New Dems Campaign Headquarters Now Open!

Hello, Friends, I would like to invite you to the opening of our Campaign Headquarters this afternoon. I will be laying out my vision for Plainfield's Future, and you will be able to meet me and my running mates Rick Smiley (for Assembly), and the Democratic City Committee candidates from YOUR neighborhoods. Be a part of the positive change Plainfield needs!

Plainfield's Grassroots Democratic Movement
Invites You to Get Involved!

Meet the Candidates
Share Our Vision for the Future

Today, April 18th
2:00 - 4:00 PM
New Democrats Campaign Headquarters
117 Watchung Avenue (bet. 2nd & Front Streets)
Refreshments - Music - Voter Registration

Passing the Budget: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Of the 51 municipalities in the state of New Jersey operating on a fiscal year (July 1st – June 30th), only seven have already passed their budgets as of last week; the others are awaiting a decision on the pension deferral legislation and extraordinary aid. The reason most, if not all, the other 44 municipalities have not adopted their budgets is because they all have levy cap problems, and municipalities with levy cap problems have to apply to the Local Finance Board (LFB) for a waiver. If a waiver is not granted, municipalities would have to reduce their budgets by the amount by which the budget exceeds the levy cap. In the case of Plainfield, that number is just over $3 million. Currently, the LFB will not hear any applications for waivers until a decision is made on the pension deferral legislation and on extraordinary aid.

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has been urging the council to accept the 50% pension deferral, suggesting that this is the only feasible way to ease the property tax burden on our residents. This "urging" is misplaced, however, because based on the way the legislation is currently written, municipalities will not have a choice to defer or not to defer--deferral will be mandatory.

A 50% deferral for Plainfield will equate to $2.7 million, leaving Plainfield with a need for approximately $300,000 to get below the levy cap and avoid the need to go before the LFB for a waiver. It is likely that Plainfield will receive extraordinary aid to the tune of at least $300,000.

So, as it stands, Plainfield and other municipalities are between a rock and a hard place: they are over the levy cap and they need a waiver from the LFB. They can’t get a hearing for a waiver from the LFB because of the pending pension deferral legislation and a decision on extraordinary aid. Therefore, Plainfield cannot adopt its budget in its present form; the budget would have to be cut by a minimum of the amount by which it exceeds the levy cap, which is just over $3 million.

Between a rock and a hard place is not a good place to be, especially in these harsh economic times. However, tough times call for tough decisions and tough love.

It’s time for the mayor and council to make the tough decisions.

Regards,
Adrian

Plainfield Residents Need a CAR

Much has been made about the twenty-four hour use of city-owned cars by City Administrator Marc Dashield and Public Safety/Police Director Martin Hellwig. I am in total agreement with all who view the twenty-four hour use of city cars by certain department heads as an unnecessary perk. I voted “No” on twenty-four hour city car use by Messrs. Dashield and Hellwig. I believe that my vote was reflective of the views of most Plainfield residents, who, from the comments I have received thus far, feel that these officials should commute from their homes in their own vehicles.

However, although I remain opposed the twenty-four hour car use by municipal employees whom I feel don't need it, I am in favor of Plainfield residents having a CAR 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

The CAR I am referring to is an online tool that I am proposing, which I call a Citizen’s Assistance Request (CAR). Citizens would use it to request services from the city and as a vehicle to grade the performance of elected officials and department heads. It would be available on the city’s website to every Plainfield resident who has access to the Internet (there is free Internet access at the library).

Such a CAR would require the mayor and council to be more responsive to citizens’ requests for services. Plainfield residents using a CAR on a 24/7 basis would be able to do the following:

· Request city services
· Grade the performance of elected officials
· Grade the performance of department heads and staff
· Provide constructive feedback and suggestions
· Register as a volunteer

The City Administrator would be responsible for monitoring all CARs and for providing swift responses to citizens requesting city services.

In the interest of transparency, the grades assigned by citizens to the performance of their elected officials would be published on a regular basis. This would be one sure way of making Plainfield’s government more accountable and responsive to the needs of its citizens.

Let's provide all Plainfield residents with a 24/7 CAR!

Regards, Adrian

Safety Should Drive Decision on Bryant Park Playground

Bryant Park Playground is a city-owned park located a couple of blocks east of Plainfield’s City Hall. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Bryant Park Playground for the purpose of reviewing the planned location for a bathroom facility and field house. I was later invited to, and consequently attended, a meeting of the East Sixth Street Block Association to hear the concerns of the residents in the area about the proposed improvement to the park.

