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- Gina Genovese and NJ consolidation will be a segment on NJTV tonight on their news program. Check it out!!
- Yes I have been hacked. Reported it to Twitter. Thanks
- @connectnj we are working with 12 groups of towns around the state Taxpayers and local officials will make consolidation happen in NJ We ...
- The consolidated Princetons are now working on saving 30 million tax dollars for the next 10 years. What is your town working on??
- Municipal consolidation in NJ is the only way to reduce our taxes and increase services. Just ask the Princetons! They are leaders for NJ
- NJ brags about a 2.4% property tax increase but we are still paying more money and getting fewer services.
- @TheSicilian33 you are exactly right. 2012 will be the year that NJ will start the consolidation movement Something to watch!
- The 2% cap is forcing local governments to look into creative options. They are running out of surplus to make their budgets.
- After another meeting with local officials it is becoming apparent that consolidation addresses the problems towns are facing.
- 10 reflections on 2011, hopes for new year from Morris notables http://t.co/7RUP5bIE
Welcome
Courage to Connect NJ educates
the public and elected officials in New Jersey
about municipal consolidation
by merging towns into town clusters for improved efficiency and savings.
Join us at our
Municipal Consolidation Workshop for
Elected Officials and Citizens
Courage to Connect NJ is hosting a statewide workshop March 28 for residents and local officials to learn how to start the municipal consolidation process in their towns. We will walk you through the state-directed steps outlined in our Guidebook and share the successes and lessons learned throughout the state.
Wed. March 28, 2012, 7:45am-noon
Days Hotel and Conference Center
(Just off Interchange 9 of the New Jersey Turnpike)
195 New Jersey Rte. 18
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Workshop Schedule
7:45-8:30am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:00am Welcome and Introduction to Consolidation
- Gina Genovese,Executive Dir. Courage to Connect NJ
- Andrew Bruck, Esq, Research Dir. Courage to Connect NJ
9:00-10:00am Petition and Resolution Process Panel and Q & A
- Dan Keashen, Chief of Staff to Cherry Hill Mayor Platt
- Anthony Perno, Merchantville Councilman & Commissioner
- Bob Stocker and Greg LaVardera, Citizen co-chairs of Merchantville Connecting for the Future
10:10-11:30am Princeton Consolidation Study Commission
Successes and Lessons Learned – Panel and Q & A
- Chad Goerner, Princeton Township Mayor
- Anton Lahnston, Commission Chair from Princeton Borough
- Bernie Miller, Princeton Township Committeeman & Commissioner
- Alice Small, Commissioner and Community Engagement Subcommittee member
- Liz Lempert, Township Committeewoman & Unite Princeton Campaign member
11:30-12noon Comprehensive Q & A and technical assistance to
begin a consolidation effort in your community.
Register Now!
Ledger Live’s Brian Donohue answers the question – “Will your town lose its identity if it merges?”
Second Edition of the CTC-NJ Guidebook Released!
CTCNJ Guidebook Second Edition
Click here or on the image to download this newly updated Second Edition of the Courage to Connect NJ Guidebook: The Tools for Municipal Consolidation in New Jersey. When the Guidebook was originally released in January 2011, this groundbreaking publication became the first document in New Jersey’s history to provide citizens and policymakers with an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide to municipal consolidation.
In response to overwhelming demand, CTC-NJ has released a second edition, with a discussion of recent changes in New Jersey’s consolidation laws, as well as additional facts and figures.
Among the updates:
- An overview of Senate Bill 2465, which Governor Chris Christie signed into law on April 27, 2011. The legislation makes it easier for local groups to initiate a municipal consolidation study;
- A discussion of the “Woodbridge Model,” which lays out CTC-NJ’s vision for more efficient, more streamlined communities in New Jersey; and
- An explanation of the “Courage to Connect NJ Community Challenge,” a new program to finance the state’s first-ever consolidation study for a group of five or more towns.
- The Guidebook Templates, which gives you the nuts and bolts of organizing a consolidation campaign. It has everything you need, including sample press releases, talking points, draft op-eds, and much more.
- Media Training Guide, which offers strategies and suggestions for creating a clear and consistent message about your consolidation efforts.
All materials produced by CTC-NJ are available in hard copy and electronic formats.
Is it necessary for NJ to have
566 separate municipal governments?
What are the consequences of supporting this structure?
You can start the discussion in your town!
Contact Gina at gina@couragetoconnectnj.org to learn more,
sponsor a presentation, set up a date, and be part of the movement.
Courage to Connect NJ Celebrates Successes of 2011
and Looks Forward to a Landmark 2012
2011 Milestones
- CtoC-NJ logged 15,000 miles around New Jersey, making dozens of community presentations in 7 counties around the state, sponsored by citizens as well as county and local-elected officials.
- Gov. Christie signed legislation that made it easier for citizens to partner with local officials in an adjacent town to start a municipal consolidation campaign.
- Cherry Hill and Merchantville were granted state approval to create a study commission to study consolidation of the two municipalities.
- Citizens in Merchantville have become mentors to help grassroots groups in other communities begin the municipal consolidation process.
- On Nov. 8th the Princetons voted to become one town, proving New Jerseyans are willing to take bold steps to eliminate redundant government
- Scotch Plains and Fanwood became the first dual citizen groups to initiate petitions and collect enough signatures to form a municipal consolidation committee, a key step in the process.
- New Jersey’s low voter turnout in the Nov. 8th election reduced the number of signatures required for a petition to start the consolidation process. As few as 100 signatures may be enough in your town. Ask us for the exact number.
Goals and Visions for 2012
- Scotch Plains and Fanwood will be the first consolidation application initiated by the citizens in both communities to be approved by the State.
- Nine groups around New Jersey will take the first steps toward consolidation.
- The first multi-town consolidation effort will be initiated.
- New Jersey will spark consolidation movements in states across the country.
Be a part of the change. Be a part of the solution.
Gina Genovese, Executive Director, Courage to Connect NJ
This video ’Can New Jersey Connect?’ introduces the concept of connecting communities where multiple distinct towns share an administrative structure. Mayor McCormac of Woodbridge Township explains how the ten towns in his township function under one government but they each maintain their own sense of community. Interviews with residents of the township show how each neighborhood retains its own name and feel. The film takes you to the stores of Iselin, the streets of Colonia and the Tide Watchers Club in Sewaren to show the richness and diversity of New Jersey and how we can keep that diversity without separate costly governments.