A long time ago I made the decision to run for council in Frenchtown Borough because I thought that I could serve my community and maybe make a difference.  I won my election, and fifteen years later, I was elected Mayor.  From such modest beginnings as an elected official in a small rural town, it is hard to believe I am now addressing my fellow Mayors as the President of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors.

I can’t describe the mixture of pride, humility and excitement I experienced upon assuming the mantle of president of this organization.  What I can say, however, is that these feelings have instilled in me a determination to do everything I can to continue, and build upon, the good work of my predecessors.

Following in the footsteps of Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer, will be no small accomplishment.  Mayor Palmer raised the proverbial bar in many ways for our organization.  I am hard-pressed to think of a single individual who did more to establish the issue of gang violence as a priority at the state and local levels of government.  Through dedication of time, perseverance, and sheer force of will, Mayor Palmer is a big reason that everyone—from the governor of our state, to a small-town Mayor like myself—is thinking about, and publicly addressing, this growing problem. I intend to keep this issue on our front-burner; it’s just too important to the well-being of our communities, and the future of our children.

Our children were the focus at our annual conference in Atlantic City in April. The program was Mayors Improving Tomorrow; Helping Kids Today. I intend to promote the idea of getting more Mayors in direct contact with our kids, going to schools, providing the children with access to us, and generally having a higher visibility with them.  As Mayors, we can and should be role models for our children. Our children need to know that they can approach us with questions and ideas. They need to grow up knowing that they are an important part of the process and will be a part of the process their entire lives. We need to inspire them to become active in their communities.

I am also determined to build on our recent efforts to increase our presence at the Statehouse in Trenton.  Mayors should have a seat at the table for policy discussions in the governor’s office and in the state legislature.  We better understand the needs of our communities as a whole, and the people who live and work in them, than anyone.  We should be involved in the policy decisions of our state government. 

We have taken a major step in that direction by the appointment of Andrew Weber and Richard Mroz to serve as Legislative Co-Counsels.  Mr. Weber served as the Chief Counsel to Governor James Florio and Mr. Mroz served as Chief Counsel to Governor Christine Todd Whitman. Their access and relationships will give us new opportunities to discuss issues with the leadership of both parties. I have already begun meeting with the leaderships and their staffs to establish the framework for us. We have opened a new door for all of our Mayors. 

As a part of this strategy, I am hopeful to get more Mayors down to Trenton to testify before the state legislature during the all-important committee hearings.  Believe it or not, legislators listen to us.  We need to make the effort to be heard.  For our part, I hope to do more to communicate to you on the big issues, so you know how and when to get involved. We need your input! My goal is to have our Legislative Committee have input into legislation BEFORE it is posted as a bill.

Finally, we need to continue to work together for property tax reform. As a Mayor, we try to keep our property taxes down by making smart budget decisions, encouraging efficiency in the provision of our services, and lobbying the legislature and the governor for state aid.  But as a Mayor, we can’t change the fundamental system of taxation in this state that makes property taxes the major problem they have become for so many people in New Jersey—our senior citizens and working families, in particular.

Only our governor and state legislature can do something about this problem.  This problem has been studied, and debated, and given a lot of lip service—but the problem has never been adequately addressed. A constitutional convention for property tax reform is our best hope to take politics out of a process that has up to now resulted in nothing but empty promises and a perpetuation of the status quo.

As Mayors, we need to stand up, together, on this and other issues.  It will be my privilege to lead you in our united efforts.  Together, I believe the Mayors of this state can accomplish anything.

Our annual conference was a success. We were honored by Governor Corzine as our keynote speaker and by having a record number of cabinet members and senior staff at our opening lunch. The Governor reconfirmed his commitment to property tax reform. I pray that he will be able to accomplish this for our citizens.

Now, lets move forward together to our children’s and our future.