• Economic Development

  In terms of optics, Millville appears to be negotiating from a weakened position. The first thing seen when traveling south on Route 47 or Wheaton Avenue is debris from a demolished historic glass factory. This property should be cleaned up and developed, potentially as a mixed-use complex similar to those in other cities. Grant money and partnerships with non-profits may be options.

  Proposes:

  • Hiring a full-time economic development director with a proven track record.
  • Hiring a grant writer under that director to secure and administer funding.
  • Recognizing new businesses at commission meetings and promoting collaboration with the Holly City Development Corporation.
  • Opening a small business incubator similar to "The Spot" in Vineland.
  • Developing eco-tourism along Union Lake and the Maurice River (e.g., kayak rentals, a launch site behind Waltman City Park).
  • Opposes large warehouse development due to automation trends and prefers light industry and manufacturing.
  • Opposes long-term PILOT tax abatements that disadvantage taxpayers.
  • Supports retail cannabis sales strictly within industrial zones to capture tax revenue while minimizing disruption to neighborhoods.



• Code Enforcement

  • Fully staff the department so it is self-sustainable.
  • Assign inspectors to specific areas for accountability.
  • Ensure timely inspections, permits, and follow-ups without delays.
  • Be consistent and firm with citations and enforcement, especially with slumlords and absentee landlords.
  • Review ordinances to ensure they support fair and effective enforcement.



• Communication

  • Establish a “point person” to share information among commissioners and administrators via weekly reports.
  • Foster a workplace culture where employees can safely share concerns and ideas.
  • Encourage hiring based on experience, skills, and a commitment to constructive input.
  • Use work sessions for genuine exchange of ideas and strategic planning rather than superficial updates.



• Public Safety

  • Fully staff police, fire, and EMS and provide necessary equipment.
  • Rebuild trust between law enforcement and citizens through neighborhood engagement and regular meetings.
  • Advocate for state-level solutions to illegal ATV and motorcycle problems, involving the League of Municipalities and NJAC.
  • Address panhandling and homelessness by connecting individuals to available resources.



• Miscellaneous Initiatives

  • Expand Fair and Open bidding processes.
  • Revive recognition programs for returning military personnel.
  • Audit city vehicle fleet records for clarity and accountability.
  • Have employees report potholes, high grass, and trash during their daily routes.
  • Review professional staff credentials and titles to prevent misuse of administrative roles.
  • Oppose shared services with the Cumberland County Utilities Authority and any privatization of city utilities.
  • Explore creating a Saturday evening downtown event to promote local businesses and community engagement.



• Party Affiliation and Ideology

  Although this is a non-partisan election, I am a registered Democrat running independently without support from any party organization. I will not be beholden to any political party.

  Core beliefs include:

  • Respect for diversity and individual freedom.
  • Seeking common ground among commissioners for the good of Millville.
  • Support for fairness, acceptance, and tolerance.
  • Belief in maintaining a safety net for vulnerable populations to prevent social division.
  • Commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer money and ensuring all pay their fair share.
  • Valuing America’s cultural diversity as one of its greatest strengths.

My name is Patricia Clark-Kears and I have been a life-long resident of Millville. I am seeking a four-year seat for Millville City Commission in the November 4, 2025 election. My paperwork and petitions were filed with the City Clerk’s Office on February 24, 2025.

Since January 2022, I have attended almost every City Commission meeting and have been one of the few people who go to the podium at almost every meeting to ask questions, ask for clarification, express my satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction, and offer suggestions/ideas. This experience led me to the decision to run for a commission seat.

If elected, I will treat every person at the meetings with courtesy, dignity, respect and maturity and will treat my fellow commissioners with the same. More importantly, I will answer all questions asked as long as it does not violate privacy or confidentiality restrictions. If I do not have an answer, I will make every attempt to not only answer the question by email to the person asking, but will include the question and answer at the next commission meeting during my report to citizens. This would be a way to communicate issues in a transparent manner. It is important to me that citizens feel not only that they matter, but their concerns are important and their issues are addressed in a timely and professional manner.

Our form of government in Millville is called the Walsh Act and we have a commission of five members who are equal. We need to work together. My responses to the questions given to me paint a broad picture of my vision and ideas for Millville. I know many of my ideas are very optimistic and I know there will be some who negatively respond but my philosophy is that you have to start somewhere. Solving little issues can lead to solving bigger problems. Millville’s problems are like a ball of tangled knotted string. Someone has to pull at a string to start to find how to unravel the knots and smooth them out. I do not know which department I would get if elected to the Commission and am willing to take on the task of whatever is given to me. I will work in cooperation with the four other commissioners in a thoughtful, respectful and mature way. This is a start that will evolve as I do more research and talk to more folks in our City for their ideas, concerns and points of view.

