Former Mayor Wants His Old Job Back

RIO GRANDE — If elected to Township Committee, former Mayor Mike Voll would consider his primary tasks to be: to stop wasteful spending of tax dollars; excellence in public safety; staying within the governor’s 2 percent cap; providing the best services with least burden on taxpayers; affordable recreation programs; helping senior citizens; and always being available to residents needs on a full time basis.
Voll, 60, grew up in Oaklyn, Camden County. He has 35 years of Public/Private sector experience at local, county and state leadership levels, in transportation, economic development/marketing, criminal justice and as mayor.
He worked as a Wildwood police officer, owner of a small business, in the state Department of Corrections and the South Jersey Transportation Authority and finally as a vice president for a local engineering firm.
Voll was certified as a public manager by Rutgers University in 1992. He has an associates degree in criminal justice from Cumberland County College and graduated from the New Jersey State Police Academy. He served in the U.S. Army.
Voll held memberships in the F.O.P. Lodge #7, Mid-Atlantic AAA Board, Cape May County Conference of Mayors, U.S. Conference of Mayors, New Jersey Conference of Mayors and Cape Issues, a local group that studies tax reduction. Voll was named “1994 Mayor of the Year” by the NJ Conference of Mayors.
Voll was initially elected to committee in 1981, defeating Republican Bruce Back. He subsequently defeated Republican challengers James Allax in 1984, Richard James in 1987, Belle Oleferuk in 1990, and Jerome Licata in 1993. He ran unopposed in 1996.
After switching to the Republican Party, he chose not to run in 1999.
Regarding his switch, Voll stated that he did it for the township that he loves.
“I ran and served as a Democrat for Middle Township Committeeman and Mayor for 18 years,” he said. “I switched to be a Republican, because I was convinced that I could get more for our community with the all Republican Freeholder Board if I were a Republican. In retrospect there were unintended consequences that hurt the residents of Middle Township as my Democratic colleagues on the Township Committee would no longer work with me.”
While in office, Voll’s administration adopted the motto: “Middle Township, a Clean, Safe, and Caring Family Community.” He lists his accomplishments in light of this motto.
Regarding a “clean” township, Voll said he worked on the following projects: sanitary sewer and water lines; water and sewer grants; protected back bays; property maintenance ordinance; environmental commission; recycling cans; clean shore program; weekly bulk trash pickup; illegal dumper bounties; bus shelters; and leaf pickup.
Regarding a “safe” township, Voll pointed to the following: doubled the police force; officers in schools; sub-stations; motorcycle patrols; juvenile officers; incorporated the rank of Corporal; full time EMTs; EMT insurance reimbursements; traffic committee; crime stoppers; improved turn arrows at state intersections; signage to divert summer traffic; safety sidewalk program; DARE; and neighborhood crime watch.
Regarding a “caring” township Voll: implemented holiday parades; Goshen Park July 4 fireworks; Bernie Parent Hockey Rink; Memory Lane Tree Planting; welcome home parades; school visits; volunteer dinners; transient mercantile license; township logo and motto; motor vehicle office to Rio Grande; expanded hospital parking lot; mobile home Rent Control Board; and spearheaded the Bi-Centennial Celebration in 1998.
Voll said he sees some problems in Middle Township’s current government and thinks he can help.
Voll claimed that taxes in Middle Township have almost doubled in last nine years, while DeLanzo has been in office. “They’re up 52 percent in the last four years,” he said.
At a luncheon meeting with the Middle Township AARP at the DeVico Senior Center, Voll noted that he thought police officer salaries were growing to large for the township to sustain. He said the township should honor the current contracts, but should consider changing the salary structure for incoming officers.
He also noted the disparity between the salaries of township employees in different departments.
“While some patrol officers are making $100,000, there are some in public works making poverty wages,” he said. “It’s not fair.”
Voll criticizes the township for paying engineering and attorney consultants for work that the “township solicitor and engineer should be doing.”
If elected, Voll said he would ensure that each position in the township would be evaluated “to see if we are getting the maximum potential out of each position.”
Voll told the Herald he is in not in favor of a mercantile license, but feels it is something the township must consider in these difficult budgetary times.
“It’s really the last thing that I’d want to do, but its an additional revenue stream used in Lower Township and Wildwood that raises significant money for those communities,” he said, noting that he would like the Middle Township Chamber of Commerce to get involved to help create a fee schedule. He also suggested that the largest chunk of fees could be paid by national big box stores to limit the impact on local small businesses.
He promotes consolidation and shared services as a way to save taxpayers money. He also said he would work to provide municipal services equally to all 16 communities within the township.
Voll said he was hoping this would be a “campaign between a gentleman and a lady.”
“Sadly, it didn’t turn out that way,” Voll said at the AARP debate.
It’ not only negative campaigns that have Voll upset. Voll has also become depressed and mad after going around town to speak with people during this campaign.
“I’m knocking on doors and one person tells me he’s sick; another one tells me her husband lost his job and can’t find a new one; another one’s house is in foreclosure,” Voll told the Herald. “It’s really upsetting.”
Voll realizes that the situation for local governments is dire. But he thinks he is the one to help Middle Township during this difficult time.
“I’m not a miracle worker, but with me the people of Middle Township will get a full-time person who really cares about this community,” he said.
Voll and his wife Susie live in Rio Grande with their dog Jimmy. They enjoy spending time with their four children and seven grandchildren.