Moorestown Councilman Resigns

UPDATED, March 28, 2017: Former Moorestown Councilman Greg Newcomer is in good health, and is active in business and with his family.

"I am grateful for all the blessings of many people who helped along the way," Newcomer said.

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ORIGINAL: After 30 years of service to the township he loves, Greg Newcomer resigned from Moorestown Council Monday night.

Citing health reasons, Newcomer announced his resignation “effective immediately,” during Monday night’s council meeting.

Following his announcement, made during the council member reports section of the meeting, Newcomer stood up and left the dais. A five-minute recess followed in which members of council, township officials and members of the community gave him a hug and tearfully said their farewells.

“I want to make sure I do the best thing for myself and make sure everyone here can do the best thing for the town,” Newcomer, 63, said.

Newcomer received a kidney transplant earlier this year. On Monday night, he said his recovery was taking longer than he expected. He said he made the decision to resign this week.

“This was a pretty tough decision,” his wife, Nancy, said. “He loves public service. He’s spent 30 years in public service.”

Newcomer was elected to council in 2012, but that’s hardly when his service to Moorestown began.

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.

In his private life, he said he is currently a co-owner of a lighting company.

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

“He’s a tremendous person,” Councilwoman Stacey Jordan said. “We didn’t always agree, but we were always civil. He was never political. He did everything for the good of the town, and we’re going to miss him. This town is what it is in large part because of what he’s done.”

“He cares very deeply about Moorestown,” Mayor Victoria Napolitano said. “We lost an important contributor, but as involved as Greg was, there’s no way he’s going to step too far back.”

“This was not an easy thing for him to do, but it’s the right thing for him to put his health first,” Moorestown Democratic Party Chairman Robert Gorman said.

It will now be up to the Democratic Party to submit three nominees to council, which would then either pick one of those people to finish Newcomer’s unexpired term or reject all the names.

Should council choose that second course of action, the Democratic Party would then choose from its nominees.

The person who ultimately assumes the seat would fill the unexpired term. The seat is up for election next November.

Gorman said the party would likely decide on its three nominees within the next week.

“I want the next person to know we’ve done a lot of good things for this town,” Newcomer said. “We worked together to make Moorestown a better town.

“I hope the next person has what’s best for Moorestown in their heart.”

The attached image of Greg Newcomer and Chris Spirgel was previously provided. Spirgel donated her kidney when Newcomer was in need of one earlier this year.