumaker said. “We need to be more available. We need to be out there; people need to see us in action. Whoever is elected needs to be out there and move the township forward.”

“I make myself available to the people,” Coppola said. “I try not to miss any events. People know where I am. They find me and voice their concerns and that’s great. I want to hear from them.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing for the township. I work in this town, and I think I can make a difference and make it better. I have a lot of respect for anyone who wants to give it a shot. It’s incredibly frustrating and incredibly rewarding, and the goal is to leave it better than you found it.”

For many people, that means doing what can be done to help them survive until the jobs come back.

“You can just tell how many people have been out of work for a while,” Gorman said. “The construction jobs have come back with the Revel project and the Golden Nugget. It’s not good, but it’s getting better. It’s a slow recovery.”

Gorman also spoke about the need to tackle the issue of trash in the township, but it’s clear what’s most pressing to the citizens of Galloway.

It’s the economy.