Former Moorestown Councilman Honored; Special Meeting Called to Fill Vacancy

Moorestown, NJ -- Moorestown Council paid homage to former councilman and longtime community member Greg Newcomer Monday night.

It also set up a special meeting to fill its vacant seat.

Mayor Victoria Napolitano read a proclamation in which the township declared Newcomer, who resigned on Nov. 30 due to health reasons, an “Outstanding Member of the Community.”

Following the proclamation, Newcomer made a brief speech thanking council and thanking the township’s residents and volunteers.

“I’d like to thank council for this award, this proclamation,” Newcomer said. “I’d like to thank the community, the people of Moorestown, who are terrific. Absolutely there is no adjective I could give that would express how wonderful this town is. The town is full of volunteers who are as dedicated as I am to making this town better. I thank you very much for this award. I thank you very much for the privilege to serve.”

Newcomer was elected to council in 2012, and has been involved in various aspects of the community for 30 years.

Prior to his election, Newcomer participated in projects and programs in the township’s recreation department, Moorestown Youth Baseball, the Moorestown School District, the Strawbridge Lake Association, and with MoorArts, the town theater program that benefits youth scholarships.

He was the chair of the Third Floor Committee, which led the conversion of the third floor of the recreation building into a town youth center.

He was the Deputy Chair of the Planning Board and was on the township’s ethics board. He was the Citizen of the Year in 2004, served four terms on the recreation advisory committee, including serving as chair for three years, and served as chair for the appearance committee.

He had one year left in his term. He was the only Democrat on the five-member council.

On Friday, the Moorestown Democratic Party submitted the names of three candidates to fill the vacant seat, including Michael Babcock, Amy Leis and Lisa Petriello.

It is now up to council to pick from those three names to fill the vacancy.

Council will do so during a special meeting set for Wednesday morning, Dec. 23, 8 a.m. at town hall.

In the interim, council members have requested contact information for each of the three candidates so they can have a conversation with each prior to the meeting. Council members said that while they know some of the names, they don’t know some of the others, and they need more information to make a fully informed decision.

Pictured left to right: Nancy Newcomer, former councilman Greg Newcomer, Deputy Mayor Phil Garwood and Mayor Victoria Napolitano during Monday night’s proclamation.