The Camden County board of Commissioners held a regularly scheduled town hall meeting on Feb. 23, the first in-person event hosted by the county since 2020.
Commissioner Director Lou Cappelli Jr., Congressman Donald Norcross, Pennsauken Mayor Jessica Rafeh and New Jersey state Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez hosted the event at the Pennsauken Country Club.
The town hall covered a handful of topics, including jobs, climate, taxes and public works issues. For the first time in 2022, COVID was not the main topic of discussion.
Cappelli began the event with a brief moment of silence for Pennsauken resident Sonny DiSabato, who passed away shortly before the town hall began. DiSabato was the Pennsauken senior coordinator as well as president of the Camden County Municipal Coordinators on Aging Association.
The overall mood of the town hall was lighter than at previous meetings. Norcross and Cappelli shared an embrace at the podium before the congressman addressed the crowd and introduced the “Hometown Hero” for the night.
“It’s really so great to see everyone, to just see people again,” he said. “It’s been such a long two years. One of the things I missed most was being able to honor a local veteran. So before we begin things tonight, please welcome U.S. Army Veteran Robert Ralph MacMurray to the podium.”
MacMurray was drafted into the Army in February 1966 and served active duty in the 3rd Armor Infantry Division in Freiburg, Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1972 after completing two years in the reserves. Back home, MacMurray joined the Department of the Navy, where he served for 33 years before retiring in 2009.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” MacMurray told the town hall audience. “I thank all American Legion members here tonight and all of their wives. I don’t know why I got this award; I’m just a kid from Philly … and here I am today.”
The town hall hosts then took questions from community members. Norcross was asked about his plans for New Jersey’s future sustainable-energy deals. Another questioner was concerned about children’s safety as it relates to the excess gasses New Jersey produces.
“We need to have multiple energy sources,” Norcross responded. “We cannot put all of our eggs in one basket; it’s going to take time and it’s going to take investment … We have different types of renewable energy: It’s incredibly important.
“The money that I talked about that has already been allocated, is not only good for the climate, or for the country, but it’s good for jobs. [We’re creating] Jobs that allow people to take care of their families and pay their bills.”
Attendees were invited to stick around for a government services job fair. The board of commissioners will hold its next meeting on March 14.
