Mantua is more than a place to live – it’s a place where our neighbors look out for one another, where our schools, parks and local businesses thrive, and where families can establish their roots with confidence.
Whether it’s our treasured history, strong community partnerships, the dedication of volunteers, or the steady progress of improvements, Mantua stands out because of you, our incredible residents. I want to personally thank everyone in our community who works tirelessly to make Mantua stronger, safer and better each year.
Our volunteers, our employees, our schools, our public safety and emergency services, our business owners, our residents and even those who visit the great place we call home have created an impactful and lasting difference.
We’re proud to be constantly recognized as such a desirable place to live, play and raise our families, and will continue to work assiduously in 2026 to become an even stronger, more connected, and a more vibrant community for everyone.
I want to emphasize that effective communication and transparency will always be prioritized during my tenure as your mayor. I’m excited to announce that our soon to be launched new township website will feature, Straight From The Mayor, a dedicated space on our home page to better effectuate these efforts.
About a year ago, our soccer fields at Chestnut Branch Park needed much tender love and care. To address this concern, we brought in Joe Anderson, a turf management specialist and member of the Philadelphia Phillies grounds crew. Mr. Anderson recently received a 2025 Field of Distinction Award from the Sports Field Managers Association of New Jersey for the incredible transformation of our fields by drastically improving safety, playability and appearance.
We will continue to invest in these efforts for better and more enhanced results in 2026.
The Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University opened to the public in March. We are officially on the “map” with a world-renowned fossil park and museum right here in our own backyard. In its 10 months of operation, the museum has already welcomed more than 86,000 guests. This beautiful facility was recently nominated for the title of USA Today’s best new museum.
As we forge ahead as a county-wide leader in the preservation of farmland and open space, these new commercial projects will bring balance and much needed ratables to help off-set taxpayer dollars.
We value the youth and future leaders of our community. Beginning in 2026, we will celebrate newly minted Eagle Scouts with a special recognition ceremony at our township committee meetings. We will continue providing free senior services, including the monthly dinners and barbecues, and look forward to the enhancement of community-oriented events such as the pups in the park, police Night Out, the winter festival and the deck the house holiday-decorating contest.
We have not raised municipal property taxes in the past three out of five years and had modest adjustments in the other two years, including 2025.
