STONE HARBOR –– Mayor Jamie Gillespie, 16, a sophomore at Bishop Eustace Prep School in Pennsauken, presided over Borough Council’s regular meeting Sept. 2 as Mayor Suzanne Walters sat behind him at the dais.
Mayor Gillespie’s mom, Cathy, smiled at him from a front-row seat before he called the meeting to order.
“This is great because he is getting firsthand information about government,” she said.
Gillespie, a member of Seven Mile Island Stars, a summer theater youth group, won the title of ‘Mayor for a Day’ at a silent auction fundraiser to benefit future theater projects.
The Seven Mile Island Stars have performed at the PAC Center and supply their own costumes, sets and travel expenses. Walters has shown her support for the group by offering one lucky person the opportunity to shadow her for a day in the life of the mayor of Stone Harbor.
Gillespie, of Voorhees, has summered in the borough for as long as he can remember while participating in the summer theater group. He is president of his class and is very involved in student council at his high school.
Mayor Gillespie’s day began at 11 a.m. at Borough Hall when he was introduced to the many borough officials and employees who keep the town running.
“I got to have lunch with the mayor and as we were walking around town people came up to her and brought up issues and questions on the spot,” Gillespie said.
After lunch, Gillespie had a question and answer session with the mayor during which he said he learned “everything there is to know about Stone Harbor, from what it takes to open a store on 96th Street to what qualifies a summer resident to vote in a borough election.”
Gillespie said he was most surprised to find that the borough’s population of actual residents is only about 1,000 with about 800 registered voters. Of those eligible to vote, 60 are registered as Democrats and the remaining majority are Republican.
At the end of his day, Gillespie told the Herald “maybe” he would go into a career in politics.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
