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When Oaklyn Democrats head to the polls this Tuesday to cast their ballots in the New Jersey Primary Election, they’ll have the choice of three candidates for Borough Council: David Galpern, Chelsea Gittle, and Dorothy Valianti.
The top two vote-getters will appear on the November General Election ballot as Democratic candidates for two available three-year terms on the Oaklyn Borough Council. (No Republican has filed a petition seeking office.)
New Jersey has closed primaries, which means voters must declare their affiliations for a party in order to participate. Registered, unaffiliated voters may participate in the primaries at the polls, provided that they have never previously declared a party affiliation, or are first-time primary election voters.
All four candidates have been invited to reply to the same set of prompts, telling voters about themselves, their priorities, and their views of the current state of affairs in their community. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
David Galpern, 30 (Challenger)
Civil litigation attorney David Galpern is a three-year Oaklyn resident who resides in the borough with his wife and dog.
Galpern holds an undergraduate degree from the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University, and a law degree from its Law School in Camden City.
An avid Philadelphia sports fan, he enjoys attending games in person or at Tonewood Brewing.
What is your philosophy of government?
Although it doesn’t get as much attention, local government has much more of an impact on our everyday lives than any other level of government.
From property taxes, to the conditions of our streets and parks, to attracting and retaining small businesses, the decisions made by our local government officials affect us each and every day. Therefore, my philosophy is that our elected representatives should reflect and represent the people and the community they serve.
Good government starts with listening to residents, being accessible and transparent, and making practical decisions that put the community first. Our local government is a reflection of our town, and if we want our town to feel welcoming and inviting, our local government should be the same.
What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as an elected official?
Prior to my legal career, I served as Legislative Director to Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (D, NJ-06) and then-Assemblywoman (now Camden County Clerk) Pamela Lampitt.
In that role, I worked to craft new legislation, collaborated closely with stakeholders and community officials, and worked directly with constituents to help them navigate state government services.
My time working in the Sixth District office gave me invaluable insight into the critical issues facing our communities, and how to turn good ideas into actionable policy.
I also previously served two terms on the Collingswood Democratic County Committee, and am currently serving on the Democratic County Committee for Oaklyn, working to support Democratic candidates for office throughout Camden County.
Why are you running for office?
I think local government should reflect the community it serves. Oaklyn is experiencing a demographic shift, with more young families looking to establish roots in this town.
I want these new residents to have a strong voice on Council, while at the same time preserving the things that made people want to move here in the first place: great municipal services, a vibrant community, beloved local businesses, and above all, affordability.
What are the biggest challenges your community faces?
Oaklyn, like so many towns across the country, is facing rising costs, such as healthcare costs for municipal employees, and we can’t count on any help from the federal government.
We therefore need to find ways to reduce local costs and ensure our residents aren’t getting stuck with higher and higher tax bills, while at the same time not compromising the municipal services our residents depend upon.
Along those lines, on public education, Oaklyn residents are paying more and more to send their kids to the Collingswood schools, but are not getting out what they are putting in. Our council needs to work with the Board of Education to ensure Oaklyn residents are adequately represented on all decisions that will impact our students.
What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
- Affordability. If elected, I want to exercise all our options for reducing costs, from improved and expanded shared services with our neighboring towns, to leveraging state and county resources like grants and other budget funding to lessen the local property tax burden.
- Supporting small business. Our small businesses are what makes this town great, and are one of the main reasons I moved here. I plan to work with Council to clean up and modernize borough ordinances so that they make sense to current and future business owners.
- Environment. I want to invest in, protect, and expand our parks and our green spaces. I also will focus on adapting ordinances to replenish and grow our tree inventory.
Chelsea Gittle, 41 (Challenger)
Chelsea Gittle is a Senior Project Manager in an environmental due diligence consultancy who likes to spend her free time organizing in her hometown.
Whether it’s whiffle ball in the park, group art projects, pot lucks, or happy hours, Gittle loves to gather with her neighbors in community spirit.
An avid traveler, she has visited five continents and all 50 states.
What is your philosophy of government?
Government, especially at the local level, should support the community and small businesses, make decisions transparently, and remember that it works for resident stakeholders.
Decisions should be made based on the long-term best interests of the community, and not on what seems easiest right now, which ends up being another issue to deal with later anyway.
Government should be transparent, efficient, communicative, competent, respectful, and considerate — as much as you might expect from anyone you are working with.
