Meet The Candidate: Dave Johnson

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — There’s more on the line in New Jersey in November than just the Governor’s seat. All seats in the State Senate and State Assembly are up for grabs, as well. In Gloucester Township, the Mayor’s seat and three council seats are up for grabs.

However, before the general elections on Nov. 7, Primary Day arrives on June 6. While only four Republicans filed to run in this year’s elections, eight Democrats have thrown their hats into the ring.

Each day for the next two weeks, Gloucester Township Patch will run candidate profiles for the Democrats running in this year’s primaries. Patch sent each candidate the same questions, and their responses are posted here, with minor edits for grammar and spelling. Check out each one, then head to the voting booth to make an informed decision on June 6.

Up first: Gloucester Township Council Candidate Dave Johnson

Why are you running for Gloucester Township Council?

I have lived in GT all of my life. I work in Gloucester Twp. I love Gloucester Twp. I love the residents, and I love the location. I love what it stood for and what it used to be. It is the town that I decided to settle down in and raise my two children in. But for the past 8 years, I have watched Gloucester Twp. nosedive. Since 2010, my property taxes increased 42% and my home value has dropped. I have watched countless, hard-working neighbors lose their houses or just walk away from their houses because they could not afford to pay both a mortgage and skyrocketing property taxes. All too often, I hear my friends, my neighbors, my community members complain about the taxes and move on about their day. I was guilty of complaining and moving on until I decided rather than keep complaining about the declining area and property tax increases, I would try to do something about it.

Have you ever held a public elected office? If yes, please name the governing body (school board, township council, fire commissioner) and years of service.

I have not held public office before.

Why do you feel you are qualified to serve as a member of the Gloucester Township Council?

While I have never held any type of public office, for the past 12 years, I have taught Fine Arts at Timber Creek High School. As a teacher of Art, my responsibilities are not limited to teaching my students how to draw, but also classroom management, discipline, and maintaining and managing a budget for supplies. I understand that every decision that I make in my classroom, every lesson I teach, every interaction with a student, every penny I spend of my budget, has a consequence. When I am in my classroom, I always have to think to myself, “Is this decision in the best interests of my students?”.

If elected, I will apply the same philosophy to Council as I do to my class. I am always going to ask questions, voice my opinion on what I think is right, and would have all of my decisions be in the best interest of the citizens of Gloucester Twp.

What is the biggest issue facing Gloucester Township? How do you feel the issue should be addressed by Council?

I feel that the biggest issue facing Gloucester Township are, as Council President Orlando Mercado recently phrased it, the “premium taxes” that are being shouldered by the hard working residents of the township. We are seeing these large increases in taxes almost every other year. But the question is “Why are we seeing these large increases?” I feel that our current Council should be addressing these increases by looking at how Gloucester Twp. spends its money. They need to be much more cautious with their spending of our money and ask themselves before they vote on every penny, “Do we really need this right now?” We can see such careless spending with the addition of the two artificial turf fields that have been constructed at both Valley Brook fields and the Gloucester Twp. Park at a cost of $3.5 million dollars of taxpayer money during a year with a 12% tax increase partnered with the new project of the Gloucester Twp. Heritage Park located on Somerdale Rd.

What do you feel is Gloucester Township's biggest asset at this time? How would you exploit that asset to the township's benefit?

I feel that the biggest asset of Gloucester Township at this time, as it always has been, is the residents of the township. We are a group of hard-working, blue-collar people, who care about the township. Many of us are born and raised in GT. I would like to invite the members of the community to be more proactive in their governing body; open lines of communication with the Mayor and Council and begin to help them rebuild the township around them. Try to work on giving incentives to residents who would like to open up a small business in the township to help reopen many of the shuttered storefronts on Blackwood-Clementon Rd and the Black Horse Pike. Doing so would build a stronger sense of community, giving ownership to the people. With a restructured small business economy, then we could possibly attract larger companies to open stores or move headquarters into the area to hire residents and in doing so, revitalize economically depressed areas and support our local economy helping to level property taxes.

How do you plan to balance spending and revenue in tough economic times?

We need to look at all spending with a fine tooth comb and question our reasons for spending. Every penny needs to be spent with the taxpayer in mind. It is a very simple concept: WANT vs. NEED. Look at the Artificial Turf fields. Both of my children play on them and they are nice to have and play on. But you know what? I would love to buy a Lamborghini. Sure, I could buy one. But, my wife and I are both teachers in Gloucester Township, and if we did buy one, we couldn’t afford to keep our house, and you can’t live in a luxury car. We understand the difference between WANT vs. NEED and prioritize. This current Council doesn’t understand that concept.

Do you feel the current Council is effective? Why or why not? Where do you think the governing body could improve?

There are certain aspects in which the Council is effective, but by and large, I feel that this current Council is out of touch with what is needed by our residents. The Council needs to listen to the community and be more transparent with their operations. We need to live within our means, and right now, many residents are hurting, making tough sacrifices just to keep the roof over their heads and the people of Gloucester Township don’t deserve that. What they do deserve, is a Council that works for them, not the other way around.

The attached image of Dave Johnson was posted on the Gloucester Township Has A Sweet Choice Facebook page.