Janice Caccuro: Candidate For Moorestown Township Council

MOORESTOWN, NJ – Janice Caccuro is one of four candidates running for one of two seats on the Moorestown Township Council.

Patch asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire outlining biographical information, their platform and their stance on a handful of issues.

Caccuro's answers are provided below. None of her responses have been edited beyond basic proofreading and formatting.

Use this information, as well as Patch's Moorestown Voters Guide, to help you make informed decisions on New Jersey's Primary Election Day, which is June 7.

Your Name As It Will Appear On The Ballot:
Janice Caccuro

The Position You Are Seeking:

Moorestown Township Council

Your Party Affiliation:

Republican

The Age You Will Be On Election Day In November:
47

Your Immediate Family: My husband, Frank, and my three sons, Caden, who is 14-years-old and Cole, who is 13-years-old (both Caden and Cole attend William Allen Middle School) and Gavin, who is 11-years-old and attends the Upper Elementary School.

My parents still own the Moorestown home I grew up in, and I also have two sisters that have raised their families in Moorestown and still reside here.

The Professional and Personal Experiences You Have That You Feel Helps You Qualify For The Position You Are Seeking (And Why You Feel These Experiences Help You Qualify For
This Position):

I believe that I am well suited to represent the residents of Moorestown for a number of reasons.

When I practiced law as a commercial real estate attorney, I had extensive experience drafting
and negotiating sophisticated contracts. Legal research and conducting due diligence, were all part of my daily responsibilities, all the while being a team player working with people from diverse backgrounds to achieve a common goal.

In property management, I streamlined and modernized processes which lead to the most cost effective and profitable solutions. I have always thrived in high pressure situations and met deadlines.

Living by the Golden Rule is paramount. It is critical to treat every resident with the utmost respect and not be dismissive of their concerns or arguments. I do not consider myself a
politician, I have no agenda. I have no political aspirations outside of the borders of this town. What I want is what is best for the present and future of Moorestown. By listening to residents and local organizations that enhance our town, this can be achieved, and the best possible outcome will result.

I give back to many organizations that my family takes part in, whether it be sports, school or charitible organizations. The time is right for me to give back to the town that has given me so much.

Describe Your Stance On Having Companies That Sell, Use, Produce Or Otherwise Involve Cannabis Within Moorestown Township:

The voters overwhemingly approved the legalization of cannabis in a November 2020 Public Question, and I support their decision. As you recall, this referendum was very broad, and I believe that legalizing cannabis does not address the implications that all areas of the cannabis industry can have on a community.

To fully refine the intent of the residents, further research and community input was needed regarding the specifics of the licensing process. For example, by voting to legalize cannabis, one may have reasonably thought that would mean that cannabis could be legally used and sold in Moorestown, not necessarily that it would be culivated, manufactured and/or distributed in town.

The cannabis ordinance was already amended once on March 28, 2022, and at that same meeting, it was suggested that the very same ordinance may be amended again. There are six classes of
cannabis licenses (Cultivator, Manufacturer, Wholesaler, Distributor, Retailer and Delivery), all of which could be authorized to operate in Moorestown (noting that the Class 6 license (Delivery) is not permitted to be limited by any municipality).

The township did, in fact, need to take action by Aug. 21, 2021, or there would be no limitation of any of the classes of licenses or number of licenses permitted in Moorestown. However, another option would have been to initally opt out of all cannabis related businesses, until the township had conducted extensive research, and had a comprehensive, well reasoned ordinance which addressed residents concerns, and perhaps restricted the Classes of cannabis licenses to those which would not have a detrimental impact on our community.

The township would have then been able to opt in, at any time, allowing some or all of the remaining cannabis business classes to operate. Amending material terms of the ordinance,
such as the increase in the number of licenses and the limiting the ability to transfer a license, indicates that perhaps more time and research was needed.

Should Projects Like Lenola Streetscape and Percheron Park Occur In Other Parts Of The Township? Why Or Why Not?

I feel that beautification and improvement efforts enhance our amazing town and should continue in other parts of town. It is wonderful to see community members come together with a common goal and take pride in Moorestown.

The Friends of Percheron Park are the perfect example of this, and the project would have not been possible without their tireless efforts. The amount of time, effort and sweat equity that community members have poured into some of these projects is why Moorestown is what it is, and it is one of the reasons I chose to come back to Moorestown to raise my family.

The Lenola Streetscape Project is essential and needs to be completed. We all, especially the residents in that area, have waited far too long for this project to be completed. For many, it is the first impression of Moorestown when traveling to or passing through town. With the aforementioned projects and others, fiscal responsibility is essential at all times and, in particular, given current construction and labor costs.

Taking the utmost care with taxpayer money is critical. I would ensure that contracts leave no room for interpretation and are carried out in a timely manner because it is critical that we do not spend outside our intended budget. For example, changing engineers or contractors midstream cause years of delays, and not only increases the cost of projects to the detriment of our taxpayers, but can also risk invalidating much needed grant funds that we rely on.

What Is Your Stance On Mixed Use Facilities, Such As Cooper Health System Setting Up Shop Within Moorestown Mall?

The Cooper Health System project is an invaluable addition to the Moorestown Mall. Cooper Health System will be an asset which will help to stabilize the Moorestown Mall and make it a retail and dining destination. This project will not only create jobs, but it will increase frequency of consumers to the mall site as a result of the presence of the Cooper Health System employees, patients and their families and caregivers. Consequently, there will be more individuals which will take advantage of all that the Moorestown Mall has to offer and encourage other desireable businesses to open their doors at the mall.

Describe Your Stance Regarding Microbreweries Setting Up Shop Within Moorestown:

I believe microbreweries will be an asset to this community. Many neighboring towns have very successful microbreweries that operate and increase traffic to their local restaurants and retail shops. Moorestown residents wanting to go to microbreweries have had to take their business and spend their money in those same towns, as a result of not having a hometown option to support. Microbreweries can create much needed foot traffic to the benefit of our other retail stores and restaurants. Our restaurant and business owners have invested in our town, we should support efforts to give them the best opportunity to be successful.

The Single Most Pressing Issue Facing Our Community (That I Have Not Mentioned Yet) Is _______ , and This Is What I Intend To Do About It:

Community engagement and input in the decision making process. For many families, Moorestown is becoming less affordable and it is a struggle for those families to remain in town. Residents should have a clear understanding on how their tax dollars will be spent and how council decisions will likewise impact their taxes, utility and town fees. Decisions on tax abatements and payments in lieu of taxes increase the burden on existing taxpayers, which in turn, affect their ability to continue to afford to live in Moorestown. I believe informing and involving residents before an issue arises is of critical importance. People are too busy to read town council agendas every other week to determine how they will be impacted.

I believe that reaching out to community members, to alert them to an issue prior to a First Reading, will create a community partnership and invest residents in the decision making process. We have so many resident resources in town that can help council make well informed decisions. Many decisions have been made in recent times which will have a generational impact on this town. When possible, council should give residents more than two days' notice, because that does not give much time for residents to plan on attending to participate. This community engagement, in conjunction with independent thorough research by council members will lead to the best possible outcome for our town.

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