[00:02:30]
TODAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR ONE OF TWO NIGHTS OF THE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, BUDGET HEARINGS WE HAVE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THAT ARE ON THIS TIME OF YEAR.
AND WE'LL BE HEARING FROM SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE THE SCHEDULE, UH, POSTED ALREADY.
I DO HAVE BEFORE ME CERTIFICATION FROM THE
THIS MEETING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND I'M JUST GONNA ASK FOR, UH, THAT WE CAN STAND FOR THE SALUTE TO THE FLAG, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I'M GONNA ASK COMMISSIONER LUCIANO TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN VISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
I'M JUST GONNA ASK FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THOSE THAT WE'VE LOST THIS LAST TIME WE CAME TOGETHER IN THESE CHAMBERS.
JUST AS A POINT OF ORDER FOR ANYONE WATCHING AT HOME, 'CAUSE THIS IS MORE EXCITING THAN WHATEVER'S GOING ON IN CSPAN RIGHT NOW.
STARTING, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THE BOARD OF TAXATION.
WE DO HAVE OUR, UH, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. JACKSON, TO, UH, INTRODUCE THE TEAM THAT'S GONNA BE KICKING US OFF TONIGHT.
UH, OUR FIRST, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT IS THE BOARD OF TAXATION, UH, AND MR. DURKIN WILL MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, WHY DON'T WE JUST CALL THE ROLE OFFICIALLY SO WE CAN HAVE THAT ON PUBLIC RECORD.
I KNOW THIS IS, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE, TO THE MOTIONS.
COMMISSIONER GI ABSENT COMMISSIONER SERMONS.
COMMISSIONER VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
COMMISSIONER PRESIDENT EZ HERE.
UM, LET ME INTRODUCE DEAN RODMAN, WHO'S A COMMISSIONER ON OUR BOARD.
I ASKED HIM TO COME TODAY TO SEE WHAT THIS WHOLE BUDGET MEETING ENTAILS.
[00:05:01]
SURE.UM, I GUESS BASICALLY, UM, SO MICROPHONE CALLS, I COULD TELL YOU ABOUT THE PAST YEAR.
UM, ANYWAY, UM, IN YOUR PACKETS, DO YOU HAVE YOUR, UM, IS THE STATUS OF THE REVALUATION, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE JUST ORDERED THREE TOWNS TO REVAL, UH, AND GOING OUT TO 27, 28 AND 29 ACTUALLY.
AND IT'S, UM, MILBURN NORTH CALDWELL AND ESSEX FELL.
SO KEEPING THEM IN LINE WITH THE OTHER VALS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH IS IRVINGTON AND WEST.
WE DON'T HAVE THEIR RATIOS YET BECAUSE, UM, WE DIDN'T, I DIDN'T DO THE PAGE A FORMULA BECAUSE WEST ORANGE ASKED FOR A 30 DAY EXTENSION, SO THEY'RE FILING THEIR BOOKS.
THE NUMBERS WENT OUT TO THE TOWN PEOPLE, BUT THE BOOKS ARE GONNA BE FILED.
NEWARK ALSO ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION, WHICH I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU'RE AWARE OF, BUT THEY CHANGED THE NAME OF BROAD STREET TO MAYOR KENNETH GIBSON BOULEVARD, WHICH PRESENTS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHARACTERS IN INPUTTING DIFFERENT THINGS FOR OUR MOD FOUR.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE POST OFFICE IS HANDLING IT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BUSINESSES ON BROAD STREET ARE HANDLING IT EITHER.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM COME BOARD.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA FILE, NEWARK IS GONNA FILE THEIR BOOKS BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.
UM, BASICALLY, UM, WE HAVE IN 26, WE ARE, I THINK THREE TOWNS IN 27 IS, UH, NEWARK AND I THINK CALWELL.
BUT ANYWAY, EVERYBODY HAS BEEN ATTENDED TO, AND THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS IN ORDER TO SEE IF SOMEBODY IS ELIGIBLE OR QUALIFIED TO HAVE A REVAL ORDERED BY OUR BOARD.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU LOOK AT, IN THE PACKET IS 25, UM, WITH ARE THE NEW RATIOS AND NEWARK, BY NOT HAVING THE REVAL, UM, DONE UNTIL 27.
UM, THEY'VE APPEALED THE RATIO, BUT THE RATIO IS, UH, 44 ACCORDING TO THEY'VE APPEALED IT.
I'VE UNDERSTAND THAT THE, UH, UH, THE COURT IS COMING BACK WITH LIKE 47.
UM, IT'S STILL BELOW THE 50 AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS MUCH, NOT MUCH HIGHER, BUT THEY'RE ALL UNDER ORDERS TO, YOU KNOW, FILE, UM, HAVE THEIR REEVALUATION.
UM, BASICALLY A LOT OF THEM HAVE DROPPED.
ESSEX COUNTY'S DOING VERY WELL IN THE RE UM, IN THE, UH, REAL ESTATE MARKET PRICES ARE STILL GOING UP AND PEOPLE ARE MULTIPLE BIDDING ON DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, WHETHER IT'S A CITY OR IT'S OUR SMALL TOWNS.
