June 4, 2005 4 Republicans vie for Glouco ballot spots
Bradford challenges party slate running for freeholder board seats
by Tim Zatzariny, Jr.
CHERRY HILL COURIER POST
Four Republicans trying to crack the all-Democrat Gloucester County Freeholder board will vie for three November ballot positions in Tuesday's primary.
The slate of Phillip "Phil" Tartaglione, Jonathan Mangel and Isabelita "Lita" Abele is challenged by Richard Bradford.
Bradford is running without his county party's endorsement on a ticket with GOP gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler. The winners of the GOP primary will face Democrat Freeholders Frank DiMarco, Stephen M. Sweeney and Warren Wallace in the November election. The Democrats are unopposed in the primary.
Tartaglione is the only GOP candidate with political experience. He ran unsuccessfully for freeholder in 1998, without his party's endorsement.
The freeholder board needs more accountability, said Tartaglione, a former Clayton councilman and current borough school board member.
"This one-party control has to change," he said. "They're spending too much money and the people are suffering because of it."
If elected, Tartaglione said he would recommend the freeholder board hire an independent auditor to review the county budget.
In Gloucester County, the freeholders oversee a $142 million budget. They serve three-year terms and are paid $16,908 annually. The freeholder director is paid $17,900 per year.
Mangel, a two-year Deptford resident, said rising property taxes are the talk of his community.
"I decided maybe somebody can change something rather than the politicians just looking out for themselves," he said of his first campaign for elected office. If elected, Mangel said he would be a proponent of a proposed light-rail line that would run through Gloucester County.
"By having something like that," he said, "we'll continue to spur economic growth."
Abele, of West Deptford, immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1981.
"This country gave me an opportunity to get to where I am today and now I would like to give something back by taking all my expertise and using it for the benefit of all Gloucester County citizens," said Abele, president of a Woodbury Heights lumber company.
Economic development would be her focus if she's elected.
"One of the responsibilities of county government is attracting industries to the area," she said.
Bradford, who's lived in Monroe for a year, said he supports Schundler's plan to reduce property taxes through constitutional amendments limiting government spending. The savings would be shared with school districts and local governments.
"I want to see people get their money's worth," he said.
Bradford said his candidacy is not meant to divide the county GOP.
"I'm here to support the party as well as Bret," he said. "I'm here to work together as a party to win in November."
