UPDATE: Mayor Jerry Fried returned our call and discussed the state’s decision regarding transitional aid. See below for his statement.
Montclair was one of three towns who were completely denied state funding, and given a total of $0 in financial relief. Yes, $0 — as in nothing.
Along with 14 other NJ towns, Montclair applied for financial aid from the state’s new program, called Transitional Aid to Localities (Transition Aid), designed to provide funding to “fiscally stressed municipalities” for the calendar year 2011. The 20 page application — which was submitted by the town council under the name of Township Manager Marc D. Dashield on time for the July 16 deadline — requested $1 million in aid. Most towns got some of what they requested, though none got the entire amount. The only three whose applications were completely denied were Montclair, Norwood and East Newark.
When asked for clarification regarding the total lack of funding, Lisa Ryan, spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), said this in an email to Baristanet:
We recognize that all municipalities and their property taxpayers are facing difficulties in these trying economic times. However, limited funding made it impossible to provide Transitional Aid to all applicants. There was no one disqualifying factor with respect to Montclair’s application, but other applications were deemed stronger. No applicants received the amount they requested and several municipalities did not receive funding at all.
According to Cary Africk, Montclair has a good story to tell, and he wonders if the $0 came as a result of a less than stellar application. “An important question on the application was deliberately left blank,” said Africk, referring specifically to section XII, which asked if Montclair would enter into a “memorandum of understanding” — which would basically introduce the possibility of state government oversight into the administering of the funds, Africk explained. “There’s a reluctance to let the state be too involved with the running of our town. Montclair wants to run the town for Montclair. I believe that $1 million is a lot of money, and if the state wants to have some input, maybe they know something that would help us.” Baristanet left messages for Mayor Jerry Fried for comment, but didn’t hear back.
At last night’s town council meeting, the transitional aid — or lack thereof — was discussed. Baristanet reporter Kristie Cattafi was at the meeting as the conversation moved forward towards finalizing a budget for 2010. The passing of the budget has been in a holding pattern, awaiting news of the possible influx of the $1 million.
“The transitional aid would have been additional funding,” Township Manager Marc Dashield said last night after the town council meeting ended. “We didn’t lose anything.”
Now that Montclair has officially been denied the aid, the long-awaited 2010 budget can proceed. The town is planning to hold a special meeting to adopt the budget on Monday Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.
In general, and reflecting on this recent unsuccessful attempt at funding, Africk thinks Montclair should be more aggressive about securing grants for the town. “We have to go all out and do our best work when these opportunities arise,” he said. “We need to recognize that we’re in a financial crisis and take the situation very seriously.”
Mayor Jerry Fried says that there was nothing flawed about the application the town submitted to the DCA, and blamed the lack of funding on Montclair’s misleading demographic average. “Montclair is seen as an affluent community, but our average income doesn’t properly represent the economic diversity of the town,” he explained. “With 17% of our students receiving free or reduced lunch programs, we know that many Montclair families are living at or below the poverty line. However, when you look at our statistics, compared to a town like Asbury Park, we’re not going to appear as needy. In this particular application process, there was no flexibility to present ourselves outside the confines of the written submission, so we show up as a very wealthy community.”
“Needless to say, we’re disappointed that we didn’t get any money, but it wasn’t a big surprise,” Fried continued. “We weren’t counting on this money and it hasn’t hurt us that we didn’t get it. Our departments have been functioning as if we didn’t have it, so the idea that we lost anything isn’t accurate. We never had it.”
As an additional point of interest, Terry Reidy, Asbury Park’s city manager is the former Montclair town manager.
To see a full list of the transitional aid awards, click here.
Reporting for this story was done by Kristie Cattafi and Erika Bleiberg
I guess this particular white knight is not going to save us from ourselves. Perhaps we’d better do it?
Quick, Mayor Fried: get on a plane to China!
“maybe they know something that would help us.”
The Africk motto. “Maybe someone, anyone, (somebody please!) could tells us what to do?”
It’s probably good we didn’t get the million, we’d have only blown it on consultants anyway.
Again, the Town Manager and Mayor have disappointed the Montclair residents by their inability to lower the financial burden of the citizens of Montclair. Who will Mayor Fried and Mr. Dashield blame and point their fingers at over the rejected Transitional Aid application? They have nobody to blame but themselves and should accept the responsibility for yet again, another failure.
