​The Pitman Democrats proudly endorse the following individuals for Democratic County Committee.  Democratic voters elect members to the Gloucester County Democratic Committee every two years.  One male and one female are elected from each of Pitman’s seven (7) electoral districts.  Please write-in the male AND female candidate for your district.  Your voting district number will be listed on the yellow card in the envelope above your name.  If you have a question about what district you are in, please send me an email at vanessa21james@gmail.com
 
District 1
Vanessa James
Justin Burns
 
District 2
Amy E. Rudley
James Naphas
 
District 3
Debra J. Higbee
Bruce Higbee
 
District 4
Judith Walker
Jeffrey Krachun
 
District 5
Laura Natali-Blass
Paul Blass
 
District 6
Jacquelyn Tiger-Williams
Joseph S. Ward
 
District 7
Marcia Geyer
Michael Shaw

Dear Fellow Pitman Democrat:
 
These last months have been a challenging period in the history of our nation, state, and town. However, seeing Pitman come together in support of our neighbors, businesses, and friends has been nothing short of remarkable.
 
It is has become clear over the last several months how critically important our government – at all levels – is to our daily lives.  To that end, we want to ensure that you, as citizens, continue to have a say in how our government functions by exercising your right to vote.
 
As you may already know, the primary election this year has been pushed back to Tuesday, July 7, 2020. In this election, you will have an opportunity to cast your votes for Councilman Matthew Weng and Councilman Adam Mazzola along with our Pitman representatives for Democratic County Committee.  It may seem odd that we are asking you to vote when our candidates are unopposed, but this is the perfect way to show your early support for Matt and Adam and start building some positive momentum for November!  The July 7th primary will mostly be conducted through vote by mail and ballots will be mailed out on June 12, 2020.  Please fill out and return your ballot as soon as you receive it.  If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
Above all else, we continue to be your neighbors. In Pitman, that means we look out for each other. If there is anything we can do to assist you, or your family, friends and neighbors, please reach out to us at any time. 
 
Stay safe, stay well, and we will get through this together.
 
Sincerely,
 
 Vanessa E. James
Chairperson Pitman Democrats
pitmandems@gmail.com
​

The Pitman Democrats proudly support Councilman Matthew Weng for re-election to Borough Council.

From Councilman Weng:

Friends, I’m running for re-election this year.
​
January of this year, when I first started drafting this post asking my Pitman friends and family for another term as their voice in local government, seems like a lifetime ago. Since then, a deadly pandemic claimed the lives of over 100,000 Americans, including our fellow Pitmanites. Many in our town lost jobs, homes, and businesses in the ensuing financial crisis. George Floyd was killed by someone sworn to serve and protect him, and people rose up in protest in Pitman and around the world.
In my first term my aim was to lead through service. Our community deserves to be informed, so I posted meeting agendas and tried to explain in plain language some important changes in our town. You deserve to get answers to your questions and concerns, so I tried to be responsive to posts, emails, messages, and phone calls. And no one should ever face difficult times alone, so I made sure to solve the issues I could locally and connect residents with the right resources at all levels of government. I am particularly proud that Mayor and Council together passed three consecutive budgets with no municipal tax increase, without cutting services or raiding our surplus.

Thinking about a second term, I still have many of the same goals. Despite the current issues we face, we still need to pick up the trash, clean the parks, and get our first responders the resources they need to help our residents. These are all essential to the well-being of Pitman.

The rest of these issues have no easy answers. They require work and dedication and humility. Even then, we will not solve them immediately, nor will we solve them in the next three years, or maybe not even in the next thirty years. But we can begin.

And we can begin here, at the local level. We have already taken some of those small steps. This month Pitman recognized LGBT Pride Month for the first time ever. We created a Task Force on Inclusion and Diversity with the goal of making Pitman as welcoming as possible. The leadership of our police department and I are working on reviving a community dispute resolution board, so that residents have a forum to address their concerns and solve their disagreements without involving the criminal justice system. Like I said above-that's just the beginning.

With your support this year, we can continue that progress. Your vote decides not just who we are, but who we can be.
I cannot promise I will get everything right, and when I get something wrong, I want you to let me know.
What I can promise is that I will listen to you, learn from you, and address your needs. I also promise, to the best of my ability, to do everything I can to improve your life, and the lives of everyone in our small town; to make gentle the life of this world. Thank you for giving me the privilege of serving you.

The Pitman Democrats proudly support Adam Mazzola for Council.

From Councilman Mazzola:
​
Friends and family, I am once again running for election to Borough Council.

