[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6549711,"mediaKeyId","5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb","parentId",5429934,"title","Librarians press Camden County for higher pay, fuller staffing as summer programs strain branches","audioSeconds",692,"startMs",1828000,"endMs",2520000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb&start=1828&end=2520","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb/thumbnail_1828000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6549711/Camden-County/New-Jersey/Librarians-press-Camden-County-for-higher-pay-fuller-staffing-as-summer-programs-strain-branches","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6549711-7e67cbc8baddf6358d9c724671bef528/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162234&Signature=MUMi~XWvC2fs1GxAwnyHr5wO-HmLBw8snIn4t-yF8wNWSVD6ywMwrcYoJfAPO77grkRB66xDGe-CEJkgtMZ22Q~koTValhcalOTbe6LF2DF~Ic-ZMONAaStQuC69nqbL4qp0G~gc-gKFcYQfu5~oQPAJDCk97r~vpR9J4qqwyWYGsgCFvxcQi9bSAN4URuswKci3cLFZIjt2wbcwOgKCiWg9ZcGmESSCJD47aMxRo91i8dQvJztLzZ9VVFS-fPbh~UpIxaDxnsdl13smpqEL3AaOYf-UxhzhyfV8vu-iqHqQMABe2Tq5vPOH74DnlWrHgWLsVBClJtVayodNLKPJZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Camden County, NJ","date","2025-07-18T22:27:33.283Z","article","Library staff, union members and community supporters appealed to the Camden County Board of Commissioners on July 9 for higher pay and improved staffing in the Camden County Library System, saying pay rates are driving vacancies that reduce children’s programming and threaten literacy services.

Sarah Junich, who identified herself as a library worker and president of Ask Me Local 14 54, told the board that branches are short staffed and that several youth services positions are vacant. Junich said the system has lost federal grants and estimated that a Camden County librarian with a required master’s degree is paid $46,000, while Burlington County pays $58,000 for comparable positions and Cherry Hill recently set pay roughly $7,400 higher than Camden County for an equivalent role. Junich said vacancies have forced branches to rely on paid vendors and that South County branch has been without a children’s librarian since September.

Other union members and library staff supported Junich’s remarks. Brianna Weatherholtz and Casey Palmer described steep program attendance declines after librarian departures and urged commissioners to pay librarians a living wage to retain staff and maintain services. Kate Delaney, speaking for South Jersey Progressive Democrats, linked library staffing and compensation to the county’s broader public services and urged that public praise for programs match funding and compensation.

Commissioners responded that they value libraries and their staff but said collective‑bargaining discussions cannot be conducted in public. One commissioner noted negotiations may be in mediation and said county negotiators are working on a settlement; another commissioner praised the library’s programs and role as cooling centers this summer.

No contractual agreement was announced at the meeting. The board indicated negotiations remain ongoing; commissioners encouraged staff and union representatives to continue bargaining through the appropriate processes rather than at the dais.

(End)","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Camden County Board of Commissioners July 2025 Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Camden County library staff and supporters told commissioners the system is understaffed and underpaid compared with neighboring counties, affecting story times, literacy programs and federal grant retention; commissioners said negotiations are ongoing and the board will not negotiate in public.","taxTitle","Camden County, New Jersey","taxId",14427,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6549716,"Residents and Pinelands advocates urge county action to defend Kirkwood‑Cohansey aquifer; commissioners signal support for Green Amendment resolution",1469,1291000,2760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb&start=1291&end=2760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb/thumbnail_1291000.jpg","/articles/6549716/Camden-County/New-Jersey/Residents-and-Pinelands-advocates-urge-county-action-to-defend-KirkwoodCohansey-aquifer-commissioners-signal-support-for-Green-Amendment-resolution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6549716-ed2181a96940f8012d6b2196761015d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162234&Signature=mo448n-Q7rRbLghlDal61GZrdoBzYQUu2LnDgZoq45vwCGQU2oF8S4VmfxWkKJxy4oyiadOHejZTfyaYt5ftEYMb08XkP3G4OomsP7--E6StaeZ-E34QZRkwwSN1~W4ZD-QA50DwFdVV0lxGkZyVn-jy4bi9eY6kiQn0IM2rI5zdwiOCpcYu-QAleiK6BZL1OEmyX7lZ633Ro0H5CXW6wKqIrgNHE3tAx9CaH8I9RAT7-ErKoTEpKek5ZvMLREwVSD6P~tzyEX78jP-27ZoXzZ-OIh1Bkt3ouM88ky5xUp8iXjjseW-2ZH-FmCa-3PcAdCx5~mz9nNW1MOB4v2vOFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers at the Camden County Board of Commissioners meeting on July 9 urged the board to act to protect the Kirkwood‑Cohansey aquifer and to back a proposed New Jersey Green Amendment that would, supporters say, provide constitutional standing to defend environmental rights.

