Camden mayor candidates urge freedom from state rule

As the crowd gathered in the pews of St. Anthony of Padua Church before a mayoral forum in Camden last night, a melody from the parish's band brought audience members to their feet, clapping to the rhythm.

"This little light of mine," they sang, "I'm gonna let it shine."

It was a message taken to heart by the candidates - Dana Redd, Angel Cordero, Roberto Feliz, and Mujiba Salaam-Parker - who made clear, right off the bat, their intentions of working to lift seven years of state control over the impoverished city.

"As new mayor of this city . . . I would focus on transitioning home rule back to the mayor's office," said Redd, a state senator and City Council member.

The candidates fielded questions from a panel of moderators that had been culled from citizen submissions. The event was organized by Camden Churches Organized for People, a nonprofit group.

One of the first questions asked was how the candidates would traverse the political systems that hold influence over local officials.

"My only political party is the people of Camden," said Cordero, who at times was animated and stood up to make his point.

Feliz, who sat next to Cordero, said: "I feel that I am not beholden to any one person, any one group." A former city public works director, Feliz emphasized his experience with the city.

On the other hand, Redd touted her political affiliations and her position as vice chairwoman of the Democratic State Committee.

"We need these relationships in order to bring resources home to the city of Camden," she said.

Salaam-Parker, a former member of the state's Economic Recovery Board, pushed her credentials in doling out money to the city.

"Economic development is really my area of expertise," she said. "There's always money that you can tap into."

She also stressed the need to promote Camden to outsiders.

"Camden is prime real estate on the Northeast Corridor, and we need to market the city," she said.

Given his experience spearheading an alternative degree program for high-school dropouts, Cordero often grounded his answers in the classroom.

"We cannot run a city if our children are not educated," he said.

Feliz also pointed to an opportunity to change the city education system with the mayor's ability to appoint three members to the school board.

"We need to appoint people who are sensitive to the needs of the community," he said.

After the forum, Camden resident Keith Morton agreed with all the candidates: The city needs to be released from state control.

The first thing on the new mayor's agenda, he said, should be shedding state rule "so the actual administration is controlling the city."