At the Board of Chosen Freeholders’ Annual Organization Meeting Jean Stanfield was sworn in as sheriff, Mary Ann O’Brien as surrogate and Latham Tiver as freeholder. Freeholder Bruce Garganio was unanimously selected to serve as the board’s director for 2017. Kate Gibbs will serve as deputy-director.
As the elected Freeholder Director, Bruce Garganio delivered a State of the County address that highlighted the importance of cutting property taxes, improving services, eliminating student debt and putting residents to work in good paying jobs.
“This Board has a tradition of results. We have cut county property taxes more than any other Freeholder Board in the State. Our single stream recycling program is the largest shared service New Jersey has ever seen, and last year saved local taxpayers more than 3.4 million dollars. We have become a national leader in preservation of farmland and open space. Our Joint Base has been defended and our county college is leading the way for how communities best educate our workforce,” said Garganio.
Garganio pointed to the County’s pledge to cut property taxes again in 2017.
“In 2017 we will once again cut county property taxes. This gets harder to do every year, but it is just as important today as it was when we started. All of you and all of our residents deserve to keep more of your hard-earned dollars because government should work for you, not the other way around,” stated Garganio.
“But the truth is that we only control a very small portion of your tax bill. So if we are going to have a real impact on the lives of our residents we have to think bigger. The burden of student debt and lack of good paying jobs touches every community in our country. Here in Burlington County we can chip away at that burden and chart a new path forward,” added Garganio.
Garganio went on to praise the County’s creation of its innovative specialized training programs for workers and announced plans for more programs for 2017.
“We have also begun to link the skills that we are teaching to the jobs available here in Burlington County. This makes it easier for students to find work, and for businesses to find skilled employees. In 2017, dozens of local students and adults will participate in our new Advanced Manufacturing Program. Those who graduate will jump to the front of the line for good paying jobs in a fast-growing industry,” added Garganio. “Together we can and will create more of these opportunities for our residents as a skilled workforce will draw more businesses to our County and create more jobs.”
“That is why tonight I am directing our economic and academic partners to begin crafting agreements with targeted businesses for custom courses and training. If we design what we teach around what is needed in the real world, our students will be better prepared and Burlington County will become a magnet for the good-paying jobs of tomorrow. Before the first quarter of 2017 is through, we will be announcing more than a dozen of these innovative public-private agreements,” said Garganio.
“In the weeks and months ahead I will be meeting with mayors and residents across this County to discuss their visions for our future. I look forward to bold action and innovative ideas as we work to build a thriving County for all of our residents, revitalizing downtown areas, strengthening communities, and putting people back to work,” concluded Garganio.
As Director, Garganio is responsible for assigning Freeholders as liaison to individual departments. He placed himself as Director of Administration and Solid Waste; Kate Gibbs will oversee Public Works and Health; Linda Hughes was named liaison to Education, Economic Development, and Human Services; Ryan Peters will serve as liaison to Public Safety and the Prosecutor and Latham Tiver was appointed as liaison to Elections and Corrections.
