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Richard Kott

Richard “Rick” Kott is a lifelong Millville resident, Marine Corps veteran (Sergeant; Desert Storm), and a 25-year Millville Police Department veteran whose work spanned patrol, the juvenile unit, school resource officer duties, and robust community-policing programs (PAL, NFL Play 60, Explorers, youth outreach). His candidacy centers on changing City Hall’s culture toward accountability and responsiveness, strengthening public safety and police visibility, and rebuilding trust with residents.

Kott’s platform emphasizes practical basics with long-horizon planning: make the city’s website a functional hub; publish schedules (leaf/brush pickup, events, service updates); improve PR to attract residents and businesses; modernize IT; and move from “band-aids” to sustainable plans for roads, water, and sewer. He proposes clear 6-month, 1-year, 4-year, and 10-year plans so voters can measure progress.

On public safety, he wants to lift staffing and restore visible, proactive policing and community engagement, noting that visibility builds safety and cooperation. He also prioritizes listening to employees and residents—“people can accept an answer they don’t like; they won’t accept no answer at all”—and he intends to publish educational interviews with commissioners, department heads, and candidates so the public understands roles, responsibilities, and issues.

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Rating Explanation

Richard Kott

Initial transparency/accessibility view: Developing (trending upward). Kott has a substantive, unedited platform video outlining priorities and a campaign Facebook page (listed below). At this stage, we have not yet logged a dedicated campaign website, long-form interviews, or a truly public facing campaign event. What that means is that there is an upcoming event with Kott and two other candidates that is technically a fundraiser, which limits voters and the press from hearing campaign messaging without directly supporting it. It also raises the question of whether these 3 candidates are campaigning together without publicly saying so.

What would move this rating up: a central campaign site with organized agenda/issue pages; coordinated communication with the press; long-form interviews (radio/podcast/video); a truly public and advertised campaign event; and timely replies to voter/media inquiries. As those pieces appear, we’ll update the rating to reflect real-world accessibility for voters. The main benefit for voters with this candidate and many others is to engage in the action plans that describe how his campaign ideas will actually materialize if they get elected.

Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down for more in-depth information and sources.



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Richard Kott

Running for:
Millville City Commissioner
Incumbent
Challenger
Richard Kott headshot

Websites

This election is on November 4th, 2025



Transparency/Accessibility Rating: Developing (trending upward)

transparency rating gauge - developing


Campaign Video: Vision for Public Safety, Infrastructure & Community


Video Description & Key Themes

Lifelong Millville resident, Marine Corps veteran (Sergeant), and 25-year MPD veteran. Calls for culture change in government (accountability, responsiveness); stronger public safety and police visibility; improved public relations and a functional city website; sustainable long-term planning for infrastructure, water, and sewer; and ongoing transparency via public-facing interviews with city leaders and candidates. Emphasizes listening, planning, and making officials accessible while building pride and trust.

🕒 Timestamps & Topics

  • 0:00 – Introduction — Announces candidacy; authenticity and transparency.
  • 0:32 – Lifelong Millville Resident — Deep roots; family; kids educated locally.
  • 1:13 – Marine Corps Service — Sergeant; Desert Storm; discipline and leadership.
  • 1:44 – Police Career — 25 years MPD; juvenile unit; school resource officer.
  • 2:37 – PAL & Youth Programs — PAL, NFL Play 60, Explorers, cheer; 300–400 kids.
  • 3:24 – Community Policing & Homeless Outreach — Addiction/homeless services; many resources outside Millville.
  • 4:50 – Interest in Local Politics — Worked with most departments; collaborative approach.
  • 6:09 – Changing City Culture — End “It’s always been that way”; invite new ideas.
  • 8:22 – Accountability & Responsiveness — Residents deserve answers; “no answer” isn’t acceptable.
  • 9:22 – Public Safety — Visibility, staffing, tools for police/fire/rescue; rebuild trust.
  • 11:04 – Public Relations & Promotion — Better city website; proactive comms; sell Millville.
  • 12:57 – Infrastructure & IT — Roads and tech are behind; plan by sections; modernize IT.
  • 13:55 – Water & Sewer — Sustainable upgrades; stop relying on band-aids.
  • 14:39 – Long-Term Planning — Clear 6-mo/1-yr/4-yr/10-yr plans; public accountability.
  • 15:37 – Public Feedback — Hear employees/residents; follow up; communicate delays.
  • 16:39 – Future Interviews — Educational interviews with commissioners, dept heads, candidates.
  • 18:27 – Closing — Positivity, transparency, informed decisions.

