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March 12, 2014
Trenton, NJ
New Jersey Mayors Gather to Exchange Ideas with State Leaders
Today in Trenton, 175 Mayors and other local elected
officials gathered in Trenton for the League of Municipalities’ 22nd
Annual Mayors’ Legislative Day program. Hosted by League President and
Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne M. Walters, the program opened with
presentations by Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard
Constable, Board of Public Utilities President Dianne Solomon and Chief
Advisor to the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental
Protection Ray Cantor.
Of particular importance to local officials,
Commissioner Constable promised level municipal property tax relief
funding, lower municipal employees’ pension bills and another year of
property tax increases below 2%. The Commissioner again urged
local officials to contact their state legislators on the need to make
the 2% limitation on arbitration awards permanent. President
Solomon spoke to Mayors on the need to educate consumers on the
potential benefits and dangers of third-party energy supply contracts,
the need to educate themselves on the potential benefits and dangers of
municipal energy aggregation and on the new Energy Resiliency bank for
local government building improvements. And Mr. Cantor detailed a
number of DEP’s Sandy recovery programs and on the Department’s ongoing
commitment to work with local government to streamline, expedite and
lessen the costs involved in meeting permitting requirements. After
these Executive Branch officers fielded a number of questions from the
attendees, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno gave a lively speech on
Administrative efforts to promote economic development and asked Mayors
to let her know what New Jersey can do to help specific local
businesses - large and small - continue to prosper and expand
employment opportunities.
Next, veteran NJ 101.5 State House News Correspondent
Kevin McArdle moderated a panel discussion on major state policy
matters. The panel included Mayor Walters, Assemblywoman Betty Lou
DeCroce, Camden Mayor Dana Redd, East Windsor Mayor and Immediate Past
President Janice Mironov, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert, Senate President
Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Senator Sam Thompson
and Hope Mayor and League Past President Tim McDonough. In response to
Mr. McArdle’s first question, both Senate President Sweeney and Speaker
Prieto assured the Mayors that they intended to act on an extension to
the soon-to-be expiring 2% cap on the increased costs of police
and fire contract arbitration awards. This was followed by a
discussion of the uncertainty municipalities face as a result of State
inaction on affordable housing rules and requirements. All of the panel
participants recognized the need for clarity, and specific reforms
were advanced and discussed. After a far-ranging discussion of
municipal shared services and the prospects for consolidations, Mr.
McArdle invited questions from attendees.
The program concluded with the League’s 16th Annual
Local Elected Officials Hall of Fame ceremony, recognizing the public
service of individuals who have dedicated twenty or more years of their
lives as mayors and/or local governing body members. The Honorees were
Fairview Borough Mayor Vincent Bellucci, Jr.; Wrightstown Council
President Mike Borsavage; Secaucus Councilman Emeritus John Bueckner;
Mannville Mayor Angelo Corradino; Pine Beach Mayor Lawrence Cunco; Sea
Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio; South Brunswick Mayor Frank
Gambatese; North Wildwood Mayor Emeritus William Henfey; Burlington
Township Councilman George Kozub; Netcong Councilwoman Emeritus Cecilia
Laureys; Wrightstown Council Member Laurance Lownds; Sandyston Mayor
Fred MacDonald; Wanaque Mayor Daniel Mahler; Winslow Mayor Emeritus
Dominic Maiese; Glen Gardner Councilwoman Carol Morton; Point Pleasant
Beach Mayor Emeritus Jack Pasola; Lebanon Township Committeewoman
Patricia Schriver; Allentown Council President Michael Schumacher;
Lawnside Councilman Clifford Still, Sr.; West Caldwell Mayor and League
2nd Vice President Joseph Tempesta, Jr.; Glen Gardner Councilman
Steven P. Yaros; Jefferson Township Council President Richard Yocum
and Southampton Mayor James Young, Sr.
* * * *
For further information contact: William G. Dressel, Jr., Executive Director at 609-695-3481, extension 122 or 609-915-9072.
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