Author: eliu

Mayor David Fleisher addressed drone sightings, the township’s first winter fest and an increase in the municipal tax rate during his remarks at the Dec. 9 council meeting.

Council passed on second reading an ordinance to increase the municipal tax rate for the 2025 budget by 3.5%; for the average tax-assessed home of $227,000 that means an increase of $34 per quarter or $136 per year. Fleisher said the tax hike is the result of a $871,000 cut in state aid, as well as increased costs for tax appeals and health care, pensions, trash and recycling collection and disposal.

“This budget invests in our parks, trails, recreation activities and historic sites and open spaces,” he explained, “focusing first on neighborhood parks in Kingston, Sandrngham and Brookfield, as we plan for park upgrades in Erlton South, Barclay, Still Park and other neighborhoods.

“We are committed to a long-term plan that focuses on community needs and recognizes the importance of accessibility for all.”

Fleisher also emphasized that the budget will help with other issues, including investment in the community through a “robust improvement program to upgrade and repair more than 60 roads throughout the township.”

Fleisher broke down the tax increase for residents by noting that municipal taxes make up 12% of the overall tax bill for Cherry Hill residents, and fund local government services, from police to leaf removal. The bulk of the tax bill, 58%, funds the schools, and the board of commissioners tax makes up 21% of the bill to pay for county services.

During his remarks, Fleisher also addressed the recent and mysterious drone sightings in the state.

“Reports in our town have been minimal,” he assured, “but we are aware of the incidents that are occurring in the region and our police department continues to monitor any activities. The government as a whole continues to be in contact with the state police and other entities as well.”

In other news:

• The mayor and council lauded Police Chief Robert Kempf ahead of his retirement at the end of the month after a 26-year career with township police.
• Council also celebrated the success of Cherry Hill’s first winter fest on Dec. 8. The event featured craft vendors, ice sculptors and entertainment at Croft Farms.

Intergenerational programming by Cherry Hill Super Seniors continued this year with the group’s annual holiday luncheon on Dec. 4 at the Carman Tilelli Community Center.

The seniors invited the string ensemble from Creative Arts High School in Camden to perform at the event, where it played a variety of holiday music, and students intermingled with group members. About 20 of them ate with the seniors and the luncheon also included a voluntary gift exchange.

Though the lunch happens annually, the Super Seniors group has focused on creating more intergenerational opportunities since it partnered with students from Cherry Hill West’s National Honor Society for a hoedown last year.

Super Seniors president Patricia Kenny noted that since that time, the Super Seniors have seen “Rocky: The Musical” at West and other performances there and at Cherry Hill East.

Township resident Jeanine Brooks has been attending the group’s events for four years.

“It’s nice interacting with the children, because we don’t see the kids,” she noted. “We don’t have any young children living in our area, so that’s the only way we get to interact with them.”

Brooks is looking forward to the next performance by Cherry Hill students happening on Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Cherry Hill Public Library.

For students, the luncheon was an opportunity to learn valuable lessons from people with more life experiences. Creative Arts High student Virge Phillips Jr. plays the viola with the school’s ensemble.

“I feel like it’s important (to connect with people from a different generation),” he explained. “It brings perspective into what I know because I’m the more recent generation, but there’s a lot of stuff in the past that I don’t now about or that I didn’t get to experience or go through.

“So it’s just these kinds of events that help us connect with these types of people and kind of bring insight into what it used to be like, how things really changed and evolved to where it is now,” he added.

When string ensemble director Patricio Acevedo got the invitation to perform for the Super Seniors, he was ecstatic.

“They’re very talented students, dedicated, great human beings,” he observed, “so every opportunity that I have for them to share their music, their work, what they do, how they behave, how they manage – it’s a great opportunity.”