Only two weeks on the job and new Township Manager Scott Carew is already suggesting new shared service ideas to save Moorestown money. Mayor John Button swore Carew into his new position officially last week. His family participated in the ceremony, with his wife holding a bible for him while he was installed into his new position.
Carew’s first meeting was hardly just an introductory function for the past Eastampton Township Manager. Carew jumped into his new position and suggested that the township put off approving a bond ordinance for $1.5 million for preliminary design and planning work for the municipal complex project. Carew lobbied the township council to wait until next meeting so he could get in touch with representatives from Maple Shade and two other municipalities to discuss the idea of sharing a court system..
Moorestown and Maple Shade currently share court space. Carew said there are two options for a share court system, with one municipality taking control and using their own staff as the lead agency for the court. Moorestown is obviously looking to be the lead agency for this shared service, he said, with a new courtroom being included in the construction of the new municipal complex.
Carew said that all four municipalities could hold court sessions for all four towns as once or each municipality could have a certain number of days out of the month for their own personal court sessions.
“We need to see if this could possibly provide revenue for Moorestown Township and cost savings for the other municipalities,” he said. “If not, we obviously won’t go forward.”
Gov. Chris Christie has stressed that municipalities look at all possible shared services across the board, Carew said, so this could be a big cost saving initiative for Moorestown.
“We really only have one shot at this. We can’t go back and change much once the project is finished,” Carew said.
The council agreed with the new manager and put off the ordinance until the next township meeting on Monday, Nov. 28.
In other township news:
The township will continue to look at bids for athletic field improvements and the possibility of installing turf fields on several playing surfaces, Carew said.
Mayor John Button said a workshop will have to be called for the council to decide whether or not to do all three proposed athletic fields at once, or to take them as separate projects.
The Moorestown Fire District №1 and №2 both approved salaries for their employees for the next year from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2012, and have kept them flat from the previous year.
Council Member Mike Testa lauded the district for keeping its salaries flat during this tough economic period.
“I commend the district for its decision,” Testa said.