My first 5 months on Council this year have been challenging and I’ve welcomed the opportunities for personal growth that this new position has afforded. As the liaison to the Board of Education, I have seen firsthand the great lengths our school district has gone to in the face of changing education methods around the pandemic. I was happy to use our Clean Communities grant money to provide supplies to help school district staff ensure that all children had access to breakfast and lunch while learning remotely. As liaison to Public Property, I worked closely with other departments to make repairs to Sunset Auditorium and apply for grants to ensure the Grove Auditorium is accessible to everyone in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Recently, I met with the Economic Development Committee to discuss the addition of bicycle parking on Broadway.

If elected in November, I will continue to work with my fellow Council members to maximize the utility of our publicly owned spaces. This includes working on the proposed bike and pedestrian path plan, maximizing parking opportunities, and evaluating the erosion around Alcyon Lake. I will also continue to work with the Board of Education to foster a stronger collaborative relationship between the schools and the Borough.

Nothing about my journey to Council, or time spent thus far, has been predictable. For the past several months, we have all been faced with uncertainty. As a member of Council, I am proud that our town has continued to provide necessary services to our residents, even in the face of unprecedented challenges. I look forward to helping our town navigate past the uncertainty, and am hopeful for the opportunity to continue to serve the residents of Pitman as their Councilman for another term.

If you ever need to contact me for any reason I am always reachable at adam.mazzola@pitman.org. Should you have any questions or need assistance I am happy to help. Thank you very much.

Posted by Councilwoman Amy Rudley
​
June 2020 is officially recognized as LGBT Pride Month. 
​🏳️‍🌈
Here is tonight’s Proclamation:
Proclamation of the Borough of Pitman Recognizing June as LGBT Pride Month
Whereas, our Nation was founded on the principle of equal rights for all people, and is guided by a set of principles that includes that every person has been created equal, and that each has rights to their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness; and
Whereas, beginning in the year 2000, the month of June has been recognized nationally as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month with the purpose to recognize both the contribution of LGBT persons to society and their continued struggle for safety and acceptance; and
Whereas, the Borough Council of the Borough of Pitman recognizes that members of the LGBT community are a vital part of all fields and professions and that they contribute to make communities stronger and more diverse; and
Whereas, the Borough Council of the Borough of Pitman is dedicated to fostering acceptance of all citizens and believes that all residents should be afforded equal opportunity to enjoy a full and productive life, free to make their own choices, follow their own beliefs, to conduct their lives as they see fit, and to be able to live without fear of prejudice, discrimination, bullying, violence and hatred based upon race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Now, therefore, be it Proclaimed that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Pitman does hereby declare June 2020 as LGBT Pride Month in the Borough of Pitman and states their commitment to support the visibility, dignity, and equality of all people, and urges all residents to recognize the contributions made by members of the LGBT community, and to actively promote the principles of equality, liberty, respect, and honor, and seek to build a culture of inclusiveness and acceptance for all.
Proclaimed at a regular meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Pitman, County of Gloucester, State of New Jersey, on June 8, 2020.

From Councilwoman Vanessa James:
Tonight, Pitman Borough Council passed a resolution to create a Task Force on Inclusion & Diversity in Pitman. The Task Force will be comprised of diverse representatives from our schools, business community, faith community, police department, borough administration, and residents. They will meet monthly and will present recommendations to Mayor & Council regarding ways in which Pitman can become a more welcoming place to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. I especially want to thank Mayor Razze for embracing my idea for this Task Force wholeheartedly. We are excited to get to work to show that not only does Everybody Like Pitman, but that Pitman Likes Everybody.

Once a week one of your Pitman Councilmembers will do a virtual check in and share how they’ve been spending their time while we are in quarantine. Although we can’t meet in person, we are only a phone, text or email away if you have a question or if we can be of assistance. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
This week we hear from Councilwoman Vanessa E. James!
#WhatsUpWednesday

1. There will be one polling place in the Borough which will be Council Chambers in Borough Hall.
2. The hours of voting are unchanged; 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
3. No voting machines will be used, and voters will not have to sign in at the polls.
4. It is strongly encouraged that this election be a Vote-by-Mail election.
a. All voters with a specified party affiliation will receive a Vote-by-Mail ballot from the BOE.
b. All voters listed as unaffiliated or “independent” will also receive a ballot and a form to designate their party affiliation.
5. Any voter who comes to the polling location (Borough Hall) to vote, will be given a Provisional Ballot and be permitted to vote by filling out the ballot by hand. These completed ballots will be returned to the Board of Elections by the Borough Clerk at the end of the day.
6. Social distancing will be in effect at the polling location and the Board of Elections will provide the Board Workers with masks, hand sanitizers, etc. Voters will be required to wear a mask at all times while in Borough Hall.