Even order. Oh, can you see by the dawn early light? But so proudly we
held at the twilight last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous
fight over so gallently streaming and the rock is red. The bombs bursting
in Peru through the night that our flag was still there. [Music] Oh, say does that star
spangled [Music] B of the land of the free and the home of the forever.
[Applause] Hey, the flag of America to the stands. One nation
with all this is the sunshine notice. This is a special meeting of commission. It has been advertised at least 48 hours prior to the meeting and it's not a special
meeting. Thank you. I need an approval of the minutes and In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of civic leadership. We humbly ask that you guide Mayor Salana Ward and Commissioners Mey and Henderson Riley in their important work to serve our
community. May they be endowed with wisdom, discernment, and a spirit of unity as they address the challenges and opportunities before us. Grant them the strength to make decisions that promote justice,
fairness, and the common good. May their efforts be blessed with positive results. And may their service bring about a flourishing and prosperous Collinswood for all. We ask this through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Now we have the walls. I think a lot of words. [Applause] I, Daniellea Solano Ward, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United
States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. And to the government
established in the United States and in this state. And to the governments established in the United States and this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully impartially and justly and that I will faithfully,
impartially, and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties as mayor for the Burrow of Collingswood as mayor for the Burough of Collingswood according to the best of my ability. according to the best of my ability. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations.
[Applause] Awkward in this picture. I, Amy Henderson Riley, I, Amy Henderson
Riley, do solemnly domly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true
faith and allegiance to the same that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the government established in the United States and in this state and to the government established in the United States and in this state under the authority of the
people under the authority of the people and that I will faithfully impartially and justly and that I will faithfully and partially and justly perform all the duties perform all the duties as burrow commissioner as burrow commissioner for
the burrow of Collingswood for the burrow of Collingswood according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability so help me God so help me God congratulations
[Applause] I, Jim Bailey, do solemnly swear do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution that I will support the Constitution United States of the United
States and the Constitution and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey of the State of New Jersey that I will bear true faith that I'll bear true faith and allegiance to the same and allegiance to the same and to the government established and to the governments established in the United States in the United States and in this state and in this under the authority of
the people. under the authority of the people. And that I will faithfully And that I will faithfully and impartially impartially and justly perform and justly perform all the duties all the duties as burrow commissioner as burrow commissioner for the bur of the burrow of according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability.
Congratulations. Thank you. Um Jim, stay up for one second. He's going to be embarrassed about this. Uh for those of you who don't know me, my name is Lou Capelli. I'm the Camdi County Commissioner Director, and I started serving in burough government with this guy in
1993. And I think it's important that we just talk about some of the accomplishments that have taken place over the years. If you don't believe me, this is our first campaign t-shirt. [Applause] But you know, Collins has become one of
the premier communities in New Jersey and in our region. People want to come here so badly. Businesses want to come here so badly. And the reason why that is is the great leadership of Jim Ellie over the years since 1993.
You know, many many people who are new to town probably presume this is the way it's always been in town. Um, but it's not. It's not. I can go back to 1993 and I remember the old Sutton, which is now the heights of Collingswood. Uh, it was at about a 40% occupancy rate. They had
not paid their taxes in years and they were about to go bankrupt. And everybody in town was pretty darn nervous and talking about moving out of town because if that place went down, that's 20% of the households in Collinswood. It would be really bad for the town. But Jim's
intellect, his creativity, his knowledge of municipal law led the way in getting a national developer to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in that property to bring the taxes current, to stop all the fire calls there, the police calls, the EMT calls. And it really was a
turning point at that time for the burrow. And if you take a look at Haden Avenue, you know, all those restaurants, I think when we started, there was a couple pizza places and maybe one restaurant, a little cafe in town. Look
at it now. I remember advertising uh Jim, you recall this when you said, "Let's advertise in Philadelphia magazine, the Philadelphia Gay News. Let's start attracting new businesses and new people to this town." And we actually had a restaurant day where we invited all these chefs from
Philadelphia to come here and say if you if there's a property you like, let us know. We'll make it happen. And now we have I think the best restaurant town certainly in in the region. This building right this building is owned by the Masons. It was vacant. There was nothing happening here except what used
to be called High School Balorat and um a couple Masons meetings a year. They were thinking about selling this building, having it demolished and developed by a developer. But Jim stepped in. Beautiful ballroom, beautiful theater. Um, helps
add to the whole ambiance of this town, the whole coolness of this town having these concerts and what we do. The old James School on Haden Avenue that was vacant for many, many years, decrepit, right across from Villa Baron. We took that property. Jim took that property.
