Politics & Government

Meet the Candidates: Anthony V. Minniti

Cinnaminson Patch brings you biographies of each township committee candidate.

On Nov. 8, Cinnaminson residents will vote for two open seats on township committee. There are five candidates vying for the spots. They are Republican incumbents Anthony V. Minniti and William B. "Ben" Young, Cinndependence Independents Steve Fowles and Ken Gertie and Independent Scott Lunn.

Cinnaminson Patch sent each candidate a list of questions to answer themselves and each day this week, we will provide those answers to you. The schedule of biographies is in alphabetical order, regardless of party affiliation or running mates. The schedule is as follows:

Oct. 3 — Fowles
Oct. 4 — Gertie
Oct. 5 — Lunn
Oct. 6 — Minniti
Oct. 7 — Young 

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Each candidate submitted answers by the same due date so as to remain completely fair. So, no candidate will have seen another candidate's answers before submitting their own. Answers were edited for style, clarity and in some cases, down to the required word count.

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Remember, candidates are not required to answer questions asked of Patch users. Further questions and comments must be directed to Editor Christina Paciolla at christina.paciolla@patch.com.

Fourth, we have Anthony V. Minniti, who's served on Cinnaminson Township Committee since 2002.  

 

Name: Anthony V. Minniti

Age: 41

Political Party: Republican 

Years of residency in Cinnaminson: 36 years 

Job: Small business owner and registered pharmacist, Doganiero's Pharmacy, Inc.

Education: Bachelor's of science—Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science, 1993; Honors graduate, Cinnaminson High School, 1988

Family: Father of 3 1/2-year-old triplets, John, Christian & Claire 

Volunteer Experience: Active at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, including Carnival 50/50 co-chair, Stewardship Committee, and spaghetti supper crew;  Project Graduation inaugural fundraiser co-coordinator; Community health fair volunteer; Member of Cinnaminson Planning Board, Environmental Committee, Shade Tree Commission, Economic Development Committee, and Master Plan Update Subcommittee; Member of Burlington County Agriculture Development Board, Route 130 Advisory Committee and Route 130 Visioning Committee.

Have you ever held a public elected office? If yes, please name the governing body and years of service. Cinnaminson Township Committeeman, 2002-Present; Mayor, 2004 and 2010; Director of Economic Development, 2002-2009 and 2011; Director of Public Safety, 2010.

Why are you running for Cinnaminson Township Committee?
Cinnaminson is a great place. I am passionately committed to making it even better. Being raised here, attending local schools, and participating in youth sports, I deeply appreciate the opportunities afforded to me and cherish friendships with so many wonderful hometown residents. Now, as the father of young triplets, I want John, Christian and Claire to enjoy their childhoods in a safe, prosperous, and vibrant community.

As a grandson and son, I understand the financial challenges facing our seniors and want Cinnaminson to remain an affordable place to enjoy retirement. My experience as a small business owner makes me uniquely qualified to understand the financial challenges facing our community. Civility is an important character trait for anyone seeking public office, and I will continue to take the high road even while political opponents—and the special interests they represent—engage in vitriolic attacks against me. 

Public office is a sacred trust and it is the taxpayers of Cinnaminson whom I serve, not the special interests. Going forward, my top priorities are fighting to keep Cinnaminson’s taxes as low as possible, revitalizing Route 130, preserving our single family character, and keeping our community safe.

Why do you feel you are qualified to serve as a member of the Cinnaminson Township Committee? My strong family stake in Cinnaminson, history of energetic community service and volunteerism, business experience, economic development expertise, and proven track record of achieving positive results qualify me to be an effective public servant. Above all else, however, my most important public service qualification is that I do not represent any special interests or narrow perspectives. Therefore, without conflicting interests, you can be 100 percent certain that my actions will always put the good of Cinnaminson residents and taxpayers ahead of everything else. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, I respect you and will fight hard on your behalf.

What are the three biggest issues facing Cinnaminson right now? How do you feel these issues should be addressed by Township Committee? 
The three biggest issues facing Cinnaminson are taxes, taxes, and taxes. With the severe national economic downturn, Cinnaminson’s families are tightening their belts. They should expect no less from their elected officials. In fact, our federal government could surely learn a lot by following Cinnaminson’s “common sense” approach to budgeting. Tough decisions should be made when they arise instead of kicking the can down the road. The temptation to raise debt levels must be avoided at all costs. Never spend more than you bring in. Always pursue business-friendly policies to attract new enterprises and encourage expansion by existing firms. 

