CITY OF TRENTON STATE OF THE CITY “How Far We Have Come” (2014 – Present)
Mayor Eric E. Jackson October 25, 2017
319 East State Street • Trenton, New Jersey 08608
RESTORED ORDER
The City of Trenton How Far We Have Come
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he City of Trenton is regaining its stature as a strong capital city poised for a major economic comeback. Three years ago, the City faced enormous challenges. Budget shortfalls hampered City government’s ability to provide residents with critical public services. Private investment and small business start-ups trickled. But today, Trenton’s revival is being fueled by a recommitment to integrity and ethics in City government, a renewed focus on fiscal discipline, a Mayor Eric E. Jackson dedication to provide best-in-class city City of Trenton services and strong partnerships with the private sector, philanthropic organizations and state government. As 2018 approaches, Trenton has a stronger police force, thriving new, small businesses, large investments from major corporations, and newly rehabilitated homes being occupied by first-time homebuyers and many professionals who choose Trenton to live and work. From every ward to every public school and park; from the Trenton Police and Fire Departments to the Department of Housing and Economic Development; from residents to entrepreneurs to major corporate and foundation executives, all are included in the City’s renewed energy. Trenton is progressing. Mayor Eric E. Jackson City of Trenton
Th e C i t y o f Tre n ton • 319 E ast State Stre e t • Tre nton, N ew Jersey 086 08
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STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
State of the City Address October 25, 2017
Mayor
Cabinet Members
Eric E. Jackson
Francis E. Blanco Chief of Staff
Municipal Council Members Zachary Chester West Ward Councilman/Council President Verlina Reynolds-Jackson East Ward Councilwoman/ Council Vice President
Terry McEwen Business Administrator Walter Denson Director, Law Diana Rogers Director, Housing & Economic Development Ernest Parrey, Jr. Director, Police
Alex Bethea Councilman At Large
Qareeb Bashir Director, Fire & Emergency Services
Marge Caldwell-Wilson North Ward Councilwoman
Merkle Cherry Director, Public Works
Duncan W. Harrison Jr. Councilman at Large
James Brownlee Director, Health & Human Services
Phyllis Holly-Ward Councilwoman at Large
Leslie Graham Director, Inspections
George Muschal South Ward Councilman
Ronald Zilinski Director, Finance (Retired) Henry Amoroso Acting Director, Finance
Table of Contents
Business Administration Updates
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Public Safety Updates
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Economic Development Updates
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Community Engagement Updates
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BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Creating Fiscal Responsibility
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tarting in 2014, the administration of Mayor Eric E. Jackson tackled the enormous challenge of restoring fiscal responsibility to City government. Reeling from years of mismanagement and the lingering effects of the Great Recession, the City’s $9 million budget deficit in 2015 hampered Trenton’s ability to complete vital projects, strengthen the police force and ensure the safety of its residents. Since then, the Jackson Administration has formulated and introduced three balanced budgets every fiscal year, each with a surplus: $2-million-dollars in 2015; and $5-million-dollars in 2016; and $10-million-dollars in 2017. The
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City has made tough financial decisions and exercised the discipline to implement them, including:
Restoring Trust and Partnerships •• Successfully negotiated with all 6 labor unions to reduce the need for overtime pay and minimize layoffs in the public safety departments. •• Improved relations with DCA, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Because of trust, capacity and demonstrated ability to manage the budget since 2014, DCA has not reduced its aid to the City of Trenton.
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•• Made significant progress with Greater Trenton, a public/private partnership created in 2016 to attract private capital investment to Trenton by collaborating with stakeholders in the business community.
Major Ordinances Passed
•• Implemented a shared services agreement with the Henry J. Austin Health Center to provide primary care services to 8,700 insured and uninsured residents.
The Jackson Administration has introduced more than 2,500 resolutions and 200 ordinances aimed at improving the City’s financial health and the efficiency of City government including:
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Leaving the State Health Benefits Plan, resulting in $3.6 million in savings over the past 18 months while protecting city employees’ healthcare. Reducing the need for overtime pay within the police and fire departments to keep costs low while implementing an aggressive public safety strategy. Maintaining the tax rate while adhering to conduct a citywide revaluation on more than 30,000 residential and commercial properties for the first time in 25 years. Hiring 67 new officers and recruiting another 29 before the year end who all live in Trenton.