Heidi Yeh, policy director for the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, told commissioners the county’s Atlantic white cedar swamps are \"the canaries in the coal mine for a looming water crisis,\" and said the aquifer that feeds many Camden County towns is being stressed by withdrawals tied to sand and gravel operations.

Yeh said the Pinelands Commission carried out more than a decade of scientific study and in 2023 amended its Comprehensive Management Plan to better protect water supplies. She urged Winslow Township to withdraw from a lawsuit challenging those new rules and asked Camden County commissioners to \"exert whatever influence they may have\" to protect the Pinelands Commission's action.

Interns and young advocates from the Pinelands Preservation Alliance echoed those remarks. Maya DeAndrea and Miracle Brown asked the board to endorse a Green Amendment and join Burlington County in a formal expression of support. Kate Delaney of South Jersey Progressive Democrats urged commissioners to pair any supportive resolution with tangible county action to defend the aquifer from legal challenges.

Commissioner William Nash (first reference: Commissioner Nash) responded at length, saying he lives in the Pinelands and called the Kirkwood‑Cohansey aquifer \"perhaps the most important\" ecological resource in New Jersey. Nash said his understanding of the Winslow‑related lawsuit is that it centers on a technical interpretation of Pinelands rules — specifically, whether a gravel operation can qualify for an exemption that requires measuring return flows when businesses return roughly 90% of pumped water.

Nash said he supports the Green Amendment initiative, called for work with county counsel to prepare a resolution and said he has spoken with colleagues who are receptive. He asked advocates to attend a July 30 town hall hosted by Green Amendment supporters on the Rutgers‑Camden campus.

No formal county resolution was adopted at the meeting. Commissioners indicated they will consider a resolution at the August meeting after staff and county counsel draft language.

(End)","Speakers from the Pinelands Preservation Alliance and allied groups asked Camden County commissioners to oppose Winslow Township’s legal challenge to Pinelands Commission rule changes and to pass a resolution supporting the proposed state Green Amendment; Commissioner Nash said staff will work with county counsel on a resolution for August.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6549721,"Camden County approves $27 million open-space financing, adopts bond ordinance; block vote clears dozens of resolutions",324,741000,1065000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb&start=741&end=1065","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5429934-3b17ac6aa4e0c8dd9e79f5adcacd10bb/thumbnail_741000.jpg","/articles/6549721/Camden-County/New-Jersey/Camden-County-approves-27-million-open-space-financing-adopts-bond-ordinance-block-vote-clears-dozens-of-resolutions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6549721-9a68e7642cdfcf86a0f5cf5cff5421df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162234&Signature=ebYrz57ln2K4ItOj5DO9UyWZZVNsmd-JIwxbeR~roG3PK8qX9gvuS1PqqUd5S2ICuqUEuzEdO1jlltTASgQq9kfBChg2gA2zN246j30t6RRWxkfuJN9f6zzIEJZVEdSZX19v8co3rDGe9QiOroI1JDD1hhlw1gm9ejg-4ukuDicseUeEZXEn~BHdlOsvTEZFTZyeo8XUSJQs1-bQYaP6b4~usH79o0n5HG6ZPjVGyV7cUeclrEnI2knGdus2dn5uKW5qV9yxsEZbAnwDQRIfeDGDJJspZAf2cbxmKe3zE05uq3ZHRemtf3hlradno66LEVCH7Uxb7Cj5hmIKJA-PMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Camden County Board of Commissioners on July 9 voted to approve county consent for up to $27 million in county‑guaranteed open‑space trust fund revenue bonds and adopted an amended bond ordinance that alters previously authorized improvements.