Oh by the way, I love the glib response from Mr. Dashield “The transitional aid would have been additional funding,” Township Manager Marc Dashield said last night after the town council meeting ended. “We didn’t lose anything”
“which would basically introduce the possibility of state government oversight into the administering of the funds, ”
something stinks.
The bigger question Dazed, it the BS process of the state dolling out “transitional money” money in the first place. It’s a crock. If the state has money to “give back” to local government for its continued operation, then the state should not have collected the money in the first place. We pay tax to the state only so we can jump like hungry puppies to get some of it back?
It’s a crock.
The state should only collect money to run the state and the municipalities should levy taxes to run the municipalities.
If you want responsible government and if you want the buck to stop someplace the spenders of tax money should be the collectors of tax money so that its spending and collecting are directly linked.
Of course then, politicians like Africk would have to make their own decisions about governance without someone else to blame.
While it doesn’t appear at this time that the completeness of our application led to the rejection, my suggestion is simply this:
If you have an opportunity for funding, go all out. Do a GREAT job. Why not call on your elected state representatives and ask them if they can help make your case.
We went all out for the Liberty Mutual $10,000 for the July 4th Fireworks and we won that.
We went all out for our $25,000 award that we’ll use for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.
We go all out for complete streets and bike lanes.
Let’s go all out for every source of funds.
After all, as ROC would even acknowledge (I think), it’s OUR money (i.e. taxes).
Cary Africk
You would think the town “leaders” might have learned something when Christie screwed the town out of school aid. Perhaps it might have occurred to them that the town should sober up, drink some black coffee and try and stand up on its own two wobbly drunkard feet, rather continuing to lay in the gutter begging quarters.
It’s the taxes, stupid.
“While it doesn’t appear at this time that the completeness of our application led to the rejection.”
“[Africk] wonders if the $0 came as a result of a less than stellar application. “An important question on the application was deliberately left blank,” said Afrik (sic)”
So which is it Cary?
Trying to walk that one back?
(This is good. We’re firing on a couple of cylinders here, at least. I’m going to step out, grab a cup of coffee and a 700 calorie muffin, and when I come back I want to see at least 50 comments on this thread…)
If the state has money to “give back” to local government for its continued operation, then the state should not have collected the money in the first place. – RoC
Thank you RoC! This has been my point exactly, all along! I felt that way when we got checks from the Feds during the Bush years, and when we got that homestead rebate check from NJ. For the love of heaven! If you don’t take my money in the first place, you wouldn’t have to send it back in a pretend appeasement of taxpayer anger!
Hubby on the other hand has a different view – better to actually get some dollar bills back, then keep sending an increasing amount to government just so that they can waste it.
“Hubby on the other hand has a different view – better to actually get some dollar bills back, then keep sending an increasing amount to government just so that they can waste it.”
That’s the plan. “Tax and shuffle around” It’s a shell game. You feel lucky that your township “gets some back”. They’ve discovered the perfect waste formula. Take your money and then let you have some of it back if you jump through the appropriate hoops.
We need a constitutional amendment which says taxes can only be leveled by the government which spends it.
“taxes can only be levied by the government which spends it”
That’s simple, ROC.
I initially wondered aloud to Baristanet about the possible implication of leaving questions out.
They contacted the state, and got an answer that seems to infer it had nothing to do with our application or whether it was complete.
HOWEVER, “all” I’m saying is this (and I tell it to my kids in school, among others).
When you have an opportunity to show off your work, do the best you’re capable of doing. If you have a report, make it a great piece of work. Do 110% of the job. DO NOT do the “minimum” to get by.
Our application was rushed and jammed into a few days. Maybe a better case could have been made? Maybe additional charts, data, etc. could have been incorporated?
If you have an art contest, or a writing contest, Do you submit the minimum? If you’re playing football do you give a minimum performance?
Cary Africk
Holy Crap! 11 million of the total 18 million (meaning 61%!) went to one town: Asbury Park.
Did you notice Erika? Did you ask Lisa Ryan about that? Kinda of “jumps” off the page, that one….
I tried to give “110%” once, but was only able to muster 100%.
ROC is speaking the truth!!! I’ll simply associate myself to his comments.