•• The Vacant Property Registration Ordinance, which has generated more than $1 million in new revenue to support the redevelopment of housing in Trenton. •• A Clean Needles Exchange Ordinance, which is designed to reduce the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV-AIDS. •• The Tobacco 21 Ordinance, which created a national model for other municipalities by raising the age to buy tobacco to 21.
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Upgrading 900 parking meters to give residents more options to pay, increase revenue and reduce parking enforcement costs.
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Strengthening Public Safety Crime is Down in Trenton t Be Perception of It Might No ootings— ally fatal and nonfatal sh ific ec sp — me cri t len vio “… to-date versus the (are) lower in 2017 yeare drops are same period in 2016. Th percent. 20 anywhere from 10 to 25, 2017 NJ.com, September
Trenton Police Department
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he Trenton Police Department is partnering with residents, businesses and community leaders to combat crime. TPD has implemented several initiatives to reduce violent crime throughout the City. 2017 Enforcement Updates: •• Partnered with Acting State Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino to obtain $750,000 to expand the citywide camera network. New cameras are linked with Trenton stateof-the-art Shotspotter system which allows TPD to identify and respond quickly to gun crimes. 6
•• Collected more than 1,700 firearms, including hundreds of handguns through participation in the statewide gun buyback program. •• Seized more than 230 firearms via arrest, execution of warrants and investigations as of July 31, 2017. •• Implemented “surge details” to identify violent offenders involved in the uptick in violence and get them off the streets.
Community Policing TPD is committed to improving neighborhoods by strengthening trust and building relationships with residents. •• The Trenton Police Chaplaincy Program was re-activiated this year and is an asset to the department, the
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Trenton Police Department’s youth Explorers finished No. 1 statewide in the program for the second consecutive year!
City and beyond. The group’s major efforts include the Ride for Peace event and coordinating relief efforts for Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico. •• The TPD Explorers Program, which engages youth in learning about law enforcement careers graduated 31 youth in the most recent T renton Police Explorer’s class, and 12 Explorers attended the New Jersey Law Enforcement Explorers Youth Academy. •• Recruited 33 young men and women into Trenton Violence Reduction Strategy seminars, which assist individuals who want to leave the streets and become productive members of the community. •• Hosted two, five-week summer youth camps that reached more than 200 children. Officers accompanied the youth to various attractions to offer mentorship through fun.
Increasing the Force •• Since 2014, three new classes of TPD recruits have passed through the Mercer County Police Academy for a total of 67 new police officers. •• In October, the TPD will be
elcoming a new recruit class of 29 w City residents. •• To recruit more Trenton residents to become police officers, the TPD held the first citywide recruiting drive, which resulted in the creation of an Eligibility List which will assist in selection of future Academy classes.
Trenton Fire Department In October 2017, the City reached a compromise with the local firefighters’ union to reduce overtime hours, eliminating the need for 64 planned layoffs and possible closure of several fire companies. In addition to that breakthrough labor agreement, the Trenton Fire Department has: •• Hired and trained 21 new firefighter recruits. •• Took delivery of a new, state-of-theart pumper truck capable of dispensing 1,500 gallons per minute. •• Added two new incident command vehicles, a new 100-foot aerial ladder truck and a new side-scan sonar system to assist with water rescue and recovery operations. •• Launched the new Fire Explorer program in collaboration with the Boy Scouts of America to help youth explore fire safety careers.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Growing Capital in the Capital City
The ribbon cutting for Maestro Technologies celebrated the relocation of their corporate headquarters to 1 West State Street in Downtown Trenton.
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he Department of Housing and Economic Development has attracted hundreds of new businesses, rehabilitated dilapidated housing stock into hundreds of new market and affordable-rate units and coordinated the remediation of environmentally-damaged brownfield sites into green, usable and economically-productive parcels.
Business Development Updates HED’s efforts have led to a total of $334 million in new, private invest8
ment in the City of Trenton since 2014, and: •• More than 200 new businesses have opened in Trenton since 2014, including 56 so far in 2017. •• Creation of 179 new jobs through the corporate relocation of Maestro Technologies, a tech consulting and data management firm, which invested $1.7 million to move from Wilmington, DE, to 1 West State Street. •• Secured $3.2 million in funding for the Assunpink Creek “daylighting” project, an $8 million project to provide community friendly green space
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and help attract businesses and residents to Downtown.