Um, and now it's one of the state-of-the-art greatest uh, office spaces in the region. And the list goes on and on and on, but I just thought it was due due time for Jim to be told, "Thank you. You've done a tremendous job as mayor. I know you're still serving as
commissioner, but your leadership has what led has what led this town to become the premier community in South Jersey. Thank you for your hard work. And congratulations to Danielle and Amy. Sorry. We have the following
resolutions. Assigning of departments to commissioners. Yes. Yes. designation of deputy mayor. Yes. And then we have a public comment on the res on resolution
items. Any comment for anything? Okay. We have the uh authorization of the accept acceptance of the grant funds for municipal alliance. Yes. Yes. Okay. Then we can open up to public
comment or governing body comments. I'm sorry. Sure. I want to uh thank everyone. Well, Morgan, I'm first. Only a commissioner who always spoke first. She always But I want to I want to just thank everyone for coming
out tonight. Uh it is a historic night. I want to congratulate Daniela and Amy, not only on their victory, but but on taking over leadership for our burrow. We're looking forward to a great four years. Um, I want to start with a few thank yous and I want to thank first and
foremost my family. I said election night and it takes a special woman to support a spouse through 10 local elections. Uh, I want to thank my wife Mary Kay uh, who has stood by me at times encouraged me at times discouraged
me from keeping going on this. U, the advent of social media has made it really interesting and wonderful to hear all of your thoughts. We hope you that you keep sharing those thoughts because it really doesn't matter at all. Okay. Um I want to thank
my mom is here who was we were talking the other night about the first election and who was around and who's not around now. Michael's here. All my family sent things today. Uh I want to thank all of them. My sisters are here. My brother brothers are here. Uh I want to thank
them all for uh being very supportive through all this fun. Uh uh I want to thank elected officials that I served with um as mayor. Uh Lewis was oh so kind in the things that he said, but um it's really teamwork and whatever happens from here on out, it's teamwork.
And that teamwork we had great elected officials. Mike Brennan I know is here tonight. Joan Leonard Morgan, uh Rob Luwendowski, Mike Hall, Bud Law, a whole slew of elected officials that the hallmark of them forever is a dedication
to make this town better. We may disagree at times um on how to do that, but the dedication is always to make this town better. Um I want to thank our staff. I want to thank the folks that work at Burl Hall. I try to say it every
Christmas time when we do our thank yous to everyone, but all of the crazy things that we've done in this town, like Lou, we talked about this building, all those things we've done that go beyond what a municipal government does are only possible because the men and women of
our burrow take care of business. They get everything done. this last election weren't issues about crime, weren't issues about the operations of the Burough Hall, weren't weren't issues about the operation of municipal government. And that is because we have
been blessed with men and women who serve this community to go beyond who do everything they can to not only do their job, but to come to the to the commissioners and say, you know what, if we did this, I think this would serve more of a community would be a much more
effective. they really go the extra mile. I want to thank all of you. Um, I'm looking forward, you know, done this a long time, but I've never been public works. So, I finally get to hang with the guys and ride the snow plows, hoping for big
snows. Now, I know why we put that building all the way on the other side of town where nobody can find it. So, uh, and finally, I want to thank the people of Collinsville. Uh, you know, we've been through an election season. Actually, the last couple of
years has been pretty contentious on a lot of issues. Um, it is not because we think the other guy is is has bad intentions, uh, is evil. It is because we disagree on some policy and we can
still grab a drink afterward. It is not an issue in which we think the other guy is a bad person. It is because we have different approaches of what we think is the best for our community and we will continue to do that. I look forward to
serving with with with Daniela and with Amy. I think we're going to have a gang buster four years. I'm hoping that after these four years they look back at the last 20ome and think, man, these four were like the best that ever happened. So that's what the goal is. I want to
thank all of you again for coming out and congratulations. [Applause] Good evening friends, neighbors,
residents, and guests. Thank you for being here tonight. And thank you to those joining live from home. Thank you as well. Your presence, however, and whenever it comes, means words more than words can say. This is a moment in history. Take a moment to breathe that
in. To sit before you tonight as Collingswood's deputy mayor and to be the fifth woman ever elected as commissioner in this town, next to the first female mayor and first Latina mayor, as well as former mayor Mey, who has served this town faithfully for many years, is an honor I cannot fully
describe. It is deeply personal and it's deeply historic. Let me tell you a little bit about my family because they're the reason I'm here. You saw my husband, Brandon, and our three daughters, Betty, Sue, Pearl, and Lucy, stand beside me as I was sworn in. They're the reason I ran for office, and
they're the reason I sit here now. One of my grandmothers, Ira Pearl Hill Henderson, who one of my daughters, Pearl, is named after, was born in 1917. That was three years before women were granted the right to vote under the 19th Amendment. My other grandmother,
Hazel Janet Hawkins, uh, one of my other daughters namesake, was born in 1930. Tonight, I sit here as their granddaughter and the daughter of a retired public school teacher and the daughter of a son of a Scottish immigrant who came through Ellis Island. And now, I'm one of only a handful of
women to ever serve in a top leadership role in Collingswood. To our knowledge, only three other women have ever done so. Marian Fleard, who I believe, whose family is here tonight. Thank you for being here. Joan Leonard, I believe she's here as
well, and Morgan Robinson, our third female and first queer commissioner. To these women and their families, thank you for your service. We stand on your shoulders and we honor your legacy. And to those who ran but do not yet sit at this table, like our colleague Megan Adomaly, we see you.
