Victoria Napolitano

Victoria Napolitano
Councilwoman of Moorestown Township, New Jersey
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2013
Preceded by	John Button, Greg Gallo, and Mike Testa
Deputy Mayor of Moorestown, New Jersey
In office January 6, 2016 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Phil Garwood
Succeeded by	Stacey Jordan
Mayor of Moorestown Township, New Jersey
In office January 6, 2015 – January 6, 2016
Deputy	Phil Garwood
Preceded by	Chris Chiacchio
Succeeded by	Phil Garwood
Councilwoman of Moorestown Township, New Jersey
In office January 7, 2013 – January 6, 2015
Personal details
Born	Victoria Lynne Spellman (1988-08-16) August 16, 1988
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Vincent S. "Vinny" Napolitano (m. 2011)
Children	1
Alma mater	Drexel University

Victoria Napolitano (born Victoria Lynne Spellman on August 16, 1988) is an American Republican politician who is currently serving as a Councilwoman of Moorestown Township, New Jersey. She began her term on the Moorestown Township Council on January 7, 2013. She made history in 2015 by becoming Moorestown's youngest Mayor ever at the age of 26, and is the youngest female to ever hold the office of Mayor statewide.^[1][2][3] In 2016, she served as the town's Deputy Mayor.

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.^[4] Napolitano is currently an Instructional Designer and Trainer with Thomson Reuters in Philadelphia, PA.^[5]

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.^[6][7]

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.^[8] The pair moved to the Lenola section of Moorestown in 2010 and currently reside in West Moorestown.^[9]

During her 2016 re-election campaign, Napolitano announced that she and her husband were expecting their first child.^[10] Her daughter, Elliot Eliza Napolitano, was born on March 26, 2017.^[11]

Town Council Election, 2012

Napolitano campaigning with her running mate, Phil Garwood, in 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.^[12] 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.^[13] Button's 2008 running mates, Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo and Councilman Mike Testa, did not seek a second term.^[14]

Two weeks later, the Moorestown Democratic Committee endorsed Democrats J. Greg Newcomer, Brian Sattinger, and Mark Hines as their 2012 Council candidates.^[15] Both Sattinger and Hines were second-time candidates for Town Council, having lost races in 2010 and 2008, respectively.^[16]

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.^[17] However, their team withdrew from the race in early September, putting the election back to a two-slate race.^[18]

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.^[9][19]

On election day, Napolitano was the top vote-getter with 5,580 votes, outpacing her Republican runningmates as well as her Democrat opponents.^[20]

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.^[21]

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.^[22][23]

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^[24][25]

At Napolitano's urging, Mayor Stacey Jordan proclaimed April as Autism Awareness Month for the first time in town history.^[26] Napolitano serves as an Autism Ambassador for Autism New Jersey.^[27]

Mayor

Mayor Napolitano addresses the crowd at a Town Hall Meeting at the Moorestown Recreation Center

Napolitano was sworn in as Moorestown's youngest Mayor on January 7, 2015, by Judge Lois F. Downey.^[2][28][29] 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.^[1][9]

Napolitano has stated that her priority as Mayor will be to work on keeping taxes low and building a stronger business climate in Moorestown^[30][31]

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.^[32][33]

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.^[34][35]

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.^[36]

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.".^[37] 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.^[38][39]

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.^[40][41]

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.^[42]

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.^[43]

Deputy Mayor and Re-Election Campaign

In keeping with recent tradition, Napolitano stepped down as Mayor after serving one year in order to allow another member of Town Council to serve. She nominated her Deputy Mayor, Phil Garwood, to be her successor, and the motion carried in a 4-0-1 vote, with the lone Democrat on Town Council abstaining. Councilwoman Stacey Jordan nominated Napolitano to serve as Deputy Mayor for 2016, and the motion carried by the same 4-0-1 vote.^[44]

Deputy Mayor Napolitano joined her colleagues in passing a tax cut for the residents of Moorestown in the 2016 municipal budget, praising the move as a real commitment to tax relief.^[45]

In March 2016, Napolitano announced she would be seeking re-election along with Mayor Phil Garwood and newcomer Mike Locatell. The candidates ran on a platform of lower taxes, business development, updating Moorestown's aging infrastructure and water facilities, protecting open space, and increasing transparency.^[46][47] Democrat incumbent Lisa Petriello ran with newcomers Kati Angelini and Amy Leis against the Republican slate. On Election Day, Napolitano was re-elected to a second term along with running mate Locatell and opponent Petriello, delivering a continued 4-1 Republican majority in spite of Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton winning the town 56%-40% against Republican Donald Trump^[48]

