Four candidates, including an incumbent and a former councilman, will vie for two council-at-large seats on the Delran Township Council in the election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. They are Democrats Lynn Jeney, an incumbent, and Tom Morrow; and Republican candidates, Cassandra R. Smith and William J. Spych.
Name: Lynn R. Jeney
Age: 71
How many years have you lived in Delran Township? 46
Family: Married with grown daughter
School and degree: The College of New Jersey, 1976. Bachelor’s in business administration/marketing
Profession: Retired from ADT Security, 20 years, and 10 years at Weichert Realtors. Currently serving first term as councilman at large.
Community involvement: Delran board of education, 16 years, six as president; Delran Business Association, past member, board of directors, treasurer, four years; township zoning board, five years, three as chair; Delran Green Team liaison; veteran liason for vet resources and recognition.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I want to be reelected based on the successes our council and mayor have achieved. No municipal tax increase for five years, more road improvements than any council, financial responsibility and efficient spending, township parks improvements, improved website, livestreaming of public meetings; expanded town hall sessions; and focus on resident needs.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? I would continue to be responsive to resident needs, help control spending, work with our Green Team and veterans and promote resident- focused activities. I will continue to serve all members of our community, as I have for over 28 years.
Name: Tom Morrow
Age: 62
How many years have you lived in Delran Township? 21
Family: Married, four grown sons
School and degree: Riverside High School.
Profession: Simon and Schuster
Is this the first time you’ve run? If not, how many years/terms have you served? This is my third time running for office, having previously served on council from 2008 to 2013 and on the planning board from 2008 to 2019.
What is your involvement in the community? Raised in Riverside, I moved to Delran with my wife, a lifelong resident, and our children, and have called Delran home for the past 21 years. My family and extended family have been part of the River Towns area, especially the Riverside Park area, for generations. Many years ago, when a developer bought the wooded land behind our Pancoast home, I organized with my neighbors to create the Save our Neighborhood Resident Committee and prevented that development from happening. While previously on council, I worked to save the land from a major housing development, now Delran Community Park. I also worked with residents to establish a feral cat program and obtained money from PetSmart.
Why are you running for an elected seat? As my children and grandchildren continue to grow, it feels more important to me than ever that Delran continues to be the same great place to live and raise a family that it was when Kathy and I came to call it home 21 years ago. I think it’s incredibly important that the people who continue working to secure Delran’s future know and love this town and the people in it as much as I do.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? I have always been passionate about protecting Delran from redevelopment, and I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor and council to keep improving services and outreach as we maintain tax stability.
Name: Cassandra Rose Smith
Age: 37
How many years have you lived in Delran Township? 20-plus
Family: Unmarried, no children
School and degree: I graduated from Delran Middle and Delran High School. I attended Rizzieri Aveda School in Voorhees. I graduated with a license in skin care, but shortly after, found my calling in education working with children with developmental disabilities. I am currently working on a plan to further my education with a degree in occupational therapy. I recently started with a company that provides in-home developmental coaching for children and young adults with developmental disabilities.
Is this the first time you’ve run? This is my first time running for any elected office. Regardless of the outcome, I plan on continuing a career in local politics. I would like to involve myself more in the community and have been doing so by attending town council meetings, participating in cleanups, supporting the police and fire departments, and attending local sporting and township events.
Why are you running for an elected seat? I am running for an elected seat because I want to provide a voice for the town’s people, to help better inform them on what is going on in our community and to let them know they have a say in the decisions being made that may impact them. Delran is a wonderful town, one that I grew up in, graduated from (Go Bears!) and am proud to have called my home for over 20 years. Growing up here, I’ve always felt a strong sense of community, and I wanted to step up and do my part in ensuring that Delran remains a great place to not only live in, but raise a family in and prosper.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? My main area of concentration would be to provide transparency and openness in our local government. I believe that transparency is not just about sharing information, but creating meaningful dialogue. To work hard for the betterment of residents, no matter what affiliation. I believe that everyone should be included in the decisions of our community. I plan to hold open house meetings to give people a chance to be heard. It will also create that chance for people to connect and get to know one another. I want to bring everyone in our community together, and to ensure that every voice is heard and valued.
Name: William J. Spych
Why are you running for an elected seat? My purpose in participating is to bring more transparency, accountability and balance to local government in the community that I reside.
What is one area you would like to concentrate on if elected? My area of concern is fiscal responsibility, which appears to be lacking, due in part to poor planning and complacency by the current administration. This, coupled with the longevity in office of over 14 years by one political party, has contributed to the current elected officials’ inability to address a variety of relevant issues and whose lack of responsibility to the very constituents that they serve has become self-evident. A more pragmatic approach is needed in reference to the monies currently underway that will impact the quality-of-life issues to the residents of this community and this municipality’s ability to remain solvent.
