On June 14, 2010, a resident group lead by Greg LaVardera, Bob Stocker and activist Gina Genovese, presented Mayor North and Council with a petition asking them “to take the steps necessary to begin a merger with Cherry Hill, NJ to save our community.” At the same meeting Council authorized the Mayor to reach out to Cherry Hill’s governing body to assess their interest in such an undertaking. Discussions took place with DCA and a
meeting was scheduled for August 2, 2010 with representatives from Merchantville and Cherry Hill. The meeting was cancelled by Cherry Hill and rescheduled for August 16, 2010. Meanwhile, Cherry Hill’s governing body approved a resolution for a joint merger study on August 9. 2010. The meeting on August 16, 2010 was canceled. http://bit.ly/hIfnwh
Choosing to sidestep Merchantville Borough government, the petition group and Cherry Hill Township Council sent a “hybrid” application for a consolidation study to the DCA. On September 27, 2010, in response to the request by the petition group, Borough Council adopted Resolution R10-103 seeking the formation of a Municipal Consolidation Study Commission, appointing a five member Commission to study the feasibility of a proposed consolidation with the Township of Cherry Hill. On December 15, 2010 DCA rejected the hybrid application by the petition group and Cherry Hill. To move the process forward through DCA the Township of Cherry Hill has to appoint its commissioners, meet with the Borough of Merchantville and file a joint application to form a Study Commission. As yet, they have not. http://bit.ly/hMCGz0
If signed by Gov. Christie this new legislation, Bill S2465, will make it possible for “Merchantville Connecting to the Future” and the Township of Cherry Hill to sidestep involvement by Merchantville’s representative governing body. In today’s Inquirer the group promises to resubmit their application with petition signatures to the DCA, form a commission with Cherry Hill, and seek state or private funds to pay for a consultant’s study on the feasibility of consolidation.
Over the past several months, “Merchantville Connecting to the Future” spokesman LaVardera, has promoted the legislation as a way “citizens can by-pass council and bring this to referendum without Council’s agreement” and advocated that the Borough “would be wise to step back and let our group continue the process.” In statements made regarding community sensitivity to the contentious nature of this issue he promised to “step up the drama a bit for the mini-series that will follow.” On other occasions LaVardera has commented on facebook and blog sites accusing Merchantville’s governing body of subterfuge and suggested that Merchantville’s governing body should work through his group “to get their resolution off the ground”. Most recently his statements made to the press he criticized Borough Council’s commission appointees stating that, “it doesn’t look good when the people you appoint to do the actual study all seem to have a vested interest. There’s no diversity.”
