On January 7, 2025, Pennsauken, a town in South Jersey, witnessed the swearing-in of its first Black woman mayor. Nicole Roberts, a mother of four and Pennsauken Committeewoman, worked in the township’s Municipal Building on Monday afternoon before the 61-year-old became the first African American woman to hold this position.
Pennsauken Committeewoman Roberts remarked, “It’s important to me that they see that there aren’t limitations. We can do anything, and I hope they will be inspired.”
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As this 37-thousand-person municipality unveils a new municipal building and library in the summer and a community center groundbreaking in the spring, Roberts, who has served on the elected Township Committee for four years, will take the oath of office as mayor.
The previous two years have seen a tax increase of $120 on a property valued at $140,000 after nine years without any additional taxes.
“It’s something we had to do, but we’re as responsible as we can be with the taxes we receive from our residents,” Roberts said in response to a question about the difficulty of boosting taxes to increase income in the town.
According to Roberts, Pennsauken is “built out” at little under 13 square miles, so the goal is to keep upgrading its public areas and playgrounds while concentrating on enhancing the available green space. As she creates history in this township, new Mayor Roberts also prioritizes housing and public safety.
The community’s objective to “continue to increase quality of life for our residents here in Pennsauken and we are well on our way to doing that” is in line with Roberts’ ambitions.