Moody's Investors Service issued a report in October 2016 stating that Moorestown Township was "financially healthy," with their report saying the township is doing well thanks to “strong financial management” and that the "economy and tax base of the Township are healthy overall." Napolitano praised the news, stating that the Township Council was able to invest in infrastructure and water improvements, protecting our open spaces, upgrading our various athletic facilities, and increasing business ratables while still delivering a tax decrease.^[49]

Napolitano led the charge on Town Council to continue investment into the Lenola Town Center portion of town, announcing in the Fall of 2016 that the Township would be applying for millions of dollars in grant funding from the federal government to deliver streetscaping improvements, plant new trees, install new curbing and crosswalks, and more.^[50]

On December 12, 2016, Moorestown saw its first Police Chief in decades with the swearing-in of Chief Lee Lieber by Mayor Phil Garwood. Napolitano held the Bible on which the Chief took the Oath of Office during this ceremony.^[51]

Second term

Napolitano was sworn into her second term on Town Council on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. The oath of office was administered by Burlington County Freeholder Linda Hughes.^[52] On the same night, Town Council made history by voting to appoint Moorestown's first Mayor of Hispanic descent, Manny Delgado.^[53]

In January 2017, the Moorestown Town Council announced the launch of 'Moorestown TV', on online archive of recordings of Township Council meetings and other events in the community. Napolitano, who serves as the governing body's Technology and Telecommunications Committee Liaison, lauded the move and called it a "major priority" for the elected officials on Town Council.^[54]

Napolitano, along with the other members of the Republican majority, voted in May 2017 to support a request from the Moorestown Police Department to acquire a non-weaponized military vehicle from the federal government surplus program.^[55] Police Chief Lee Lieber stated that the Police Department felt the vehicle was a necessary acquisition that could potentially save lives in natural weather events, terrorist acts at high profile sites like the Moorestown Mall or Lockheed Martin, or active shooter situations. Napolitano argued that the Moorestown Police needed to be trusted, and that "we have to prepare for the world we live in, not the one we want to live in.” ^[56] The lone Democrat on the Council, Lisa Petriello, voted no, citing concerns about symbolism of militarizing the police. This led to a public backlash and a petition by a nonpartisan group, Support Moorestown Police, urging Petriello to stand with Moorestown Police in all future votes.^[57][58]

In late June 2017, it was announced that Moorestown would be receiving $971,520.00 in grant dollars to revitalize the Lenola Town Center, a project pushed by Napolitano since she assumed office in 2013.^[59]. The project was supported by Town Council in 2016 and endorsed by Senator Diane Allen, Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio, and the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Napolitano - who led the formation of the Lenola Ad Hoc Committee and Lenola Advisory Commission with Lenola resident Jamie Boren - lauded the decision to award the grant to Moorestown, stating "It's been a long journey, but I'm ecstatic that because of the hard work of so many people, we've finally reached a point where we can turn the page on the past and begin a new chapter for Lenola.”^[60] The grant dollars will be utilized to implement a conceptual plan that proposes bike lanes, improved landscaping, new sidewalks and crosswalks, parking solutions, and improved lighting on Camden Avenue and parts of bisecting Lenola Road.^[61]

Awards and honors

In May 2013, Napolitano was named a Star Citizen in Suburban Family Magazine for her work as an Autism Ambassador.^[26]

Napolitano was named to the inaugural class of the Burlington County Times' Forty Under 40 in July 2013.^[62]

In August 2015, Napolitano was named to PolitickerNJ's "30 Under 30" for influential young people in New Jersey politics.^[63]

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.^[64]

In August 2016, Napolitano was named to Obeserver New Jersey Politics' "30 Under 30" list for political up-and-comers in New Jersey.^[65]

Napolitano was awarded the Drexel University Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her work in Moorestown Township and her commitment to bettering her community and the world.^[3]

Napolitano was featured on the cover of South Jersey Biz magazine after being named to the publication's 20 Under 40 list of young professionals who have shown dedication to building a better region and are working to move South Jersey forward.^[66]

Election history

References