The longtime Board of Education member and former Little League president said he looks forward to jumping right into government business. Mulroy replaced outgoing commissioner John Foley.
By Matt Skoufalos | February 27, 2017
Less than a week after Haddon Township Commissioner John Foley announced he was stepping down from his post, his former colleagues had sworn in his interim replacement: longtime township resident Jim Mulroy.
Mulroy took his oath of office at a special meeting of the local government Monday afternoon, and was sworn in by Haddon Township Mayor Randy Teague and fellow Commissioner Paul Dougherty.
A trial attorney with the Cherry Hill firm of Green, Lundgren & Ryan, Mulroy served on the Haddon Township Board of Education for 14 years, was a member of the township planning board for two, and spent eight years as the president of the Little League. He his wife, Tammy, have raised four sons in Haddon Township.
From the dais, Mulroy spoke highly of Foley, his predecessor, and of his willingness to meet the challenges of the office.
“When you come up with a great idea as a school board member, you simply tell the superintendent, ‘Make it happen,'” he said. “As a commissioner, you have to do it yourself.”
In addition to being tasked with the responsibilities of public safety and public affairs in the three-commissioner government, Mulroy said he’s excited to help bring new business into the township. On the heels of the accelerated redevelopment on Haddon Avenue, the new commissioner said he’d like to see more done to bring along the White Horse Pike and Cuthbert Boulevard commercial corridors.
“The one thing Haddon Township has that can’t be bought is location,” Mulroy said. “We’re smack-dab in the middle of a number of other towns, and our main street, Haddon Avenue, has a lot of potential at this point.”
Teague said Mulroy’s prior work with the board of education and Haddon Township Athletic Association caught the notice of the commissioners, who believe he’ll be an asset in negotiating Haddon Township’s expired police contracts.
“We thought that with his background and his experience, he was a good fit,” Teague said. “He’s going to be jumping right into a lot of important things that are going on right now.”
Dougherty echoed Teague’s remarks.
“[Mulroy has] dealt with the school board budget and contracts involving the superintendent and teacher’s union,” he said. “I think he’ll have the experience necessary.”
Because of the length of term remaining on Foley’s seat—he, Teague, and Dougherty were re-elected in 2015 with no opposition candidates—Mulroy is likely to face at least one interim election for Foley’s unexpired term. Haddon Township solicitor Stuart Platt said he is still researching the statute to confirm when (and whether) it might be held.
“I’ll stay here as long as the voters want me to be here,” Mulroy said.
