Deputy Mayor Confirms Mayor Won't Run For Reelection

Mayor Keith Hartman will not seek re-election in the upcoming municipal elections, Deputy Mayor Don Purdy confirmed following the Galloway Township Council meeting of Tuesday night, Sept. 13.

“I spoke with Keith (before the meeting), and he is not resigning, but he is not running for his position,” Purdy said. “He’s a good friend of mine. He talked me into running for council. He’s going through some hard times right now. He’s going to regroup and get his priorities in order.”

Hartman was absent from Tuesday night’s meeting, and did not return repeated phone calls and a text message seeking comment Tuesday night. Nothing was posted on the official Re-Elect Keith Hartman Facebook page, and members of the Galloway Township Republican League had no official knowledge of Hartman’s decision.

The Press of Atlantic City reported late Tuesday night that Hartman had "suspended" his campaign.

Tuesday, Sept. 13 was the final day a “vacancy can occur for primary election nominees for the general election,” according to the Atlantic County Clerk’s website. The website also lists Sept. 15 as “the deadline for filling primary nominee vacancy for the general election.”

Purdy stated he believed the Galloway Township Republican League would not replace Hartman on the ballot for November.

"We'll run two candidates," Purdy said.

Earlier this year, Hartman after not receiving the support of the Galloway Township Republican League in his bid for re-election. He had been named the “Republican of the Year” by the league in February.

Hartman’s apparent withdrawal from the race leaves five candidates running for three open seats.

Incumbent Councilman Tony Coppola and challenger Brian Tyrrell are running for office in November. Incumbent Councilman Jim Gorman and challengers Jim McElwee and Kevin Krumaker are running on the It means one Democrat is assured of procuring one of the open seats.

Coppola and Gorman had no comment Tuesday night.

The future of the position of mayor was unclear, Purdy stated. Under the Faulkner Act, the members of council nominate a new mayor once the election is complete. Hartman has served as mayor for two years, and has been a member of council for four.

But recently, Hartman has come under fire for not being present in the township.

“The mayor is absent from this meeting and he missed the last meeting. He’s missed both 9/11 ceremonies,” , Municipal Chair of the Galloway Democratic Club, said during Tuesday’s meeting. “We have a no-show mayor here and the administration needs to take a look at this.”

“I’d like to thank the deputy mayor for stepping up in the absence of the mayor recently, and being where he needs to be,” Councilman Dennis Kleiner said during Tuesday night’s meeting. “He’s doing a good job at the helm.”

Later in the evening, Kleiner stated that if Hartman had decided not to run for reelection, the “township is better off without him.”

Leaving behind 'a lot of good ideas'

earlier this summer when Hartman accused Kleiner of tipping off a state agency about alleged pay violations by a business Hartman partially owns. Hartman later learned he was wrong, but said he had good reason to believe Kleiner had reported his business, Jersey Shore Pharmacy, at the time.

Hartman was also the lone member of council not included in a recent $3 million by outgoing Township Clerk Lisa Tilton, who is also a member of his reelection campaign.

Tilton claims she didn’t include Hartman in the claim because he recused himself from a special hearing concerning her position as township clerk on She was suspended June 10, and as a result of negotiations between attorneys representing Tilton and the township, Tilton resigned her position as clerk, effective Oct. 3.

According to Hartman, Township Solicitor Michael Blee asked him to recuse himself from the hearing. Hartman initially directed comments on Blee’s request to Blee, but on Monday, he stated that he was asked to recuse himself because of his friendship with Tilton.

On Tuesday night, Purdy said he hoped recent events and rumors running rampant throughout the township didn’t overshadow Hartman’s accomplishments during his time on council. Purdy credited Hartman for getting rid of benefits for council members.

“Keith Hartman has never taken any pay for being on council,” Purdy said. “He has done it for his love and respect of the community. He’s a good friend of mine, and he will continue to be, but I think this was a smart personal decision.”

Throughout his campaign, Hartman stated he was proud to run on his record, which has included tough decisions about township employees two years in a row before bringing them back to a five-day work-week earlier this year.

Both Coppola and Gorman have said they are proud of the tough decisions the council has had to make over the past two years, and Gorman has stated he believes Galloway Township will be one of the first municipalities to recover from the recession.

Last week, Coppola said he was proud of the “positive steps” council has taken, including reducing $2.5 million from the budget, and being able to send employees back to work after they were furloughed last year and for part of this year.

Also last week, Gorman said he was concerned with the way the township has handled recent situations involving employees, including Tilton and Chief Financial Officer

Gougher initially announced she would be leaving the township because she found a similar position in Asbury Park, but has since decided she will be taking a similar position in Stone Harbor.

Gougher’s replacement, current Northfield CFO , will make $105,000, the same salary Gougher made at the end of her time as CFO, something both Gorman and Hartman were opposed to.

“I hate to let personal attacks affect a representative of council and what they’ve accomplished,” Purdy said, adding that Hartman "left behind a lot of good ideas."

“He’s suffered a lot of personal attacks, which I don’t stand for. I wish him the best."