In case you missed it, in todays Burlington County Times, there is an article on Kate Gibbs and Ryan Peters platform for Burlington County Freeholder.
Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2015 4:00 am | Updated: 8:15 am, Wed Aug 19, 2015.
By Kristina Scala Staff writer
MOUNT HOLLY — Republicans in the race for Burlington County Board of Freeholders kicked off their campaign Tuesday looking to add fresh faces to county government with a long list of to-dos if elected.
They started with a bold, wide range of topics to include all residents in the platform kickoff.
Kate Gibbs, 29, of Maple Shade, and Ryan Peters, 33, of Hainesport, are new to the political candidate scene as neither have run for office or hold elected posts.
Tuesday, they rolled out a two-part plan for the future of the county, covering nearly a dozen different topics, from challenging underfunded mandates to funding the county library system to bring it up to speed with modern technology.
The county GOP-endorsed candidates are looking to unseat Democratic incumbents Aimee Belgard, of Edgewater Park, and Joanne Schwartz, of Southampton. A win at the polls for Gibbs and Peters would return the county governing body to Republican hands.
“We’re a fresh perspective. We’re a fresh set of eyes,” Gibbs said after the campaign announcement at the county GOP headquarters in Mount Holly. She said the freeholders have done a great job managing the county, but there’s “always room for improvement.”
Gibbs formerly served as the county GOP committee’s executive director and is on the Rowan College at Burlington County College board of trustees.
She works in business development for engineers labor union, Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative/Operating Engineers Local 825.
Her running mate, Peters, 33, is a former Navy SEAL and served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s an associate with Philadelphia-based law firm Pepper Hamilton LLP.
They want to enter into partnerships with area businesses to create advertising revenue streams, regionalize the county jails to save taxpayer dollars, strengthen workforce development, secure funding for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and convert Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly to a VA facility for South Jersey residents.
A campaign official said the Virtua Hospital conversion is an idea floated by the two candidates. County freeholders, state lawmakers, and representatives from Virtua and the VA have not discussed the potential plan, he said.
“It hasn’t been escalated or studied in depth at this point, but it’s something that they think should be looked at,” campaign spokesman Chris Russell said.
Gibbs and Peters also want to see the county’s farmland preservation program boosted for long-term taxpayer savings.
It’s a broad list for the newcomers, but they said they are ready for the challenge.
Gibbs said they are pushing for a “grassroots effort,” knocking on doors and listening to key issues in the community. She said the GOP candidates want to “build on the positive” in the county government’s operation and continue to “invest in key priorities,” including some new initiatives.
Peters said they are focused on “affordability and economic opportunity” for all county residents. He said education, veterans, seniors, parks and recreation and health care are the “backbone” of the county.