Based on the information provided to me, I have some concerns, which I hope the council and administration can work together to address before moving forward with the planned improvement in its present form. I am of the view that the council needs to take another look at the plan and have some further discussions with the administration before moving forward. I feel this should be done as a matter of urgency for the following reasons:

• Safety should be the paramount concern and it should drive the decision more than any other consideration.
• Aesthetics should also be a consideration—meaning both the aesthetics of the park and those of the surrounding neighborhood.
• 
  We should be very careful not to let the desire to save an $85,000 grant cause us to make a bad decision.
• 
  We should not site the facility in a way that would cause neighborhood safety to be in any way compromised.
• 
  Placing the structure along the southern border of the park (as currently designed) could obstruct the view of police officers patrolling the neighborhood.
• 
  Placing the structure on the southern side might encourage individuals to gather on its northern side, facing the park, out of the view of watchful neighbors and law enforcement; safety would be compromised.
• 
  Safety will not be compromised by placing the structure along the fence on the eastern side; this would seem to make the most sense.
• 
  The preservation or the enhancement of safety in the neighborhood is more important than saving the grant. Furthermore, another appeal should be made to the state of New Jersey to extend the grant one more time.

The East Sixth Street Block Association voted overwhelmingly at its January 8, 2009 meeting to support the construction of the bathroom facility and field house as one unit and to have it constructed on the eastern perimeter of the park.

I hope that both the council and the administration can work together in collaboration with the neighborhood block association, and with the urgency that is required, to make the right decision in the interest of public safety and in the best interest of the city.

Regards,

Adrian

Transformational Change in Plainfield

Dear Residents,

First, let me begin by thanking the Almighty Creator, through whom all things are possible and to whom I owe everything; second, let me thank the people of Plainfield for the trust, confidence and faith they have in me by returning me to this august body to do their will. Also, so that I may return safely into the household of the most important ladies in my life, I must thank my lovely wife, Amelia, and our beautiful daughters, Shermona and Ayisha, for standing by my side each and every step of this journey.

Also, I would be remiss if I did not express the joy I felt at being on the same ballot as new At-Large Councilwoman Annie McWilliams, the daughter of my late friend and former mayor, Albert T. McWilliams, and our President, Barack Obama.

When I decided in the spring of 2008 to run for the office of councilman of the 3rd Ward, it was at the urging of people who felt that I had a contribution to make to this city that we all love so much. Having served on the council previously and believing in the call to service, I felt compelled to answer the call.

For the next two months, along with my campaign team and a dedicated group of volunteers, I knocked on most of the doors of 3rd Ward residents and spoke with many of our citizens, most of whom voiced concerns about our city. Those concerns focused on quality of life issues, the terrible condition of our roads, ever increasing property taxes, and the apparent lack of transparency and accountability in government.

It is clear to me that we, as elected officials, cannot continue the same patterns of behavior and expect different results. We must be creative in our approaches and we must seek out innovative solutions to the challenges we face. All elected officials must be willing to make sacrifices and must be comfortable making the hard but necessary choices so that our government can be more efficient and cost effective. We as leaders must lead, and we must do so by example; we must be agents of transformational change.

I therefore propose the following:

1) I will decline all health benefits coverage from the city, for an annual savings to the city of $14,500; furthermore, I will not be accepting the opt-out cash payment. I encourage my colleagues to give this some consideration.

2) We must be professional and fair-minded in all that we do, and must work to restore confidence in local government through strong fiscal management that will lead to the elimination of waste and the creation of opportunities. To that end, let us incentivize existing businesses through the creation of legislation that will encourage them to expand their operations in the city, thereby creating additional jobs and expanding our commercial tax base.

These are but a few of the ideas that I would like this governing body to consider over the course of our next 100 days.

The time for us to act is now, the cause for which we must act is fair and just, and the reason for us to act is dollars and sense. We have a great opportunity to bring transformational change to the city of Plainfield, and we must embrace it. We must all tighten our belts and share in the fiscal sacrifices necessitated by today's harsh economic realities with prudent austerity measures.

In closing, let me leave you with this final thought. Just about five miles down the road south of us, the great Thomas Edison once remarked, “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Well, my fellow residents, it's time to tighten the straps of our collective overalls--opportunity awaits!

Thank you and may God bless you in this new year and always.

Regards,
Adrian

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