We're grateful for the path you helped to pave and your dedication to this community matters. Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. That includes right here and it continues here in Collingswood." We are at a wild and
uncertain time in our nation's history. As your commissioners, our job is to serve everyone in this town, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, immigration status, age, race, and ethnicity, language spoken at home, how long you've lived here, or
what block you live on. We are a team. You elected the three of us to work together, and that is exactly what we will do. Our colleagues at the burrow as part of your police and fire service and those working to help you pay bills and take care of administrative matters will continue to work hard to serve you and
your families. To those who supported our campaign, thank you. The campaign is over. Set the division aside. Now the work begins. Let's roll up our sleeves and dig in together. Sign up to volunteer for Mayfair, Junth Pride, and
more. This is all of our town. It's time to step up and take an active part in shaping it. To those who didn't vote for us, we represent you, too. Always. We're listening. We know it won't be easy. We know we disagree on some matters, but we're committed to doing the work side
by side. And to those who didn't vote for whatever reason, you matter. Your voice matters, and your vote matters. Throughout our campaign, I said, "I am a servant leader." That remains true. I don't sit here because I was seeking a title. I sit here because I believe
everyone deserves a seat at the table. And that table, this table, it sits on hollowed ground. When part of this building was constructed, women weren't even allowed inside, let alone invited to lead from within it. Now it hosts
mitzvah, weddings, celebrations, and tonight, a new chapter in our town's history. I take this responsibility seriously as the bridge between our newly installed mayor and our former mayor, who I respect deeply. I'm here to serve, to represent, and to inspire.
Think of all of those who have walked the streets of Collingswood before us, and those who will walk after us long after we're gone. I believe there is a seat at for every one of those people. As a doctor of public health who works in women's health and human rights in a time when public health is under attack,
as the granddaughter of immigrants, as a cisgender woman committed to representing everyone regardless of gender identity, and as a mother, I thank you. I thank you for this moment. I thank you for trusting me with this responsibility. Let's do this work together in community. Not for me, but
for Betty Sue, for Pearl, for Lucy, and for all of our children and grandchildren who are watching us. It is a privilege to serve. I will work hard and do what's right, even when it's hard. I thank you for this honor and for this moment.
[Applause] Good evening, friends, esteemed guests, and fellow Collingswood residents. Being here before you today as your newly
elected mayor is an incredible honor and one I do not take lightly. Transitions inevitably bring change and as as we all know, change can be hard. But I believe change also brings opportunity. I'm proud to be stepping into this moment
alongside Deputy Mayor Ame Henderson Riley, whose energy and dedication to this community inspires me every day. And former mayor Jim Mey, whose years of institutional knowledge and steadfast leadership continue to guide us together, we are a team, one rooted in collaboration, mutual respect, and a
shared love for this town. I consider myself a leader among equals, and I'm eager to learn both from and with my fellow commissioners as we shape Collingswood's next chapter. This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the proud neighbors of Collingswood's culminating event at the historic Knight Park House. There, we
heard from founding members and took a powerful look back at the revitalization of our town. At the center of it all were young women, members of the Junior League, who rolled up their sleeves, cleaned up neighborhoods, and sparked a movement that made Collingswood a place where families not only stayed, but
thrived. That moment in history reminds me so much of where we are today. I believe we are once again on the cusp of something transformational. A new season of growth, of engagement, and of unity. And now I come before you as Kongwood's first female mayor and Latina mayor
filled with both pride and a deep sense of responsibility. Representation matters. And in a time when trust in government can feel hard to come by, I want our leadership to be a source of hope, a model of what's possible when people come together with shared purpose and
open hearts. Let's make this moment more than a milestone. Let's make it a movement, one that energizes the next generation, one that says small towns can lead with big ideas. The representation can reflect the rich diversity and values of its people. That
local government can be something to believe in. Thank you for placing your trust in me. I'm honored to serve and even more honored to serve with you. A final thank you to my family, to my parents, to my husband, to Issa and Luca, my grandmother who's 90 and here, and my other grandmother in Colombia
who's 100 and likely praying a rosary that I don't mess up. Um, thank you all. [Applause]
com. Oh, thank you. I've done this before. Open for public comment. Public comment. Make a motion we just made a motion. Okay. All right. Meeting adjourned. Put it all. It's all in the
fold. Everything will be fold. Sign it all. Put it in.