Victoria Napolitano
| Victoria Napolitano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Moorestown, New Jersey | |
|
Assumed office January 6, 2015 | |
| Deputy | Phil Garwood |
| Preceded by | Chris Chiacchio |
| Councilwoman of Moorestown Township, New Jersey | |
|
In office January 7, 2013 – January 6, 2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Victoria Lynne Spellman August 16, 1988 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Vincent "Vinny" Napolitano |
| Children | None |
| Alma mater | Drexel University |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Victoria Napolitano (born Victoria Lynne Spellman on August 16, 1988) is an American Republican politician who is currently serving as Mayor of Moorestown Township, New Jersey. She began her term on the Moorestown Township Council on January 7, 2013. She made history by becoming Moorestown's youngest Mayor ever at the age of 26, and may also be the youngest female to ever hold the office of Mayor statewide.[1][2]
Personal life
Napolitano is a graduate of Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. She then went on to Drexel University, where she earned a bachelors’ in education and minor in English, and a masters’ in teaching, learning, and curriculum in just over four years.[3] Napolitano is currently an Instructional Designer and Trainer with Thomson Reuters in Philadelphia, PA.[4]
Napolitano has been active in numerous civic organizations and activities, including MoorArts performing arts group, Historical Society of Moorestown, the Lenola Advisory Committee, the National Federation for Women Legislators, the Burlington County Young Republicans, and Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.[5][6]
She is currently married to her high school sweetheart, Vinny Napolitano, who she met in 2003 when they were both in a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.[7] The pair moved to the Lenola section of Moorestown in 2010 and currently reside in West Moorestown.[8]
Town Council Election, 2012
In 2012, a pool of "16 to 18" candidates were screened to run for Town Council by the Moorestown Republican Municipal Committee (MRMC). The committee opted against endorsing then-Mayor John Button for re-election, citing differences of opinion as well as his inability to work with Councilwoman Stacey Jordan and Councilman Chris Chiacchio.[9] Instead, the Republican Party chose to run Victoria Napolitano along with Recreation Advisory Committee Chair Phil Garwood and Pete Palko, a CEO of an environmental remediation company.[10] Button's 2008 running mates, Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo and Councilman Mike Testa, did not seek a second term.[11]
Two weeks later, the Moorestown Democratic Committee endorsed Democrats J. Greg Newcomer, Brian Sattinger, and Mark Hines as their 2012 Council candidates.[12] Both Sattinger and Hines were second-time candidates for Town Council, having lost races in 2010 and 2008, respectively.[13]
In May 2012, Mayor John Button announced that though he was not selected to run as a Republican, he would be seeking reelection as part of an Independent slate of candidates that included developer Randy Cherkas and businesswoman Elaine Goralski.[14] However, their team withdrew from the race in early September, putting the election back to a two-slate race.[15]
During the campaign, Napolitano knocked on over 5,000 doors and ran on a message centered around bringing attention to the Lenola section of Moorestown, preserving the Open Space Trust Fund, and completing the rebuild of the Town Hall Complex, which had burned down in a 2007 fire.[16][17]
On election day, Napolitano was the top vote-getter with 5,580 votes, outpacing her Republican runningmates as well as her Democrat opponents.[18]
Town Council
Napolitano was sworn in as a Councilwoman on January 7, 2013, by Congressman Jon Runyan. Napolitano's swearing-in marked the first time in the town's history that two women served together on the Town Council, and on the same night, Town Council made history by electing Stacey Jordan as Moorestown's first female Mayor.[19]
During her first two years on Town Council, Napolitano spearheaded the creation of the Lenola Advisory Commission to address the problems facing the western portion of Moorestown.[20][21]
Napolitano, along with her Council colleagues, increased communication between the Town Council and residents in Moorestown by bringing back "Residents Requests and Presentations" to Council meetings - an item eliminated in 2011 - and by holding office hours for members of the public who could not attend regularly scheduled Council meetings[22][23]
At Napolitano's urging, Mayor Stacey Jordan proclaimed April as Autism Awareness Month for the first time in town history.[24] Napolitano serves as an Autism Ambassador for Autism New Jersey.[25]
Mayor
Napolitano was sworn in as Moorestown's youngest Mayor on January 7, 2015, by Judge Lois F. Downey.[26][27][28] Though no records were kept to confirm, Napolitano may also be the youngest woman to ever be sworn in as Mayor statewide in New Jersey.[29][30]
Napolitano has stated that her priority as Mayor will be to work on keeping taxes low and building a stronger business climate in Moorestown[31][32]
In April 2015, Napolitano led the Town Council in passing ordinances that would protect municipal open space land from encroachments and to crack down on vacant or abandoned homes and properties.[33][34]
Mayor Napolitano cast the lone dissenting vote on Moorestown's 2015 municipal budget, opposing the budget's proposed tax increase. Napolitano stated that she would rather use a portion of the township's $7 million surplus to allow taxes to stay flat for residents.[35][36]
Napolitano celebrated the opening of two new volleyball courts at Jeff Young Park in the Lenola section of Moorestown in July 2015. The courts were created in a partnership between the Town Council and the non-profit organization Kennedy's Cause.[37]
Under Napolitano, Moorestown has moved to clean-up Strawbridge Lake watershed, spending $80,000 to test water quality, remove invasive vegetation such as spatterdock, and develop an ongoing management plan for the lake. Napolitano stated, "The lake has been described as the jewel in the crown of Moorestown [...] It's worth the investment.".[38] Additionally, Napolitano moved to have the Township Council designate the Sustainable Moorestown Green Team as a permanent advisory committee within the township, calling the group "a valuable asset to the community" and protecting the group from potential disbandment by future elected officials.[39][40]
Napolitano declared August 2015 as Agriculture Appreciation Month in Moorestown and spent time visiting with local farms and agribusinesses to draw attention to Moorestown's various agricultural assets. She was joined in this effort by Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher.[41][42]
Mayor Napolitano started the process of building a dog park in Moorestown along with the Burlington County Freeholders. The park would be built at Swedes Run and the project will incorporate a full renovation of the historic Swedes Run Barn.[43]
In the aftermath of the 2015 fire of The Moorestown Community House, Mayor Napolitano honored first responders and others who helped save the historic building by issuing each individual a Mayoral proclamation. Napolitano and the Town Council also moved to cancel the annual Moorestown Boards and Committees Dinner, opting instead to donate the funds allocated for that event to The Moorestown Community House's restoration efforts.[44]
Awards and Honors
In May 2013, Napolitano was named a Star Citizen in Suburban Family Magazine for her work as an Autism Ambassador.[45]
Napolitano was named to the inaugural class of the Burlington County Times' Forty Under 40 in July 2013.[46]
In August 2015, Napolitano was named to PolitickerNJ's "30 Under 30" for political up-and-comers in New Jersey.[47]
Napolitano was named to the Drexel University Forty Under Forty, an "annual compendium of Drexel’s most innovative, impressive and inspiring young alumni," in March 2016.[48]
Election history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phil Garwood | 5,467 | 17.36 | |
| Republican | Victoria Napolitano | 5,580 | 17.71 | |
| Republican | Pete Palko | 5,321 | 16.89 | |
| Democratic | J. Greg Newcomer | 5,345 | 16.97 | |
| Democratic | Brian Sattinger | 4,899 | 15.55 | |
| Democratic | Mark Hines | 4,869 | 15.46 | |