Many area municipalities and police agencies don’t allow comment on their Facebook pages and social media platforms.
In addition to our official Mantua pages – including for our police department – the following Gloucester County pages cite the “no commenting – informational purposes only” policy on their Facebook profile pages. They are Pitman and its police department, Washington Township Police Department, Wenonah, Woodbury, Woodbury Heights and Woolwich Township.
In addition, my brief research determined that there are close to 20 other official governmental agencies in our area that consistently turn off commenting.
Why is commenting disabled on Mantua Township’s official social media pages?
These platforms are intended to serve as a clear and reliable source for the dissemination of information to our community. It’s a tool used to share important mayoral updates and township announcements and notices that residents rely on to stay informed.
Since our pages are not monitored around the clock, allowing commenting would result in unanswered questions, misinformation disseminated and visible inappropriate content for extended periods. Unfortunately, some folks tend to prey on every opportunity to spread vulgarity and profanity, unleash personal attacks and spread nastiness and vitriolic content when pages are not monitored 24/7.
This is problematic and creates a potential for liability.
To avoid confusion and to ensure information remains accurate and easy to access, we have chosen to keep our social media platforms focused solely on information sharing. Our responsibility is to maintain a respectful and informative communication channel that serves all our residents.
There are also important legal and administrative considerations and we have followed our attorney’s legal guidance on this matter: turning off commenting altogether for all posts.
It’s evident that more and more municipalities are choosing a similar pathway, as they try to balance the dissemination of valuable information and at the same time protect the integrity of their social media platforms.
With that being said, we value communication with our residents and encourage anyone with questions or concerns to reach out through the official channels on our website or by way of electronic mail or phone. Our new website at www.mantuatownship.com was created with this purpose in-mind.
You can also attend our monthly meetings on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at the administration building on Main Street. Thank you for your understanding and for staying engaged with our community.
An integral role
On April 29, Deputy Mayor Lukens and I attended the Gloucester County Mayors’ Association’s monthly meeting at Merryman’s in Pitman.
The association plays an integral role in strengthening our communities by fostering collaboration and open dialogue among local leaders. Networking with fellow mayors allows us to share ideas, compare best practices and tackle common challenges with a unified approach.
Whether it’s discussing opposition to large-scale AI data centers, sharing strategies for smart and responsible development, improving public safety initiatives or enhancing quality-of-life programs, these discussions directly benefit our residents.
By learning from one another’s experiences, we’re better equipped to make informed decisions that protect our neighborhoods and benefit our respective communities. Working together across party lines, rather than in isolation, ensures that each municipality can move forward with greater insight, stronger partnerships and a shared commitment to serving our respective communities effectively.
Park events
On May 2, our beautiful Chestnut Branch Park was packed with activities regardless of the damp and dreary day, including soccer games, a car show, pups in the park and a community yard sale. Families enjoyed the new playground facility and park grounds. It was pleasing to see those taking advantage of what’s offered here in our great community.
Committeeman Jack Steen (liaison to recreation) and I were there to support our wonderful volunteers on the recreation committee who organized the pups in the park and the yard sale, including recreation co-chair Regina DeWitt, co-chair Kathy Shryock, Deputy Clerk Pam LeVine, Linda Buck, Rich Gerber, Renee Nuss and Mary Beth Ehrich-Rosauer.
