Reporting on the 93rd Annual NJLM Convention

I was very intrigued by some of the seminars given at this year’s New Jersey League of Municipalities convention, which I attended in my capacity as Chief Financial Officer for the Borough of Roselle. The seminars dealing with financial issues and “greening” New Jersey were of particular interest to me, but in this post I will focus on things financial.

Oftentimes, governmental entities and non-profit organizations, e.g., hospitals and churches, seem to take the view that any property they own is exempt from taxes. Municipalities have for years given into this unlawful ownership theory, thus foregoing tax revenues to which the municipalities may be entitled. But one of the things made very clear in the seminar titled “Property tax exemption in New Jersey, issues and answers,” is the fact that tax exemption is not based on ownership but is based on use. So, properties owned by non-profits, school districts, and other governmental entities can be taxed depending on the uses to which they are put. There are four basic theories that determine whether or not a property is exempt from taxation, regardless of ownership: 1) Tax Base Theory, 2) Benefit Theory, 3) Sovereign Theory and 4) Community Theory.*

This seminar also touched on the different types of programs and incentives municipalities can use in an effort to spur economic development, i.e., Redevelopment Area Bonds or "RABs" (also known as Tax Increment Financing or "TIF"), Redevelopment Allocation Districts, and five-year tax abatements, an incentive program I discussed during my recent campaign for the city council.

Another seminar of note was the one sponsored by the State Comptroller that dealt with the need for Accountability, Transparency and Efficiency in government. This topic was one of the themes of my recent campaign. Matthew Boxer, the State Comptroller, is proposing that municipalities rotate auditing firms every 10 years. His office is currently working on developing a template that municipalities would be required to use in soliciting quotes for auditing firms. I asked the Comptroller if his office had any plans to try and identify those responsible for the disappearance of billions of dollars in school construction funds. He responding by saying that his office was looking forward, not backward, and that it would be up to the State Attorney General’s office to pursue the matter of the disappearance of school construction dollars. Given the recent court ruling regarding the Abbott funding formula, I believe it is imperative that the AG follow up on this.

All in all, the convention was very informative and packed with several interesting seminars. It was a worthwhile learning experience.

Regards,
Adrian

*NOTE: I will discuss these theories and how they impact the municipalities I serve in more detail in a future post.

Thanks to Muhlenberg for 130 Years of Dedicated Service

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of attending a Thanksgiving service at Grace Episcopal Church in Plainfield, where Rev. Carolyn Eklund is the pastor. The service was in recognition of the many people who participated in the “save Muhlenberg” movement for the past several months. Several of the attendees, including Rev. Eklund, Rev. Laverne Ball, and Rev. Jim Colvin and his wife, Rev. Sarah Colvin, lit candles in appreciation for all of the hard work, commitment, time, and effort of those who participated in the struggle to keep the hospital open.

I, too, would like to thank everyone who participated in the marathon effort to keep Muhlenberg operating as a full service hospital. Although the outcome wasn’t what had been hoped for, the efforts of the thousands of people who dedicated themselves to the cause must never be forgotten.

So, on this Thanksgiving day, let’s all pause and give thanks to Muhlenberg for its 130 years of dedicated service to Plainfield and its neighboring communities; let us give a special thanks to all of the ministers who led the battle cry for social justice, and let us thank everyone who participated in the struggle to keep Muhlenberg alive.

Finally, let us say a special prayer for President-elect Barack Obama, who has made universal healthcare one of his top priorities.

And, may we all have a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving Day!

Regards, Adrian

Thank You - "Transformational Change" is My Vision for Plainfield

Tuesday night was a night that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. It was on this night, November 4, 2008, that all Americans came together to deliver the change that the country so desperately needs. The election of Barack Obama will bring about transformational change to our nation and the world. The declaration of his victory on Tuesday night was one of the happiest moments of my life.

I will always treasure the fact that I was on the ballot with the man who will become the 44th President of the greatest nation on the face of the earth. I want to thank each and every one of you for your vote of confidence and for the opportunity to serve our great city yet again.

I ask you to join me as we embark on this journey to bring transformational change to every level of government in the city of Plainfield. Together we will work to provide leadership, services, hope and opportunity to all of our residents and to restore respect and confidence to the halls of city government. I am exited about the opportunity for us to come together to turn our city around.

I thank you for your support this past Tuesday and for the support you will provide in the future. Transformational change is what we need and transformational change is my vision for Plainfield. Let’s move forward together.

Regards,

Adrian

Voters beware

Voters beware—on the eve of this historic election, the poorly and inaccurately-designed weekend mailer from Jerry Green, chairman of the Plainfield Democratic City Committee, may end up confusing voters at my expense. In the glossy, full-sized mailer sent to voters by Jerry Green, my name is listed as being in Row 10A. In actuality, THERE IS NO 10A. My name, Adrian Mapp, is in Row 9A, the last name on the ballot in column A.

