Meet The Candidate: Mike Locatell

Moorestown voters will go to the polls on Nov. 8 to not just elect the next President of the United States, but to determine a large part of the makeup of their local government for the next four years.

With three of the five council seats up for grabs, Moorestown residents will be determining the balance of power and direction of the township this fall.

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

This week, Patch will run profiles of all the candidates for council in alphabetical order, and alternating between the Democrats and the Republicans.

Profiles are presented here in the same format as the questionnaires given to the candidates. There were no further instructions, and none of the responses has been edited (beyond basic proofreading and formatting). Readers can make their own judgments on how the candidates did or didn't answer the questions.

Up next: Republican candidate Mike Locatell.

Why are you running?

I want to make sure the Moorestown that my children inherit is a place they can be proud to call their home and hopefully choose to raise their families here someday. I want to make sure Moorestown stays a place that values a sense of community, where our residents, elected officials included, bring out the best in each other instead of dividing us with an “us versus them” mentality. I believe Town Council should be fighting for lower taxes so people can afford to stay here and raise their families here and can continue to afford to retire here after the nest is empty.

What do you feel are the most pressing issues?

If elected, the number one priority for me will be to maintain the quality of our town services while keeping our taxes as low as possible. I will ensure we continue passing responsible budgets, explore ways we can make it easier to open a business in Moorestown in order to increase our tax base, and to use my real-world experience in project management and planning to implement long-term economic development plans that make sense. Lastly, as a father, I would like to make sure that our town’s various athletic facilities, parks, and open spaces are well-maintained and continue to offer places for our town’s families to play, relax, and spend time together.

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

I support the direction of this Council, and I'm proud of the time and work that my running mates have put into their roles as elected officials. They have spent many hours of personal time working with staff and their fellow Council members of both political parties, dealing with the issues facing our town to the best of their ability. I think this council has done a great job, but I believe there should be greater communication from the Township from our professionals and staff on the status of projects and the various goings-on around town.

I would also like to look into additional ways we can cut red tape and make it easier for our town's small businesses to succeed, as well as to attract new businesses into our town. I support the concept of having our next Community Development Director have as part of his or her job description a portion that will include coordination, assistance, and recruitment for our town's business districts.

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

I am very happy that Town Council passed a budget this year with a tax cut and with no negative impacts to the services provided to our town. If elected, I will seek to continue implementing fiscally responsible policies that keep our tax levy on residents as low as possible.

Town Council recently voted to move forward with reconstructing and improving our town’s water treatment facilities and to begin upgrades to water mains and other infrastructure around town - all of which is going to give Moorestown some of the cleanest water in the state of New Jersey, exceeding all set standards by the EPA and NJDEP. I would like to see this continue as a top priority moving forward.

I also believe Town Council has done a great job keeping our town’s assets in good condition, with investments in upgrading our athletic fields and facilities, completing the town’s new Library and Town Hall under budget, and moving forward with cleaning up open spaces like Strawbridge Lake.

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

I believe that as a successful small business owner for the last 20+ years with extensive experience in Zoning and Planning matters, I have a unique perspective and real-world experience to help our business districts succeed around town. This, combined with my experience on the Low and Moderate Income Housing Committee, gives me a unique skill set to help manage the changes to COAH and push for our town to meet new requirements without negatively impacting our town's municipal, school, and fire district budgets.

I also believe my professional experience gives me the ability to approach our Township’s budget with fresh eyes. I will approach every budget season with a resolve to keep our town’s services at the highest quality possible and make sure we are always getting the biggest bang for our buck. I plan on utilizing my experience in management to ensure that our Township’s various projects are completed on time and within given budgets, using proactive planning to avoid waste or cost overruns.

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

I was always of the belief that all politics are local, so I chose to get involved in the past to support those candidates who I believed would be fiscally responsible and that would have an eye for the future and would plan accordingly here in Moorestown. I have never run for office before, but I decided the time was right to step-up and serve my community in a new way.

Personal Background

My wife, Lynn, and I chose Moorestown 23 years ago as the place to start our family. We were married at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. I founded Advanced Construction Resource in 1995, a successful small business located in the heart of Lenola. Since then, our family has grown to include two amazing daughters and a wonderful son. I have served on the Moorestown Zoning Board since 2010, and am currently serving as Chairman. I also currently serve on the Burlington County Planning Board and Land Development Board. Previously, I served as Vice Chairman of the Low and Moderate Income Housing Committee and as a Member of the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee. I have spent countless hours volunteering in town, with activities including coaching flag football, street hockey, and softball, and having served as a volunteer for the building of Fullerton Park on Zelley Avenue.