Meet the Candidates: Tony Coppola

On Nov. 8, residents in Galloway Township will go to the polls to vote on three seats that carry four-year terms on township council. Six candidates are vying for these three seats, and over the course of the next week, Galloway Patch will take a look at each candidate, one a day, in alphabetical order.

Name: Tony Coppola

Political Party: Republican

Why are you running?

I honestly never envisioned myself serving as a politician. I was always busy enough with my businesses and family. I was approached by members of Council to fill an unexpired term left vacant. I was reluctant at first, but with a little persuading I accepted. That was a year and a half ago. Now, there are many positive projects that I am involved with that I would like to see to fruition. 

What do you feel are the most pressing issues?

Certainly the economy has had a huge effect on the residents of Galloway Township. Although public safety, parks and recreation, public works and education will always be included in those conversations, the economics of Galloway is a priority. The national trend of depreciating home values is ever evident here too. Unemployment is in the double digits. A struggling casino industry continues to drive the median income down. Reduced Federal funding for government contracts is stifling growth from FAA, NAFEC, and Next Gen, and developers are reluctant to start projects, holding back the construction jobs.  While I encourage small business development, and we have seen nice growth in that arena, now more than ever, local governments need to be as efficient as possible. We have a responsibility to reduce wasteful spending to ensure hard earned taxpayer dollars go as far as possible. It is urgent that our leaders understand finance and fiscal responsibility. 

What changes would you make to what the current council is doing? 

We need to restore the public’s confidence in our local government. Galloway is a great place to live. We do have good people that care. We need to recognize and encourage the efforts of those that are "givers" in the community, fighting the good fight, fostering community involvement and volunteering their time.  We need to focus on the issues that affect the taxpayers and not the ancillary rhetoric. There will always be "naysayers.” I was never one of those.

What are some of the positive things you believe the current council is doing?

When I first joined the current administration, we were seriously hindered by a dire fiscal outlook. Galloway was facing some serious financial issues if drastic action had not been taken. Difficult decisions were made: mandatory furlough days for employees and closing the township complex on Mondays to name a few. But now things are looking much better. Negotiations with the public service unions gave our employees a fair and balanced contract that the municipality can afford. We were able to reopen all the offices and put the employees back to work five days a week. Our fiscal position is much improved and while the federal government saw its bond rating reduced, our bond rating has just been upgraded by Moody’s. 

Our Police department, under the leadership of Chief Moran and his staff, is among the most respected in the state. He has brought back the pride and a palatable increased morale to the ranks.

Stability has been restored with the addition a new Clerk and a new CFO. 

Galloway has used its good relationship with Stockton to come to an agreement to fully compensate the Municipality for tax revenue from the Seaview property. Positive relationships have also been made with AtlantiCare, and we continue to benefit from these public / private partnerships.

Shared services with neighboring municipalities continue to expand as we explore new ways to be more efficient.

Significant progress has also been made paving the way for economic development: creating "areas in need of redevelopment" within the township allows us to be more competitive in attracting businesses to Galloway Township. Galloway is now in the 9th legislative district after being moved from the 2nd. We have already met with the much respected Senator Chris Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove on many occasions and their commitment to Galloway is encouraging. While we continue to enjoy great relationships with the legislators in District 2, we also will be capably represented by their colleagues and our new friends in District 9.

There are several plans in place to improve the park system in Galloway using Atlantic County land and resources to provide a service to our residents without impacting the municipal budget.

Galloway's proximity to wetlands makes it a very environmentally sensitive area. We have supported many groups like "Go Green Galloway" to educate and champion the causes of recycling and environmental awareness in Galloway and supporting Forsythe Refuge and other eco-tourism initiatives so that future generations can enjoy the uniqueness of Galloway. 

I believe Galloway is moving in the right direction. It is a great place to raise children, run a business or retire and can continue to be all of that with the proper leadership.

What would you bring to council that no one else can bring. i.e. strengths, experience, etc?

I have always said, "if there were someone who was running, that I thought could do a better job than me, I would step aside and let them do it." This is a critical time; we need strong leadership to keep us on track with our financial recovery. I think I am uniquely qualified because I posses a skill set that is well versed in business, community issues and policies. I know a thing or two about creating jobs and achieving longevity in difficult, high percentage fail industries. I am accessible, educated and driven. I have established many great relationships with business and community leaders, philanthropists and legislators. I am a believer in teamwork and I work to foster team building because I also know that one man cannot accomplish anything without a good team beside him.

What is your political background? What offices have you held/run for in the past?

I have always been an advocate for small business sine we resurrected Historic Smithville years ago. Although my work on many boards gave me occasion to meet and work with many politicians, as I stated before, I never envisioned myself in politics. I think I may have been discouraged from a failed run at Student Council president in the 6th grade.

Personal Background

Graduate of La Salle University

Married 12 years to my wonderful wife Deanna (still have yet to see a smile as beautiful)

Father of two boys ages 7 and 12, both in the Smithville School

Currently serving as V.P. of Operations for Smithville Hospitality (Town of Historic Smithville)