Welcome to our second feature of Hot Topics, Cool Mayors.  The feedback we received from our first piece, featuring Burlington City Mayor Darlene Scocca and Eatontown Borough Mayor Gerry Tarantolo was great!   Thanks again to both mayors for taking the time to be interviewed.  So, what exactly is a “hot topic”?  Well, we’ve concluded that a “hot topic” is any topic of current interest (interest being the operative word!).  If you have a “hot topic” that you’d like us to discuss with our next two “cool mayors” please email me your ideas at amy@capitolconcepts.com.  Thank you to BettyAnn Cowling-Carson of Magnolia Borough and Brian Gallagher of Somerville Borough for participating in this piece, sharing your thoughts and experiences with our readers, and for being part of that glue that bonds New Jersey communities!

Name:   BettyAnn Cowling-Carson                       

Municipality:  Magnolia Borough

Years in office: 16 years as the proud mayor and 9 years on council

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Name:  Brian Gallagher

Municipality:  Somerville Borough

Years in office: 3 1/2

Political Affiliation:   Republican

 

Osborn: Who is your favorite mayor on the other side of the aisle and why?

Cowling-Carson: Mayor David Thatcher from the Borough of Laurel Springs.  David and I work very well together.  He is honest and a well-respected mayor within the Camden County Mayors’ Association.

Gallagher:  Angelo Corradino of Manville.  He’s a regular guy who puts in a lot of time and energy into his municipality and politics comes second with him.

Osborn:  If the 2008 Presidential Race were like the Super Bowl, what two candidates do you think would make it an exciting game to watch and why?

Cowling-Carson: I would like to see Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rudolph Giuliani go against each other in the 2008 presidential race.  I just think that since they’re both from New York and they have opposite opinions, it could make a very interesting debate between both of them.

Gallagher:  It has to be Rudy vs. Hillary.  Rudy has the strong, proven running game with a great offensive line and a defense that could stop a tank!  He is the “take charge” quarterback who knows where the end zone is and will drive to the goal without wavering.  Hillary has…well…a nice uniform and she can throw the ball when she gets in trouble!

Osborn:  What challenges are unique to your community?

Cowling-Carson: Magnolia is very service oriented with summer recreational activities for our young and old, social events throughout the year, personalized services, etc. for our residents.  With the financial crisis all municipalities are facing with their budgets, I find the real challenge to be the cutting back of our budget in order to try to hold the local taxes down and at the same time not affect the specialized services the residents have grown accustomed to in Magnolia.

Gallagher: Somerville is an older borough and most of our land is already developed.  We are the seat of Somerset County and have over 1/3 of Somerville’s ratable property tax exempt, giving us the highest tax rate in the county and forcing our residents to shoulder this responsibility.

Osborn: To date, what has been your greatest achievement as Mayor? 

Cowling-Carson: Maintaining a high level of community pride and spirit as well as constructing a new community center of over 11,000 square feet of space for all ages to utilize.

Gallagher:  Good communication between government and our citizens, as well as communication at the council table.  For our citizens, we are completely transparent.  We have helped to develop a local education and government television channel which broadcasts our Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board, Parking & Traffic meetings, as well as various community events.  We use our website as a portal of information including posting major redevelopment agreements online before council votes on them.  Additionally we have begun a Somerville “E-Connect” bi-weekly email information update sent to those who request it.

Osborn: Thomas Jefferson said that “information is the currency of democracy”.  What steps should be taken to help make government more open to the people while protecting people’s privacy?

Cowling-Carson:  To continue to educate the residents about all functions of the government.  With the use of our local newsletter and website we make available a large number of items that inform as well as assist residents in services available, as well as detail the workings of our local government.

Gallagher:  Access to information on government discussion and action is critical…make it public before people ask for it and there are few issues.  Post it on website, hold as many public meetings as you can, encourage the public to participate.  Most folks feel that most government business is done behind closed doors and it’s up to mayors to change that perception.  A diligent clerk will know what private information should remain that way, and for sound reason…everything else, open it up!

Osborn: What youth programs or activities do you have in your municipality that occupies their free time in an educational or productive manor?

Cowling-Carson:  With our new community center opening soon we will host open gym/center nights where the youth will be guided and helped in an array of activities.  Some of the activities will be sports oriented and held outside on the field space and others inside the gym area.  Other activities include a homework club to help them with their class work at school, intergenerational time with residents who are senior to the youth, as well as social time to just relax and mingle with other youth in the open areas and lounge.

Gallagher:  As the father of five children I know the importance of keeping kids busy!  Somerville has the best in private and public schools, with after school competitive athletic, educational and intramural programs reaching over 90% participation, plus a morning “walking” school bus hosted by community leaders. We have a Recreation Commission providing year round activities across the spectrum including bike repair clinics, hiking expeditions, athletics, art, environmental programs,

travel, health and everything in between.  We have very active Scout troops for boys and girls, baseball and football leagues, and a wonderful bike path in our parklands along Peter’s Brook which runs through the center of our Borough.  There’s always an activity for kids of all ages to enjoy!

Osborn: What steps, if any, has your community taken towards preserving open space and how have those steps impacted your vision for your community?

Cowling-Carson:  Long before the incorporation of Magnolia in 1915, and at the turn of the century, the founding father set aside our most prominent open space, Albertson Park.  This park consists of seven acres and has lovely old shade trees.  Over the decades, we have added a gazebo, a pavilion, basketball courts, a walking trail, and recreational equipment.  The area is in the vicinity of the borough offices and is used regularly by our residents and visitors from other towns.  I perform many wedding ceremonies in the park gazebo, as well.

Gallagher:  Our largest redevelopment effort, the old Borough landfill, has about 40 acres planned to remain green, which is about 40% of the entire site. Both active and passive recreation are slated for these areas which will then tie into our Peter's Brook Greenway. The Greenway is comprised of a hiking/biking trail alongside a brook which runs from one end of the Borough to the other, and ties many of our parks, athletic fields and recreation opportunities together into a very walkable, pedestrian oriented community.

Osborn: What is the value of your NJCM membership to your community?

Cowling-Carson:  The New Jersey Conference of Mayors has enabled me to network and brainstorm with other mayors across the State.  Thanks to NJCM, I can bring the best resources back to the Borough of Magnolia.

Gallagher:  Information and contacts!  NJCM understands the roles and responsibilities of mayors as separate from the councils with whom we work and that is very important.  On behalf of our communities we are provided access to public and private entity decision makers that we otherwise may not have, and when necessary, NJCM permits all of us to speak with a unified voice.

To learn more about these two communities please visit their websites at  www.magnolia.nj.org and www.somervillenj.org.