Overall Agenda and Positions

  • Public Safety & Community Trust

    Restore staffing and visibility across police, fire, and rescue. Equip first responders with the tools/training they need and rebuild community trust through presence and engagement.

    Proposes/Emphasizes:

    • Increase police headcount and visible patrols (incl. foot presence on High Street) as staffing recovers.
    • Assess resource gaps across police/fire/EMS; prioritize safety-critical investments.
    • Strengthen two-way trust: visible officers → safer neighborhoods → more cooperation.

  • Public Relations, Website & Communications

    Make the city website a real tool for residents and a magnet for businesses: post schedules, events, and updates in one place; dedicate staff time so information is timely and complete.

    • Regularly publish service schedules (e.g., leaf/brush pickup) and event calendars.
    • Proactive city PR to “sell” Millville to residents, visitors, and employers.
    • Right-size staffing so employees aren’t wearing unsustainable numbers of hats.

  • Infrastructure & IT Modernization

    Move from ad-hoc fixes to a sustainable plan. Consider dividing the city into sections for systematic roadway work; modernize IT so core systems aren’t years behind.

    • Publish a multi-year roadway plan and progress updates.
    • Audit city technology; prioritize upgrades with security and service delivery in mind.
    • Coordinate infrastructure staging to minimize disruptions and maximize value.

  • Water & Sewer (Long-Horizon Planning)

    Identify immediate, near-term, and 5–10 year needs for water/sewer to replace “band-aids” with sustainable upgrades, protecting essential services and fiscal health.

    • Map urgent fixes vs. staged capital projects; communicate timelines to residents.
    • Leverage operational revenues and outside funding where feasible.

  • Governance, Accountability & Culture

    Shift from “It’s always been that way” to a culture that welcomes ideas, answers calls, and follows up. Encourage employees who go above and beyond; break down silos to serve residents.

    • Set a customer-service standard: return calls, connect residents to humans, and close the loop.
    • Recognize frontline insights; empower staff to surface practical improvements.

  • Long-Term Planning & Public Accountability

    Publish clear 6-month, 1-year, 4-year, and 10-year plans so the public can track progress and hold leaders accountable. Update plans openly as conditions change.


  • Public Feedback & Civic Education

    Create visible channels for resident/employee input and report back on outcomes. Produce short, educational interviews with commissioners, department heads, and candidates so voters understand who does what.



Background and Campaign Message

— Source: Candidate campaign video and notes

Richard “Rick” Kott is a lifelong Millville resident who graduated from Millville Senior High School (Class of 1988). He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps four days after graduation and served as a Sergeant during Desert Storm. After returning home, he joined the Millville Police Department in 1999 and served for 25 years, retiring in 2023–2024. Much of his work focused on youth and community-policing: school resource officer, juvenile unit, PAL programs, NFL Play 60, Explorers, and chaplain partnership initiatives that kept young people on track.

Kott says he’s running to change the culture of local government from “it’s always been that way” to accountability and responsiveness. He argues residents should always get a returned call and a straight answer—even when the answer isn’t what they hoped to hear. His priorities include rebuilding public safety staffing and visibility, improving city PR and the website, modernizing IT, and replacing short-term fixes with sustainable long-term plans for roads, water, and sewer.

He also plans to publish educational interviews with city leaders and fellow candidates so voters can see who handles which responsibilities, what the current challenges are, and how to measure progress over time.


Experience

Public Service & Safety

  • United States Marine Corps — Sergeant; Desert Storm veteran.
  • Millville Police Department — 25 years (patrol, juvenile unit, school resource officer; community-policing).
  • Youth Programs — Led/expanded PAL; NFL Play 60; Police Explorers; cheer; chaplain partnership for station-house adjustments.
  • Community Outreach — Homeless/addiction outreach; coordinated with regional resources beyond Millville.

Local Roots & Family

  • Lifelong Millville resident; multi-generational local ties.
  • Family with deep Millville connections; children educated locally.

Education

  • Millville Senior High School — Class of 1988.