“I initially wondered aloud to Baristanet about the possible implication of leaving questions out.”
One of the things I tell my kids is if you publicly “wonder aloud” if someone else blew it, you’d better be right.
I watched the meeting last night. In looking at the important council votes, Rene appears to be replacing Murnick in the exclusive Fried Five club.
I’m surprised no one is discussing the controversial appointment of Insley who is a board member of BlueWaveNJ, to the position of Montclair Municipal Judge. Mayor Bike Boy once again putting recommendations made by the police chief, our former judge and many other high ranking town leaders and organizations aside to make sure that global sustenance triumphs once again. As Montclair burns, Fried continues to expend all of his energy on saving the planet. Pathetic!
It amuses the hell out me that a liberal town like Montclair that advocates liberal government and liberal policies suddenly isn’t feeling too liberal about “state government oversight into the administering of the funds” but wanted the funds anyway. You either want the government in your life or you don’t. Liberal Montclair wants government money but then becomes all Conservative about government oversight. You can’t make this stuff up.
Liberal Montclair would have gladly taken the funds and guidance from a liberal governor. Not from that nasty Republican Chris Christie. That would be like accepting blood money. I imagine our new municipal judge would agree. >10% municipal tax increase during a recessionary economy. At least Gray Russel will have a place to plug in his car downtown. Pathetic.
Stop relying on one time revenue shot in the arms. They’re nice but only delays the inevitable.
Would you give money to an entity with a fiscal background like our town ?
~70 mil yearly budget, ~200 mil debt; no plan on how to pay down the principal and no plan on how manage revenue short-falls aside from raising taxes.
Remember folks, our council could not not even anticipate a revenue-short fall in 2008 and 2009.
Everyone knows the old joke about the sales guy, the marketing guy and the engineer? Our council is like the marketing guy……
Just what is the “transition” this money is supposed to aid?
From profligate, irresponsible spending towards reason, responsibility and sanity?
Or just the transition from one year of spending more than we take in to the next?
Thomas Neff the director of the Division of Local Government Services (the agency which dolled out the dough) was on the school board in Lake Como NJ and the Monmouth Regional District which are very near Asbury Park.
I’m not alleging anything, but some enterprising reporter should ask Mr. Neff why his home area is getting 61% of the funds.
There’s a good reason why a liberal governor wasn’t elected and why a conservative one was, stu, and Gray Russel might have to ride a bike downtown because they’re paving the parking lots and putting up a paradise of sorts, which won’t help businesses if there are even fewer parking spaces, but hey, all you can do is happily watch the show unfold.
“Holy Crap! 11 million of the total 18 million (meaning 61%!) went to one town: Asbury Park.”
I’ll see your “holy crap”, ROC, and raise you a “huh wha?”
P.S. Like the new avatar! Even more subtle than mine.
Maybe the state saw how we spent $65,000 on a motivational speaker for the football team.
West Orange, 0% increase. Montclair 10.5%. Is this progressiveness?
Look at all the other “prestigious” towns on the list. Not a single other town in Essex County was financially stressed enough to apply – not even Newark, Irvington, Orange, East Orange…
You don’t see Glen Ridge or Millburn or Maplewoord or South Orange on that list.
Why can’t we manage our money like grownups, like almost everybody else?
Fried and his team aren’t in China .. They’re on a river in Africa .. De Nile !!!!!
We didn’t lose anything??????????????
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/us/23recall.html?_r=1&hp
Fried has done it again.
“and it hasn’t hurt us that we didn’t get it.”
Although 17% of our residents qualify for free or reduced lunches, they are not hurt by 10% municipal tax increases or 5% property tax increases. How an extra million dollars doesn’t hurt us when it would have reduced our taxes is beyond me. It must be nice to be able to take a few years off of work to save the world on Montclair’s dime. Fried, you are pathetic. If I had the ability to, I would take a few years off of work too in an effort to help my Montclair neighbors. But instead of saving the world, I would be focused on the recall of the Fried Five. This is absolutely the worst town council Montclair has had in the 18 years that I’ve lived here.
I wonder what this funding was all about. I agree its very odd that only one Essex County Town and only one Hudson County community applied for funding — and that Asbury Park got such a disproportional amount (of course they also asked for a disproportional amount). Can we have some reporting on this?