Mayors Emeritus Very Active in Support of This Year’s Annual NJCM Conference  In Atlantic City  By John F. Morrissey, Chairman NJCM Mayors Emeritus Advisory Council

The NJCM Mayors Emeritus Advisory Council (MEAC) was once again very involved in this year’s Annual NJCM Conference held in Atlantic City April 9^th – 11^th, 2008.  The Mayors Emeritus were involved with presentation of the Lee Veale NJCM Spirit Award, hosted three well attended panel sessions/seminars, prepared and distributed a dozen different informative booklets, presented the NJCM Former Mayor Of The Year Awards, assisted in the registration process and manned the Mayors Emeritus exhibit booth. 

At the Wednesday evening April 9^th NJCM Board of Directors Meeting, MEAC member Former Paulsboro Mayor and Former Gloucester County Freeholder Elwood Hampton and MEAC Former Haddonfield Deputy Mayor Ted Dorn were presented the “Lee Veale NJCM Spirit Award” by Jack Morrissey, Chairman of the NJCM Mayors Emeritus.  Assisting in the presentation was Sheila Veale, Lee Veale’s widow, accompanied by the many Mayors Emeritus present.  The award is presented annually to those Mayors Emeritus who demonstrate the same level of spirit in support of the foals of NJCM as that demonstrated by Lee Veale, deceased NJCM Operations Manager.  Each recipient of the award received a beautiful, appropriately inscribed, crystal bowl that was designed and secured by Lee and Sheila Veale’s very good friends, George and Sue Quigley of GQ Associates. 

On Thursday morning, the Mayors Emeritus hosted a session for new and newer Mayors.  This session was a nuts and bolts session and provided advice, guidance and perspectives, and featured Dept. of Community Affairs Commissioner, Joseph Doria, the Government Services Division of Bowman and Company, Municipal Accountants, Steve Glickman, NJCM Labor Counsel, Barbara Hawk, Past President of the NJ Municipal Clerks Association, and Dan Mason, a Shared Services Specialist and owner of Jersey Professional Management. 

This session was well attended with plenty of useful information provided by the Panelists in response to questions from the session attendees.  Commissioner (Former Senator) Doria was especially knowledgeable and provided very current information on a host of “hot subjects.”  Mayors Emeritus Chairman Jack Morrissey made the introductions of the Panelists and moderated the session. 

A variety of booklets prepared/provided by the MEACS, including the Mayors Manual, 2008 Budget Guide, Pay to Play Rules, Financial Disclosure Statements, 2008 Tax Legislation, Property Tax Relief Programs, Property Tax Reimbursement Programs Ethics Laws, Ethics Complaints, Legislative Rosters, Legislative Process and State Website Guides were provided to the attendees at the sessions.  The Mayors Emeritus were in attendance at the sessions distributing the booklets and assisting in many other ways. 

On Thursday afternoon, the Mayors Emeritus hosted a very well attended session entitled, “Garden State Mayors: Where the Buck Stops…And Starts.”  This Panel consisted of five members of Governor Corzine’s Cabinet – Treasurer David Rousseau, DCA Commissioner Joseph Doria, DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson, DOT Commissioner Kris Kolluri and Economic Growth Chief Gary Rose.  Introductions were made by NJCM President Colleen Mahr and MEAC Chairman Jack Morrissey. 

Each of the Cabinet Members addressed current issues in their respective Departments and then the session was opened to questions and answers from the audience.  Many questions pertained to the budget cutbacks, COAH, parks and tolls.  At session’s end, Mayors were arranging meetings with Cabinet Members and their staff. 

On Friday morning, the Mayors Emeritus hosted another well attended session entitled “The 2008 N.J. State Budget and Taxes.”  The featured Panelist for this session was Speaker of The Assembly Joseph Roberts.  Co-panelists included Assemblyman and Mayor of Paulsboro John Burzichelli, Marc Pfeiffer, DCA Division of Local Government Services, Mayor Bob Bowser of East Orange City and Current President of the League of Municipalities, and Mayor Gary Passanante of Somerdale who served as moderator of this session. 

This was an extremely lively and intense session given the topic.  There was a positive give and take between the Panelists and the audience, as well as between the Panelists themselves.  All the Mayors addressing the Panel voiced their extreme discontent with the Governor’s proposed reduction in aid to municipalities with populations of less than 10,000 residents.  Many of the Mayors felt the smaller communities had already implemented shared services, joined county systems, etc. to reduce costs.  Speaker Roberts offered his view of a need for a formula to better address the equality of the reductions in aid to municipalities, a formula that would take into account the cost reduction actions already implemented by the towns.  Unfortunately this session ran over its time slot by almost a half hour with Mayors still waiting to ask questions.  Both Assemblymen had to leave to attend budget sessions in Trenton.  We salute Speaker Roberts and Assemblyman Burzichelli for making themselves available to this very “hot topic” session. 

On Friday afternoon, the NJCM Mayors Emeritus Advisory Council conducted their Annual Conference meeting.  In his capacity as the MEACS Representative to the NJCM Executive Board, Chairman Morrissey provided a report to the MEACS on the events that transpired at the last NJCM Executive Board meeting (conference call).  There was a discussion regarding the activities supported by the MEACS at the Conference and the many compliments received.  The By-Laws and Constitution of the NJCM was discussed.  In attendance at the meeting were Mayor Colleen Mahr, President of the NJCM and new NJCM Executive Director Richard Knight, both of whom thanked the MEACS for all their great support at the Conference.   President Mahr advised the MEACS that she would be appointing a Constitution and By-Laws Committee shortly for the purposes of drafting a more detailed and up to date document for presentation to the NJCM Board of Directors for approval. 

Friday evening at the Mayors’ Salute to Former N.J. Governors Reception, Mayor Emeritus Ted Wardell, former Mayor of Neptune City, and Mayor Emeritus Albert LiCata, former Mayor of Bernards Township, were each awarded the NJCM Former Mayors Award for the year 2008.  The awards were presented by NJCM Executive Officer and Mayor Emeritus Chairman John F. (Jack) Morrissey who provided details of the many community and professional activities they have continued to participate in since being Mayors as well has their significant contributions to the NJCM as member of the NJCM Mayors Emeritus Advisory Council. 

Special thanks to those MEAC volunteers who contributed so much to the planning for the MEAC activities at the Conference, the booklet compilations, printings, mailings, hauling materials, session handouts, registration assistance, manning the MEAC booth, hosting and monitoring sessions, etc. etc.  Thank you Tony and Teresa Beatrice, Ted and Betty Dorn, Mike and Mary Mevoli, Janet Morrissey, Bea Cerkez, Mike and T C Kay, Elwood and Elena Hampton, Joe and Cathy Wolk, Al LiCata, Augie Longo, Jack Tarditi, Vic Vittorino, Ted Wardell, Cathy Frank-White, Loreli Mottese and the others.  You certainly significantly contributed to the success of the 2008 Conference. 

An extra special thank you to the MEACS for their support of their Chairman and having recently re-elected him to another term as their Chairman. 

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