Glo. Twp.
reorganization move canceled over error
By SHRUTI MATHUR DESAI • Courier-Post Staff • January 13, 2011
GLOUCESTER TWP. — Gloucester Township has nixed its idea of moving up a planning
board reorganization from July to this month.
The proposed reorganization, which was approved Jan. 4, was canceled after a
Republican appointee to the majority Democratic board brought up legal issues
with how the board brought up and voted on the issue.
Dennis Palmer, an outgoing planning board member, said the vote was brought up
during the middle of a discussion of another issue, rather than having its own
agenda item. Palmer said it was a move by township Democrats to get another
party member on the board.
"(Mayor) Dave Mayer doesn't want watchdogs, he wants lap dogs," Palmer said.
As it is, Palmer will be able to stay the rest of his term. Council first has to
approve an ordinance and then wait 20 days before moving a reorganization, said
Mayer.
"By the time we do that, it's going to be February by the time we pass it," said
Mayer. Instead, the council will approve the change in time for the June
reorganization, so it is in place for next year's reorganization, Mayer said.
Andy Kricun, chairman of the board, said the way the vote happened was a mistake
but the need to move the reorganization is not.
"Moving to the January-to-December calendar schedule to match with the zoning
board and council is appropriate," Kricun said. "It is unfortunate that in the
attempt to enact that, the proper procedures weren't followed to proceed with
the planning board vote."
Kricun said he was not aware there was a prerequisite procedural matter and
brought it up to the board because the township asked him to do so.
In 2006, voters approved moving township elections to November, which changed
reorganization for council. That same year the zoning board moved their
reorganization to January to match the new council calendar.
Kricun said it appeared that planning board members' terms would have to be
truncated by six months if the proposed move had happened; instead, Mayer's
appointees will have their terms truncated and will start next January instead
of this June, Mayer said.
Reach Shruti Mathur Desai at (856) 317-7828 or
smathur@camden.gannett.com