The financing consent, presented by county staff and read into the record under public hearing number 2, gives the Camden County Improvement Authority authority to issue one or more series of tax‑exempt county‑guaranteed open‑space trust fund revenue bonds or bond anticipation notes in an aggregate principal not to exceed $27,000,000. The measure passed on a roll call vote with all present commissioners voting yes.

The board also held and closed public hearings on (1) an amendment and restatement of the county’s guarantee on certain bonds or notes issued by the Camden County Improvement Authority related to the Camden County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund and (2) a bond ordinance further amending a 2021 bond ordinance as previously amended in 2022 and 2023. Both items were adopted after public hearings.

After public hearings concluded, the board moved by unanimous consent to adopt resolutions 1 through 75 in a single block. The clerk recorded “yes” votes from the commissioners present and noted a small number of abstentions on specific items: Commissioner Cooley Fleischer abstained from resolution 6; Commissioner John Young abstained from resolutions 8, 24, 25 and 67. Those abstentions were registered on the roll call.

A separate resolution, number 76, did not receive a motion and therefore was not adopted.

Votes at a glance
- Public Hearing 1 (amendment and restatement of county guarantee for certain CCIA bonds/notes related to the Open Space Trust Fund): Adopted on roll call (recorded yes votes from Commissioners Dyer, Cooley Fleischer, Nash, Betteridge, Young and Deputy Director McDonald).
- Public Hearing 2 (consent to financing and issuance of up to $27,000,000 in County‑guaranteed open‑space trust fund bonds/notes): Adopted on roll call; no opposing votes recorded.
- Public Hearing 3 (bond ordinance amending prior ordinances adopted 08/19/2021, 07/21/2022 and 09/21/2023): Adopted on roll call.
- Block vote on Resolutions 1–75: Adopted by unanimous consent with the abstentions noted above.
- Resolution 67 (award of contract for MAC Center): Recorded as approved as part of the block; resolution 67 was among the items from which Commissioner Young recorded an abstention.
- Resolution 76: No motion; did not pass.

Why it matters
The actions advance county efforts to fund park and open‑space projects and implement improvements tied to the Camden County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. The $27 million authorization will support purchase and construction activities by the Camden County Improvement Authority and related loan agreements between the county and the authority.

What the record shows
County staff read the resolutions and bond ordinance into the public record during the three hearings. There were no members of the public who spoke in opposition during the bond financing hearing. The board then used a block vote to expedite passage of dozens of routine resolutions; the clerk recorded specific abstentions against individual items.

Next steps
County officials will proceed with the financing steps described in the adopted consent resolution and the Camden County Improvement Authority may begin the issuance process under the terms approved by the board and consistent with applicable law.

(End)","The Camden County Board of Commissioners voted to back up to $27 million in county‑guaranteed open‑space bonds, adopted an amended bond ordinance and approved a block of 75 resolutions; one resolution failed for lack of a motion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Librarians press Camden County for higher pay, fuller staffing as summer programs strain branches

Residents and Pinelands advocates urge county action to defend Kirkwood‑Cohansey aquifer; commissioners signal support for Green Amendment resolution

Camden County approves $27 million open-space financing, adopts bond ordinance; block vote clears dozens of resolutions