This is reminiscent of a similar occurrence in the recent June primary. During the primary, we received calls at our headquarters from 3rd Ward voters asking whether there was a deliberate attempt by the Union County Clerk to confuse voters in the 3rd Ward by placing my name in the same column as one of my opponents, something that, until then, was unheard of in primary elections. My name, along with Olive Lynch's, was placed in Column E, making it appear as if she and I were running on the same slate.

Many of you called our campaign office last spring with questions as to why this unprecedented and confusing ballot was prepared. The answer from Ms. Rajoppi was that there was not enough room on the ballot. Please note that the current ballot has many more columns than the primary. Let us be vigilant to make sure that this strange and unprecedented inconsistency does not emerge on future Plainfield ballots.

Fortunately, however, voters in Plainfield were (and are) far too smart and sophisticated about the ballot process. The Secretary of State, Nina Mitchell Wells, the official in charge of elections in the state of New Jersey, has herself stated, “Go to the polls with the utmost confidence that your vote will be counted.”

Plainfielders as well as all other Union County residents should rest assured with the knowledge that the Secretary of State will be called in to monitor any future ballot inconsistencies.

So, please note, 3rd Ward voters: my name is the last name on the ballot in column A, so please cast your vote for me as your 3rd ward councilman. Let local leaders know that you cannot be fooled or misled.

In the 3rd Ward, the local Democratic candidates running with Barack Obama and Joseph Biden (1A) are:

Annie C. McWilliams 8A
Adrian Mapp 9A

Polls are open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm!

Regards,

Adrian

Down to the Wire!

Down to the Wire

Today we stand on the precipice of history, looking at a brand new day that will dawn at the advent of 2009. That new day will begin to dawn at the rising of the sun on the morning of November 5th – we hold it in our hands. That means that we have an obligation to ourselves, to our children, and to the generations unborn to vote for transformational change; change that will bring healthcare to the 47 million who are currently without it, create jobs for those who don’t have them, revive our faltering economy, and restore our standing in the world. If this is to be, we must turn out in droves on this coming Tuesday, November 4th to vote for the next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

Take nothing for granted, don’t be swayed by the polls, and don’t be lulled into a state of complacency that might lead you to believe that your one vote doesn’t matter. Your vote does matter, and it will make the difference between the setting of the sun on the broken promises of yesterday and the rising of the sun of tomorrow in the person of Barack Obama to shepherd us through the perilous waters to get us back on solid ground.

We are now down to the wire; let’s volunteer during these last few days to get the vote out in those key states that are critical to Obama’s success.

Together let’s change America; let’s vote early on Tuesday and avoid the late afternoon/evening rush. Vote for change--vote for Barack Obama!

Regards,
Adrian

Take Responsibility, Mayor Robinson-Briggs

The recent revelation of a $1.6 million error in Plainfield’s introduced SFY2009 budget was not the greatest sin in and of itself committed against Plainfield’s taxpayers; the greatest sins were the administration’s attempt to escape responsibility by throwing the auditing firm under the bus, along with the deafening silence that can be heard from Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs.

City Administrator Marc Dashield knows that the auditor is not responsible for preparing the budget; he knows that that responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of the Chief Financial Officer. After the CFO prepares the budget, it supposed to be reviewed by the Director of Finance and then the City Administrator in consultation with the Mayor.

Was the $1.6 million error a deliberate attempt to understate the true amount of the mayor’s tax increase, given that she is already campaigning for re-election? Or was this just another in a series of financial blunders that have been evident since this administration took office? Or was this yet another attempt at deception? What ever the real motive might have been, what is crystal clear is that Mayor Robinson-Briggs and members of her administration do not know how to take responsibility for their actions. We all make mistakes on a daily basis; therefore, it is crucial for there to be checks and balances which allow us to catch our mistakes and correct them.

Thus far, we have yet to hear from the mayor, which leaves us to wonder whether she understands the potential impact of this blunder on tax payers or even if she really cares. I subscribe to the “buck stops here” philosophy of management. One should always refrain from blaming others—one should instead take responsibility for ones actions or inaction.
So, to the mayor, I say, come forward and set the record straight, speak the truth to the tax payers and take full responsibility for the failings of your administration! After all, the buck stops with you.

Regards, Adrian

Love, Honor, and Respect

I recently attended a "Green" conference, sponsored by the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) at Mercer County Community College. One of the topics touched on at this "green" conference, surprisingly, was domestic violence. The discussion centered around placing victims of domestic violence into "Green-sustainable" jobs to provide them with economic independence, thus making them less dependent on their abusive partners. I had never thought about "green" living contributing to ending domestic violence, but it makes sense. Green living is healthy. Living a life free from domestic violence is healthy as well.

I feel that it is my duty as a man to speak to those among my brothers who would abuse women. I want to take this opportunity to appeal to all men who have been abusive to women:

Think about what you are doing. Think about the example you are setting for the generation of young men who would emulate you. By your actions, you are telling these young men that it is all right to abuse the women and girls in their lives. The vicious cyle must end, and it must end with you.

Women are our mothers, our daughters, aunts, and nieces; they carry us and nurture us. They are at the core and center of our being, the givers and sustainers of our lives. They deserve to be loved, honored, and respected.

Regards, Adrian