What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as an elected official?
I’ve been working in the environmental due diligence, regulation, and compliance industry for about 15 years as a consultant. This unique work involves navigating local, county, and state agencies throughout the United States, from the smallest to largest jurisdictions you can imagine.
Every day, I’m reading about how other places operate; how they communicate, organize their website, keep records, enforce ordinances, support businesses, etc. Day in and day out, I’m looking at these other places, and getting excited about how we can do those things here, too.
Why are you running for office?
After the healthy oak tree outside of Tonewood was cut down without involving the Oaklyn Shade Tree Committee — and despite conversations that had already been ongoing for months — I organized an emergency vigil for visibility, and for the local kids who care deeply for the trees here.
By the end of the night, it was actually the children who very seriously told me that I needed to run. I laughed at first, but they made a strong argument, and here we are.
There’s a quote by Lily Tomlin that I love, and which sums it up: “I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.”
What are the biggest challenges your community faces?
Our property taxes are the obvious first choice. They are increasing so quickly here that people are going to start getting priced out, and have to leave. That should never happen.
We need to take a long, hard look at our budget and make some changes that may be uncomfortable, but “the way we’ve always done it” is not working anymore, and it is not sustainable at this rate.
What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
- Support the businesses. Oaklyn needs an economic development committee like many other towns throughout our area already have. If we’re creating or amending ordinances, we need to look hard and ask if doing so will help or hinder business. We should only consider anything that will help businesses, and in turn, help us all.
Many of the small businesses here already know me because I’ve been reaching out and working with them for years. In May 2023, I founded Hike the Pike, an annual small business crawl to bring more awareness to the businesses along the White Horse Pike. Since most of the attention here seems to go to Clinton Avenue, I wanted to find a way to get more eyes out there, and maybe figure out ways to make it more appealing and more successful.
This May we celebrated the Fourth Annual Hike the Pike, and it was the biggest one yet, finally touching on some Haddon Township businesses as well. I’m optimistic that it will continue to grow every year.
- Green Infrastructure/Climate Change. Oaklyn, like many other surrounding towns, has been impacted by the significant loss of our tree canopy.
If you spend any time outside in the summer, and you’re desperate for shade, it doesn’t take long to notice that there isn’t much around, and every year it’s getting worse. Trees are coming down faster than we can replace them.
This also leads into conversations about stormwater management, water quality, high utility costs, air and noise pollution.
- Transparency. Since Oaklyn got its municipal government app, this has been getting better, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
Residents deserve more consistency in sharing meeting agendas, professional reports, committee vacancies, and resolutions and ordinances before they are voted on.
How can the public have comments if they don’t know the specifics of anything? How will anything change if we’re not giving qualified candidates a chance to apply for open positions?
Dorothy “Dot” Valianti (Incumbent)
Dorothy “Dot” Valianti is a married mother of four adult children and a soon-to-be first-time grandparent.
All four of her children were raised in Oaklyn and graduated from Collingswood High School.
In addition to spending time with family and friends, Valianti was a longtime softball coach who enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, and being involved in her community.
What is your philosophy of government?
Government should be respectful, accountable, and community-minded.
It should focus on solving problems, protecting neighborhoods, and making decisions that benefit both current residents and future generations.
What personal and professional experiences would you bring to the table as an elected official?
I have served on the Planning Board and as Director of Public Safety, roles that have strengthened my ability to make informed decisions for the community.
I am not afraid to ask questions to gain deeper understanding of the importance of ordinances and long-term planning. Through these roles, I have strengthened my leadership skills and commitment to serving the community responsibly and proactively.
Why are you running for office?
I value family, community and relationships. I wanted to become more involved in shaping the future of Oaklyn, the place I call home; preserving what makes our community special while continuing to improve it for the future.
What are the biggest challenges your community faces?
- Supporting small businesses and keeping commercial areas vibrant and attractive
- Managing budgets carefully while continuing to provide quality borough services
- Updating ordinances and planning proactively to address changing community needs
- Public safety
What are three key issues on which you will focus if elected?
- My focus will be on residents first — listening to their concerns, improving communication, and making sure people feel connected.
- Continuing to strengthen our sense of community.
- Making thoughtful decisions about redevelopment, ordinances, and finances to protect Oaklyn,
- Maintaining clean neighborhoods, safe streets, reliable services, and community spaces that residents can enjoy and take pride in.
