Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Tom Pullion delivered the keynote address at the Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of the County dinner to the assembled business and community leaders, emphasizing that the County continues to prioritize affordability and helping residents and businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Held Monday evening at The Merion in Cinnaminson, the event featured the State of the County address, as well as updates from the Office of Congressman Andy Kim, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Evesham Mayor Jaclyn Veasey and Moorestown Deputy Mayor Sue Mammarella.
New Jersey American Water President Mark McDonough also spoke.
“The business community is at the heart of everything that makes our county great. You create jobs and you deliver goods and services residents want and also depend on,” Pullion said during his address. “We also know you’re often the first to step up to support your neighbors and communities … This is not lost on us, and we promise to continue to work closely to make sure Burlington County remains the best destination for businesses in the state.”
Among the County programs Pullion cited was the County’s COVID-19 response, including its testing, vaccine and booster clinics, and hunger relief programs.
Affordability also continues to be a top priority for the Board, and Pullion pointed to the County’s stellar credit rating and record of having the lowest cost per resident and average county tax in New Jersey in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He said the Board expects to remain the lowest for 2022 as well.
“We’ve provided compassionate services while making a concerted effort to not add to the tax burden,” Pullion said. “We’ve held the line on our county tax levy and succeeded in maintaining our status as the most affordable county in the region.”
Other County successes highlighted during the address were this year’s Burlington County Restaurant Week, which was the largest ever with more than 75 restaurants participating, and the opening of the first segment of the Rancocas Greenway Trail through Delran, Riverside and Delanco.
Burlington County Commissioners Felicia Hopson and Allison Eckel also attended the dinner and reinforced the County’s ongoing commitment to helping businesses and families.
“The pandemic required all levels of government to work closely together to help support businesses and families through unprecedented challenges,” Hopson said. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we continue to develop new initiatives to aid local businesses and residents.”
“Burlington County’s businesses are essential to our downtowns and our communities. When these businesses succeed, our residents’ benefit as a result,” Eckel added. “This year saw a lot of progress, but we know there are some local businesses and families that are still struggling, so we continue to work with our state and federal partners to find ways to help them.”