Doing all this will grow our local economy, create jobs, attract quality ratables, and keep taxes stable. First and foremost, the money collected in taxes does not belong to the government, it belongs to the residents and must be spent carefully. By putting these principles into action, Cinnaminson has weathered the storm and our financial picture is healthy and secure with top bond ratings. 

Since the economic downturn started, we have reduced municipal spending by over $300,000 while maintaining high service levels. How many other governments can say they are spending less now than they did four years ago?

Economic development is a big issue in Cinnaminson. How do you think the Rt. 130 corridor can be improved? When taking office, Cinnaminson was burdened with a failing Route 130 corridor. Crime and blight associated with “Motel Row” gave us a black eye. I rolled up my sleeves and worked hard for positive change.

In just six years, Route 130 has experienced unprecedented improvement. The dilapidated Mini-Mall and Motel Row are gone and replaced by Shoppes at Cinnaminson and Siena.

I devote significant time working with commercial landlords to help them compete for tenants. Our aggressive approach and business-friendly policies have earned awards and statewide recognition. However more needs to be done. I will lead the way to greater progress.

What do you feel is Cinnaminson's biggest asset at this time? How would you exploit that asset to the township's benefit? Cinnaminson's greatest asset is the people who call it home. Our residents have a unique love for their hometown. This feeling of pride inspires the best. Our town is one of the most desired in South Jersey. Businesses want to be in Cinnaminson because of the loyalty of our residents. Young people want to raise their families here because of our commitment to excellence in parks, recreation and schools. Seniors want to retire here because of our quality of life, strong sense of community, and affordability. Our town is different things to different people, but we are tied together by a common appreciation of how special Cinnaminson is.

How do you plan to balance spending and revenue in tough economic times? The keys to longterm economic success are elementary, however many politicians lack the guts to do the right thing. Financial troubles are not created overnight. They primarily arise from wasteful spending, irresponsible creation of debt, and can be exacerbated by failing to address difficult fiscal decisions when they arise. 

Reducing spending as revenue decreases can be unpopular, particularly with those directly affected by spending reductions. However, our elected officials must exhibit the leadership to speak honestly to our residents about what we can and cannot afford. We must be prepared to suffer the political fallout from angering the special interests and putting the town's fiscal health above personal popularity. 

I've followed this course during my time in public service. We've cut municipal spending by over $300,000. We also pared a historic school tax increase by nearly one-half without negatively impacting educational quality. We transformed Cinnaminson into the “Shared Services Capital” of South Jersey by aggressively integrating services with hometown and regional public entities. Despite the recession and accompanying tax revenue decrease, Cinnaminson continues to maintain high levels of service and we do so within the state’s mandatory 2 percent cap.  

Do you feel the current committee is effective? How so or why not? Where do you think the governing body could improve? When the national economy began to slide in late 2007, my running mate Ben Young and I had the foresight to take immediate actions to reduce costs while maintaining vital services. We ordered an immediate operational audit of all departments to identify and eliminate waste and duplicate services, slashed municipal spending by over $300,000 in three years, aggressively pursued and secured over $5.4 Million in grants, and worked hard to keep our debt levels rock bottom low. 

As a result, Cinnaminson enjoys a bright and solid financial outlook. Despite the stiff headwinds from the national recession, we spurred the renovation of four major shopping centers and a professional office complex. We attracted a new grocery store and look forward to the grand opening in a couple months. We revitalized our town’s second largest industrial site with the successful international manufacturer, Sea Box, Inc. We have been awarded grant money for streetscape improvements along Route 130. If Cinnaminson is making great progress during tough times, imagine what it will be like when the economy kicks into gear.

Your Call—A final response to the people of Cinnaminson: I hope to earn your trust and your vote. While other candidates are making budget-busting spending promises to win votes, you can count on me to always put taxpayers' interests first. Residents deserve honest, responsive, and fiscally conservative government. I am as energetic as ever to serve you and fight for a better Cinnaminson. 

While proud that South Jersey Magazine lists Cinnaminson as one of the best places to live, I will not rest until Cinnaminson tops the charts as South Jersey’s #1 community. You are always welcome to e-mail me with any comments or questions at avmrph@comcast.net or by visiting www.cinnaminsongop.org. You can also reach me at my home phone number at 856-499-2146.


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