Business View Civil and Municipal | May/June 2022

61 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 EAST GREENWI CH TOWNSHI P , NEW JERSEY Deputy Mayor, James Philbin, grew up in Camden County, New Jersey and admits he was charmed by everything East Greenwich had to offer. What really stood out for him was that, even though it’s a rural community, it’s still close to so much. He notes, “It’s a hidden gem of Gloucester County. With its proximity to Interstate 295 (I-295), you can be in Philadelphia in 20 minutes. We’re also one of the fastest growing communities in both Gloucester County and the state. A decade ago, we had 2,000 homes and now we’re closer to 4,000.” Along the way, the town has maintained its agricultural roots keeping its farms and overall quiet atmosphere. Philbin believes most people look for the same key factors in a new community – good schools, safety, low taxes, and local events. He adds, “I found these things in East Greenwich Township. Now I can further enhance these elements for others.” Success hasn’t come easy; it’s taken hard work and determination. Current Mayor, Dale Archer, and his team took over the administration duties in January 2014 with less than $15,000 in the bank. Unfortunately, the previous administration miscalculated the community’s rapid growth and stretched themselves too thin. Mayor Archer and his new team devised a five-year plan to get the town back on track. “We were strict with our budget, reducing and slashing costs across the board. Fast forward to today, we’re very fortunate,” he details. “We run the township like a business, and this is our seventh year running with a zero percent municipal tax increase. We have the second lowest municipal tax in the county and increased our surplus to exceed $2.5 million dollars. We’ve also reduced our overall debt from $20 million dollars to $13 million dollars, and within eight years we’ll be debt free. We’re proud to show how government can work for the people.” Achieving that level of financial stability is often what large companies and developers look for when considering investment in a certain area. Even though East Greenwich is practically built Deputy Mayor, James Philbin