By Jack Killion, Mayor of Pennsauken Township

Since 2000, I’ve had the distinct privilege of serving the Pennsauken community as a member of Township Committee. In that time, I’ve served as deputy mayor for six years and as mayor for seven years. To be honest, I’m not quite sure where all the time has gone. What I do know is that it is time to make a change.

Next month, I’ll be retiring from my position as the coordinator of buildings and grounds with the Pennsauken School District, where I’ve worked for 26 and a half years. And because of the pension reforms put into place during the Christie administration, this means that I will not be able to serve on Township Committee in any capacity. So on July 1, 2019, as much as it pains me to do so, I will be officially stepping down as mayor of the great town of Pennsauken.

This was not something that I wanted to do. I still have a very strong desire to serve this community as a public servant. But the rules are the rules; and they apply to everyone, even the mayor.

Serving on Township Committee has been one of the great honors of my life. When I first moved to Pennsauken in 1979, I had no aspirations at all of playing a role in local government. But life provides you with some amazing opportunities when you’re not expecting them; and serving this community certainly fits into that category.

During my time on Committee, we’ve done a lot of great things to help this town grow and thrive. We’ve seen business come into Pennsauken and invest millions of dollars into our community, creating jobs. We’ve held some wonderful events to bring our neighbors together. I’ve officiated countless weddings throughout the years, helping couples both young and old celebrate the love they have for each other. I’ve also been there when we couldn’t provide the help residents were looking for and we had to get tough on businesses that weren’t following the rules. I’ve been hugged and kissed on the cheek; I’ve also been yelled at and called every name in the book. Just a day in the life when it comes to holding public office.

I would like to thank all those whom I’ve worked with on Township Committee through the years. I’m glad to be able to call you colleagues and friends. I thank the many employees of our Township: our first repsonders, public works crew, and administrative staff. You are the ones helping this town run as smoothly as possible.

Finally, I would like to thank the wonderful people of Pennsauken for allowing me to serve them for almost 20 years. One thing that’s always impressed me about our residents: whenever there’s a tragedy or a need, neighbors come together in a big way. They support their community by lending a helping hand. Whether it’s attending a fundraiser, collecting food donations, or participating in a blood drive, Pennsauken steps up.

The Pennsauken community’s ongoing faith and support in my role as a public servant has been overwhelming. You’ve been there on a personal level as well, particularly during the hard times; and there have been some difficult ones as of late. As a father, one of the hardest things to do is to watch your children make mistakes, particularly when they’re extremely serious, and deal with the consequences of those actions. The only thing you can do is just be present; to let them know that you love them, no matter what. In the past few weeks, my family has been lucky enough to have people in this town come up to us and share a word of support or a kind gesture. We will not forget that.

So in closing, while my time as a member of Pennsauken’s Township Committee is coming to a close, this is not goodbye. Pennsauken is my home. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to raise a family here and have a pretty successful career in our town. I look forward to seeing what the next chapter of my life brings.