UM, BASICALLY I THINK THE NEXT PAGE WAS A SPREADSHEET ON WHAT, WHAT OUR TAX RATE WAS BACK, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SUMMERTIME.
AND THEN IT SHOWS YOU HOW THE BREAKDOWN IS.
AND THEN, UM, GEORGE RIZZI, WHO'S A CONSULTANT FOR ME, BASICALLY, AND THIS IS ON OUR WEBSITE, IS THE PIE SHAPE, TELLS YOU HOW THE MUNICIPALITY SPENDS MONEY, WHETHER IT BE IN, UM, TO THE COUNTY, TO THE SCHOOLS, OR EVEN TO THE PARKS, UH, OPEN SPACES.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS WHEN YOU'RE DONE? WE'LL, WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH.
I'LL START WITH MR. MCINERNEY, OUR BUDGET CONSULTANT.
THEN I'LL GO THROUGH ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
ARE YOU DONE ALL RIGHT FOR AT THIS POINT? YEAH.
UH, MR. MCINERNEY QUESTIONS I, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, JUST IF YOU DON'T MIND, A LITTLE BIT OF CONVERSATION WE HAD BEFORE THE MEETING AND 'CAUSE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD ABOUT WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE REEVALUATION AND APPEALS AND THINGS.
YOU SAID THE APPEALS ARE DOWN.
AND JUST COULD YOU GIVE US THE RATIONALE FOR THAT? AGAIN, I THINK YOU JUST MENTIONED, WELL, A LITTLE BIT.
BASICALLY THE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY APPEALS, JUST TO TELL YOU.
THAT'S VERY UNUSUAL, UH, FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, BECAUSE EVERYBODY FILED, EVERYBODY EXCEPT, UH, THREE MUNICIPALITIES.
NEWARK IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, 20 DAYS LATE.
AND, AND WEST ORANGE IS 30 DAYS LATE.
BUT BASICALLY BEFORE THAT, NOW THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THEIR POSTCARDS.
UM, THAT PUTS IT IN FRONT OF THEM, WHAT THEIR ASSESSMENTS ARE.
BUT BASICALLY THE PRICES HAVE, DEPENDING ON WHEN THEY DID THEIR REVALUATION PRICES ARE DOUBLE, UH, WHAT THE VALUES WERE.
SO IT'S VERY HARD TO COME IN AND APPEAL YOUR ASSESSMENT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT BASED ON TAXES.
[00:10:01]
RIGHT.UM, AND BASICALLY, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO THE ASSESSOR, MAYBE UPPING THE ASSESSMENT.
AND PEOPLE, SO, SO THE PRICES GOING UP OR PUTTING PEOPLE ON NOTICE THAT IF I APPEAL IT, MORE LIKELY THE VALUE IS GONNA BE GREATER THAN WHAT I'M ASSESSED AT NOW.
THEREFORE, I'M NOT GOING TO APPEAL.
SO BASIC, I MEAN, IT'S THE GOOD NEWS.
IT'S THE GOOD NEWS,
YOU KNOW, YOUR PROPERTY'S WORTH MORE AND A LOT.
AND THE REASON WHY I THINK, UM, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN A REALTOR FOR 48 YEARS.
THAT BASICALLY THEY, UM, THEY, THE BIG THING IS, IS THAT THEY DON'T WANNA MOVE.
SO WE HAVE A SCARCITY OF LISTINGS BECAUSE EITHER THEY REFINANCED, UM, AND THEIR INTEREST RATES WERE LESS THAN THREE.
SO THEREFORE THEY'LL EITHER DO A HELOC AND MAYBE IMPROVE THEIR PROPERTIES, BORROW MONEY ON A, ON A DIFFERENT RATE.
BUT BASICALLY PEOPLE, IT'S A SCARCITY OF THE LISTINGS ONCE THAT CHANGES.
'CAUSE I WENT THROUGH IT IN 1988.
SO I THINK YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR 2028.
I KNOW THE, UM, SHIFT BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL IS PRETTY MUCH ON A TOWN BY TOWN BASIS.
BUT DO YOU SEE ANY MAJOR SHIFT IN THE RE IN THE, THE THING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OVERALL TAXES? NO.
WITH THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ARE STILL VERY VALUABLE.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT A LOT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE GIVEN THAT IN ESSEX COUNTY HAVE GIVEN THEM, UM, PILOTS.
SO IT, PEOPLE, THEY THINK IT'S GOOD, BUT BASICALLY YOU REALIZE YOU ARE ALL SHARING, IT'S JUST NOT THAT TOWN.
IT'S, YOU ARE SHARING IN EVERYBODY'S PILOTS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO, UM, IT, IT TAKES AWAY FROM, UM, UH, THE RATEABLE BASE AND, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD DOESN'T YEAH.
I EITHER, UM,
JUST SO DOES YOUR, DO YOU HAVE ANY CON YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT, DO YOU? NO.
