By Rick Taylor, Mayor of Pennsauken Township

As we begin a brand new year in Pennsauken, I would like to thank our community for allowing me to once again serve as your mayor. This is my ninth time as mayor of Pennsauken, and each time, it is my distinct privilege to serve our residents.

Last year, we saw some great things happen in our town. Jack Killion and Betsy McBride, who served as mayor and deputy mayor last year, got a lot of things started: from the Clean and Green Rt. 130 initiative, to the new ordinance that gets tough on abandoned properties. And much like a relay race, the baton has been passed to John Figueroa and myself. We, as well as the rest of Township Committee, look forward to building upon what has been accomplished and making an even bigger, more positive impact on our community.

A theme from this year’s reorganization meeting was working together. There’s not just one thing that we can attribute to the Pennsauken’s continued growth. It’s local government, businesses, our schools, and our residents that work together to make that happen.

This partnership is so important, Township Committee decided to highlight it in a unique way. There’s a new billboard design that bookends Rt. 130; you’ll see it when you come from Cinnaminson into Pennsauken and again when you head around the old “Airport Circle.” On the billboard, you’ll find a web link: PennsaukenWorkingTogether.com. There, you’ll find some interesting facts about all aspects of life and work in town. Facts such as:

• Within the next four years, businesses in town are looking to create over 500 new jobs right here in Pennsauken
• Members of Pennsauken High School’s graduating class of 2014 received over 190 awards and scholarships
• Pennsauken’s Township Committee is getting and staying tough on owners of vacant properties in order to remove these blights from our community

There’s also a call to action for our residents to get more involved in this very important partnership. Without the cooperation of our residents and business owners, Pennsauken Township would not be the place it is today. It doesn’t take a lot to make an impact; you just need to want to make your home a better place to work and live. And who wouldn’t want to do that?

So, in closing, I encourage our residents, our business owners, and our educators to join with our municipal government to start off 2015 with a renewed commitment to making Pennsauken Township grow in new and positive ways. When we work together, we can truly make a difference.