Rebuilding Neighborhoods HED is leading efforts to transform city-owned, blighted or abandoned properties into livable housing affordable to Trenton residents: •• Since 2014, 215 city-owned properties have been sold through seven public auctions, generating more than $2.1 million in revenue for the City while making previously vacant properties available for rehab and occupancy. $25,000 to First-Time Homebuyers To assist residents interested in becoming homeowners, City Council approved HED’s new First-Time Homebuyers Program, which launched in September 2017 and offers up to $25,000 to assist with down payments, closing costs and mortgage write-down assistance.
Auction Sales Yield $2.1M
Total Revenue - $2,151,650
$614,150
$316,800
$428,100 $255,900 $157,700
$379,000
$11.5 mil to Transform Blighted Areas The City is partnering with the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency on the $11.5 million Urban Blight Removal Program, to stabilize existing neighborhoods that are currently abandoned and most in need of investment. •• Formed the Fraudulent Housing Occupancy Task Force, along with city, county and state officials to protect residents from rental scams on vacant and foreclosed properties.
Creating A Manufacturing Jobs Pipeline To support the 69 worldwide manufacturers in Trenton, the Jackson Administration created the Trenton Manufacturers Working Group, which hosted Trenton Maker’s Day to highlight the city’s manufacturers, the well-paying jobs they provide and the fact that many companies are hiring or expanding. •• More than 400 Trenton students participated in hands-on STEM activities. •• The Working Group hosted a Build It Better design competition for Trenton youth and worked with Trenton Public Schools to ensure that local graduates will meet the industry’s needs.
Mar 2016 Jun 2016 Sept 2016 Dec 16, 2016 2016 Mar 2017 Jun 2017 Mar16, 1, 2016 Jun 16, 2016 Sept 16, 2016 Mar 28, 2016 Jun 28, 2016
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Reaching Trenton’s Community
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hrough the efforts of various City departments, this administration has actively engaged residents with their government by providing numerous individuals and families with critical services since 2014.
Youth Engagement Youth have been a central focus of the administration from the Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture to the Trenton Police Department. Since 2014, the administration has made a concentrated effort to 10
ensure that the youth in Trenton are mentored, safe, empowered, engaged and productive members of the community. •• In 2015, Trenton launched its Capital City My Brother’s Keeper In itiative, which is focused on improving childhood literacy, reducing chronic absenteeism in public schools and the employability of boys and young men of color ages 16 to 25. •• The Mayor’s Summer Youth Initiative provides jobs for more than 200 young people each year. •• The Trenton Police Department partnered with the National Junior
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Tennis and Learning program of Trenton for two consecutive years. •• 2017 National Night Out brought out more than 110 community groups and neighborhoods. More than 3,000 children enjoyed Trunk or Treat and more than 2,000 residents enjoyed family fun at the Halfway to Halloween summer carnival.
Host City to Major Arts/Culture •• Punk Rock Festival •• Art All Night •• House Music Festival •• Farmers Market •• Pork Roll Festival •• Trenton Half Marathon •• Passage Theater •• Trent House Museum •• Ellarslie Museum •• Various cultural festivals including the Guatemalan, Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican and African American Pride Festival and Parade
Reducing Homelessness The City of Trenton’s ongoing efforts to eradicate homelessness include:
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•• Deploying a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Program in 2016. •• Since 2014, the Health Department has served more than 700 homeless Trentonians through the program. •• Creating the CEAS Coordinated Outreach Team (CCOT), a multidisciplinary effort to address homelessness by canvassing known hotspots to identify, engage and link homeless individuals to basic services and housing.
Protecting Public Health •• The City secured $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for lead paint abatement in 31 homes where it was hazardous to young children. •• The City secured grants of $2.5 million each from Trinity Health, the national affiliate of St. Francis Medical Center, and Novo Nordisk, an international corporation focused on diabetes care. •• The City received $1 million in renewed funding as one of three Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) in the state to address health issues including asthma, diabetes and substance abuse among Medicaid recipients. 11
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CITY OF TRENTON
319 East State Street • Trenton, New Jersey 08608