This past Tuesday, the League of Women Voters hosted a debate between Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio & Mary Ann O’Brien and their tax raising opponents Tom Pullion & Mike Schmidt. Bruce and Mary Ann directly discussed the issues that are affecting our residents here in Burlington County.
Some of the main issues that Bruce and Mary Ann discussed were:
Keeping Burlington County Affordable. They stated that they would launch an Online Shared Services Clearinghouse they will enable local towns and schools to better identify cost-saving and tax-saving initiatives. In addition they would aggressively pursue an energy aggregation program that produces real savings to ratepayers and businesses.
Stimulating Economic Growth & Creating Jobs. The centerpiece to their plan for economic growth and job creation is a unique Workforce Development Initiative. Since it’s unveiling in January, this bold new program has been a top priority as the Freeholder’s seek to better align the job training and education of today with the business needs of tomorrow. Through his professional experience working in a trade union, Garganio has seen firsthand the importance of high quality job training and job placement services.
Expanding Pro-Family Programs. This includes more opportunities for women, which will entail creating a mentoring program specifically to assist college-aged women preparing to enter the workforce or start new businesses. Expanding Burlington County’s senior citizen outreach via the County’s Nutrition Program which serves 153,500 hot meals per year, many through the County’s “Meals on Wheels” program which aids homebound seniors, and through four popular nutrition sites.
Outreach to the Community. Continuing to increase the outreach to minority communities by creating an Office of Outreach and Cultural Affairs to build stronger communities and improve communication with residents. Bruce and Mary Ann pledged to ensure that this office focus on making the community more aware of county programs and services, including job training and educational opportunities.
Protecting Public Health and the Environment. Bruce and Mary Ann pledged to work with the newly-expanded library headquarters in Westampton, and the County parks system to initiate more “Health Starts Here” programs geared to childcare, fitness, and other low-cost, low-impact activities for families with children, and for seniors. During her tenure, O’Brien initiated a one-of-a-kind “Sunday Sneakers” program that encouraged residents of all ages to explore the County parks and its many trails on foot.
Protecting the Joint Base & Honoring Our Veterans. Bruce and Mary Ann will work closely with our towns, and with neighboring Ocean County, to ensure that the base is not an arbitrary victim of BRAC downsizing or elimination. In addition, they have called for the establishment of a Veterans Administration Medical Center on the base, thus sparing all our veterans the burden of traveling long distances for treatment.
Bruce and Mary Ann would again like to thank the League of Women Voters and Burlington County College for hosting the debate. Lastly, if you have any questions about any of our candidates, please do not hesitate to contact us via:
Email: burlcogop@gmail.com
Phone: 609-267-3432
Facebook: facebook.com/burlingtoncountyrepublicancommittee
Twitter: @burlcogop
26 Days to Victory!
Josh Foote
Campaign Manager