Good governance is very difficult. It requires cooperation, maturity and caring about the job given to you. I will do the best that I can and that is the best I can promise.

Educational Background

• Graduate of Millville Senior High School
• Graduate of Cumberland County College with an Associate of Arts Degree
• Graduate of Rider University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English
• Postgraduate work at Fairleigh Dickinson University toward a Master’s degree in Human Development

Organizations

• Zeta Tau Alpha National Fraternity

  Served as corresponding secretary.


• County Welfare Directors Association of New Jersey

  Served as recording secretary as well as sitting on sub-committees for Medicaid, Food Stamps, Technology, Social Services, Medical Transportation, Budget, Child Support & Paternity, General Assistance, and Legislative Affairs. As a retiree, I remain in touch with this organization by attending meetings twice annually to participate and remain aware of current issues in social service administration that surprisingly mirror some local government issues.


• Millville Woman’s Club

  A civic non-profit club that provides support for other non-profits in Millville, provides substantial scholarships to graduating senior women, empowers young women by sponsoring them to the Girls’ Career Institute at Douglas College and many other projects. I currently serve as the treasurer and have since May 2014.


• Citizens United Maurice River

  I volunteer with this group especially in the area of education for children in Cumberland County. I have been involved in the Wild About Cumberland program for 4th graders, Return the Favor program (saving horseshoe crabs along the Delaware Bay), and a nature walk at the Maurice River Bluffs for 3rd graders, as well as tabling events at the Eco-Fair, Downe Township Bay Day, and others. I also volunteer for fund-raising. This year I was one of the recipients of the prestigious “Ah, Why Knot Award” for my volunteerism.

Professional and Work Background

• Clark’s Liquor Store (1971 – 1983)

  My family owned this small business (referred to as “The Store” by our family) in Millville for over 60 years; The Store was sold in 1998 when my parents finally retired. I worked here full-time when attending CCC and part-time when attending Rider during weekends, school breaks and summers until I obtained a full-time job after obtaining my BA. I then continued to work part-time as well until I started a family in 1983. This gave me the opportunity to have hands-on experiences with small family-owned business. It also developed my people skills by dealing with the public one on one. When my parents went away (not often) or were ill, I was given the responsibility to run the store in their absence. This provided me with invaluable experience whether it was through ordering stock, scheduling employee work hours, preparing payroll, reconciling lottery sales and handling the day-to-day operations. It was real life training in responsibility and in the reality of working long hours and working hard to become successful.
  
  Most of all, “The Store” gave me insight and an appreciation for the challenges that small businesses face, even more so in today’s economy.


• Cumberland County Board of Social Services (1976 – 2010)

  I had more of an education working in the world of social services and it had a huge impact on me. I was exposed, not in a bad way, to a world I had never seen when growing up. I did home visits for people recertifying their food stamp benefits and had no transportation into the office. I entered homes that many times were no more than tarpaper covered shacks with dirt floors, boards where window panes once were, leaky kerosene stoves as their main heat source, and a bed, chair and table. I will never forget my first home visit to a place like this and the gentleman was eating cold fish in water at ten in the morning. I had no idea that places like this existed in Cumberland County and it gave me a real appreciation for what I have. It also gave me compassion and empathy for people in need that has carried with me throughout my entire lifetime and helped shape who I am today.
  
  Positions held:

  • Income Maintenance Technician (caseworker) – Food Stamp Program, Child Support and Paternity Unit
  • Income Maintenance Supervisor – Welfare, Food Stamp and Medicaid Unit, Legal Department
  • Chief Investigator – Legal Unit
  • Administrator of Social Work – Social Services
  • Deputy Director of Welfare – Administration of all programs under the Director
  • Director of Welfare – Responsible for all facets of the Agency including programs and administration

  
  All of these positions provided me with the opportunity to develop both professionally and personally. My role as Director of Welfare gave me a wealth of knowledge and skills that translate to being an effective Commissioner. Some of these skills are:

  • People skills: listening and interacting, interviewing, problem solving
  • Budgets: managing a $30+ million budget and ensuring the County received all available funding
  • Personnel management: supervising 240 employees, hiring, benefits, corrective action plans, and discipline
  • Negotiations: union contracts, leases, legal proceedings, hearings, grievances, fraud prosecutions
  • Strategic planning: long-term planning, policy development, OPRA process, translating regulations into procedures
  • Purchasing: bidding processes, RFPs, RFQs, equipment evaluation, inventory control
  • Facility management: relocating offices, addressing maintenance and logistical issues
  • Collaboration: developing relationships with agencies, government officials, and community partners
  • Confidentiality: ensuring privacy and discretion in all matters