Politics & Government

Borden's Candidacy Gives Haddonfield a Contested Commissioners Race

The incumbent commissioner seeks a third term on Haddonfield's board of commissioner. There are now four candidates for three seats.

Commissioner Ed Borden announced Wednesday that he will seek a third term on the Haddonfield Board of Commissioners.

Borden has been a practicing attorney for more than 25 years and is a former Camden County prosecutor.

“I believe that my experience as a lawyer and prosecutor has been a big plus for our public safety forces," Borden said. "It comes in handy almost daily in my work with our police.”

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He joins incumbent Commissioner Jeff Kasko and challengers Neal Rochford, a former commissioner, and Lee Albright as declared candidates for three, four-year terms. All three seats on the board are open concurrently every four years.

Incumbent Commissioner .

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“We in borough government have to remember that we are in the service business and always strive to deliver the bread-and-butter items our taxpayers demand,” Borden said in a statement. “Haddonfield deserves commissioners who embrace creative and innovative approaches to the challenges faced by local government. I believe that I bring that kind of perspective to the job, as well as practical knowledge and valuable experience, including eight years as a commissioner and director of public safety.” 

Borden said that his priorities will be keeping the overall property tax burden as low as possible through shared services arrangements with neighboring towns; supporting the downtown business district; exploring sale or privatization of the operation of the aging municipal water system; using the resources of borough government to empower Haddonfield’s volunteer organizations; and concentrating on the bedrock services of police and fire protection, street repair, leaf collection and snow removal.

He is a senior partner with Earp Cohn, P.C., a Cherry Hill law firm. For five years, he served as Camden County prosecutor, the county’s chief law enforcement officer. In that position, he had supervisory responsibility for the county’s 37 municipal police departments.

Borden, a Democrat, said he opposes a countywide police department, which has been proposed by the Democrat-controlled Camden County Board of Freeholders.

“What we don’t need,” he said, “is to be part of any county police department. What we do need is to explore cooperative arrangements with nearby towns to share costs and thereby reduce expenses, particularly in senior management and administration.”

Haddonfield elections are nonpartisan and candidate's party affiliation are not printed on the ballot.

Borden pledged that he will continue to accept no borough health benefits and to contribute 100 percent of his borough salary to Haddonfield-related nonprofits and community organizations. 

Borden’s civic service includes five years on the Haddonfield Board of Education. In both races for the school board, he received the highest vote total of all candidates, according to his news release. He served on the finance, curriculum, technology and policy committees, and chaired the latter two. He was instrumental in the board’s strategic planning initiative.

In 2002, Borden was asked to chair the Camden Diocese Commission for the Protection of Children. The commission’s report was one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching responses to the clergy abuse crisis. In recognition of his work, Borden was awarded the Bishop’s Medal and the St. Thomas More Society Award. He is a member of Christ the King Parish.

Borden’s wife, Barbara, is a special education teacher. Their daughters, Emily and Meg, are both HMHS graduates. Emily graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2011 and Meg is in the nursing program at the University of Scranton.

For further information on the campaign, visit the campaign website at Borden2013.com or email Ed at efbordenjr@gmail.com.

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