On
December 6, 2006 at Fairleigh Dickinson University,
Hackensack, and on February 13, 2007 at Richard
Stockton College, Pomona, The New Jersey Conference
of Mayors presented two economic redevelopment
interactive summits on the state of New Jersey’s
suburbs. These conferences were open-dialogue,
policy-shaping forums attended by New Jersey mayors,
policy makers and the business community to help
shape the state’s suburban economic development
policy.
The Business Community was represented by:
New Jersey Business & Industry Association
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce of Atlantic/Cape May
Counties
New Jersey Industry Council
Governor Corzine, on
September 7, 2006 unveiled his Economic Growth
Strategy Report. It included a number of significant
initiatives including:
1.
creating partnerships with state’s businesses
2.
developing a “world-class” workforce
3.
promoting infrastructure investments
4.
developing new technologies
5.
encouraging small, minority and women owned
businesses
6.
increase global competition
Mayors throughout
New Jersey started to address many issues that face
the older suburbs, including, housing, roads, water,
sewer and other infrastructures built over 50 years
ago. Mayors from the newer suburbs raised concerns
over traffic congestion, education costs, and
affordable housing.
The New Jersey Conference of Mayors, through its
leadership, determined that these issues facing the
suburban Mayors should be addressed based upon the
Governor’s economic growth initiative. With the
assistance of
Chris Carew,
from the Office of Economic Development, a broad
agenda was developed culminating in two Summits
located in higher education institutions of North
and
South Jersey.
The Summits served as a forum to seek policy-forming
input from the following areas:
1.
Strategic targeting of infrastructure investments
2.
Support and growth of small businesses
3.
Support and expansion of high growth industries
4.
Coordination of Brownfields Programs to encourage
redevelopment
5.
Supporting creation of workforce housing
The Economic Summits were developed with three goals
in mind:
1.
To provide information to the Governor’s Economic
Development Growth Plan.
2.
To provide an opportunity to voice opinions of and
alternatives to this Plan directly to the Office of
Economic Growth.
3.
To facilitate a dialogue and policy discussion on
suburban economic issues
In order to meet these goals, a survey was prepared
by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors and provided
to the Mayors (or their representatives) who
attended the two summits. The questions were based
upon five issues:
1.
Infrastructure investment
2.
Small businesses
3.
High growth industries
4.
Brownfields redevelopment
5.
Workforce housing
In addition, the survey sought opinions on two other
areas:
1.
Other economic development issues that affect
municipalities.
2.
Economic development impact on local taxes
The Survey results were divided between the North
and
South Jersey
venues and were provided to the Governor at the NJCM
Annual Conference on
April 20, 2007. They indicate the following two
points:
1.
Targeting infrastructure investments and the growth
of small businesses are the two most important
issues facing both North and South Jersey Mayors.
2.
North Jersey
is concerned with creating more workforce housing
and high growth industries while
South Jersey
wants to encourage more Brownfields development.
In terms of other economic development issues, the
Mayors suggested the following:
1.
Continuation of the UEZ Program
2.
Attracting more retail in downtown areas
3.
Development of greater mass transportation
throughout North/Central Jersey.
4.
Focus on Quality of Life issues.
5.
Expand the economic development emphasis to include
Urban communities
NCJM is now planning more Economic Summits to
address other issues facing New Jersey Mayors. They
include housing, infrastructure and communications.
Copies of the Economic Survey can be obtained
through the NJCM Trenton office.
