Mayor's Messages
Organization Day Message - January 1, 2012
2011 marked a year where the Township Committee and administration were tasked with a set of clearly defined goals and objectives. Our number one objective was to fully comply with the newly enacted property tax cap. Despite the headwinds of a continued downward economy and with very little assistance from the Democratic controlled majority in Trenton in passing the necessary reforms, we achieved that fully compliance by delivering a budget that cut approximately $4million in spending without sacrificing any essential services. Changes implemented in our health insurance program far exceeded the newly mandated contributions, helped to save hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2011 and will save millions for the taxpayers of Middletown in years to come. We embarked on a solar initiative in conjunction with the Monmouth County Improvement Authority that we believe will help save significant dollars in energy costs while advancing Middletown’s Green Initiative. Working together with our Board of Education and with our neighboring municipalities we embarked on additional shared service agreements that will continue to maximize efficiency and revenue for all parties. As we close the book on this year, I would like to thank the Committee, administration, professionals, employees, and volunteers for helping us achieve the major goals and objectives that we outlined in 2011.
While the calendar may have changed, the overall priority of this Committee and administration will remain the same: fully complying with the Governor’s property tax cap. In order to achieve this we must continue to re-evaluate and re-examine all municipal programs and services to determine cost effectiveness and efficiency. We must also continue to implement the necessary changes to insurance and benefit plans to find savings where possible. During these tough economic times, everything must always be on the table and we will continue to find ways to make sure that we are delivering core, essential governmental services at the most effective and efficient levels.
Last year may forever be remembered as the year of the natural disaster. Through the many blizzards, earthquake or Hurricane Irene, municipalities faced the challenge of communication though a tremendous amount of adversity. Many lessons were learned and many changes were made including the establishment of Middletown’s Emergency Command Center located in Town Hall. The command center which goes on-line prior to a major storm event, provides all essential personnel from police, fire, EMS, OEM, public works, public information and administration the ability to coordinate efforts, respond faster and helps to provide real time information such as road conditions and emergency alerts to residents in a much more timely fashion. We must continue to enhance our ability to communicate with residents through our website, text messages, emails, phone and social media to provide them the most up-to-date information that we have available during emergency situations. I would urge all residents to sign up for our text and email alerts by visiting our municipal website as soon as possible.
Volunteerism and community participation has and always will be a staple of our community. Our volunteer groups and organizations are truly what make Middletown a special place to live, work and raise a family. As a Committee, we must continue to support and foster new volunteer groups and organizations that can have positive impacts on our quality of life. Last year the Township Committee with the help of our police department, helped to support two new neighborhood watch groups. In both the Ideal Beach and the Fairview sections of town, we have begun to see the positive impacts that these groups, working in conjunction with our police department, can have on our community. I encourage other neighborhoods to follow this model and look forward to supporting more of them in the coming year.
As everyone is aware, one of the mostly highly visible cuts to our budget last year was Middletown Day. Although it was fully funded by outside donations in 2010, the planning and execution of Middletown Day was handled by a full-time staff of recreation employees. This option is no longer available to us. Our goal for 2012 is to bring back Middletown Day by establishing a Middletown Day Committee of public volunteers. This committee will be responsible for the fundraising, planning, and execution of the event. Middletown Day should be an opportunity for us to help showcase our small businesses and other organizations in town through our Buy Middletown initiative. Together, we should be able to bring back an event that brings us together to celebrate our community and everything that makes this community special. I would urge anyone who is interested in serving on this committee to contact my office at Town Hall or to send your information through the Talent Bank from our website.
I’d like to also take a moment to recognize the many volunteers in attendance today that have been appointed to our various boards and commissions. I’d like to especially recognize and thank the many men and women who make up our fire, first aid and all other volunteer organizations throughout the township. What truly makes Middletown a special place to live is the great sense of community that these fine men and women encompass.
In closing, I’d like to wish the residents of Middletown a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year. While we continue to face some very significant challenges, the governing body and township administration remains steadfast in our commitment to keeping Middletown Township one of the top places to live in the great United States. May God Bless America and may God Bless Middletown Township.