I USED TO BE ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD AND MAPLEWOOD, BUT, UM, AND WHEN THEY CHANGED THOSE NUMBERS, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE LAST THING OF WHAT THEY JUST SAID, BUT I REMEMBER EVERY YEAR IN THE NINETIES, THEY WOULD UP THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS THAT YOU HAD TO PROVIDE.
AND MAPLEWOOD WAS EVERY VERY CAREFUL THAT THEY DID WHAT THE STATE WANTED.
BUT THERE WASN'T ANY SPACE IN MAPLE WHALE.
I MEAN, THEY WERE, WE WERE COUNTING BEDS.
WE WERE, WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING TO BE ABLE TO FULFILL OUR OBLIGATION.
A LOT OF TOWNS DID NOT FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATIONS.
I, I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS OUTSIDE YOUR PURVIEW OR, OR, OR EXPERTISE, BUT WHEN YOU SEE LIKE THE RENTS THAT ARE BEING GARNERED FOR FAIR MARKET HOUSING IN SES COUNTY, UM, AND I'M PARTICULARLY LOOKING MOSTLY IN THE ORANGES NOW WHERE I SEE IT.
UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK WOULD BE THE NEED FOR A TAX ABATEMENT FOR THOSE IN THOSE DEVELOPERS TO GET THERE? I ALWAYS SAY IF THERE'S MORE THAN ONE PERSON INTERESTED OR COMPANY INTERESTED IN BUILDING APARTMENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, DON'T NEED TO GIVE THEM, DON'T NEED TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK THE MUNICIPALITY GIVE IT GRANTS IT.
I THINK, I THINK THAT COULD BE, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY HAS BEEN OVERUSED.
IN ORDER TO, IN ORDER TO GET IT.
'CAUSE THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES ARE PROFITABLE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE RENTAL PRICES IN, UM, SOUTH ORANGE.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING 4500, 5500 ALL OVER.
SOUTH ORANGE, EAST ORANGE IT'S CALLED.
I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE THERE ANYMORE.
SOME, SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE SO BIG THOUGH THAT IT'S HARD TO GET, YOU KNOW, COMPETITION.
LOOKING AT THE ONE NOW IN THE CITY OF ORANGE FOR THE OLD ORANGE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
I MEAN, I ALWAYS, I THINK THAT'S COMING BACK, KEPT LOOKING FOR WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO WITH ORANGE MEMORIAL? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY EVEN HAVE PARKING EVERYTHING.
HO HOPEFULLY THAT GOES THROUGH.
UM, WITH REGARD TO YOUR BUDGET, AGAIN, UH, AS I'VE SAID, YEAR AFTER YEAR, THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT, LOT HERE.
YOU TOOK A $4,000 REDUCTION ON YOUR OTHER EXPENSES.
AND ACTUALLY I THINK YOU TOOK A LITTLE REDUCTION TOO ON YOUR SALARY AND WAGES.
UM, THERE'S FIVE, THERE'S SEVEN EMPLOYEES.
I DON'T KNOW WHY I HAVE SEVEN HERE.
THERE'S FIVE, UM, AND FIVE FILL
[00:15:01]
POSITIONS, SO MM-HMMUM, VERY SMALL BUDGET, BUT, UH, SO I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR REGARD TO THE NUMBERS.
IT BASICALLY AS EVERY OTHER YEAR THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE COME BEFORE US.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. DURKIN? COMMISSIONER SIEBEL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN WEST ORANGE ARE COMPLAINING ALREADY THAT THEIR TAXES ARE GOING UP.
I'M READING IT ON, UH, FACEBOOK.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN THIS HAPPENED IN MAPLEWOOD, THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPLAINING AND NOW THEY'RE COMPLAINING FOR THE SAME REASONS.
HOW DID IT, HOW DID YOU STOP THAT IN MAPLEWOOD AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO STOP IT IN WEST ORANGE? OH, WELL, IT'S NOT UP TO ME TO STOP WHATEVER THE COMPLAINTS ARE, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND WITH, I LIVED IN MAPLEWOOD WHEN I KNOW THEY DID HAVE THAT, UH, SITUATION OF, IT WAS A REVAL AND THE TOWNSHIP REQUESTED THE REVAL 20, UM, IN, UH, 2000, THE YEAR 2000.
IT HADN'T BEEN DONE YEARS, BUT IT HADN'T BEEN DONE SINCE 1980.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 YEARS OF A SHIFT ACTUALLY.
AND WHERE I LIVED AND WITH A VERY BIG HOUSE, MY TAXES WENT UP $5,000 IN ONE YEAR.
AND THAT'S IN THE 90, I MEAN 2000.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE IMPACT KIND OF THING.
BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT, I GOT.
I SHOULDN'T SAY GET GOT AWAY, BUT I WAS PAYING UNDERPAYING ALL THOSE YEARS IN EFFECT.
AND BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A CATCH UP.
NOW WITH WEST ORANGE, LET'S SHIFT TO WEST ORANGE.
CAN'T RE I'M GONNA TELL YOU 2018 WHEN WE ORDERED THEM, I'M NOT CERTAIN, BUT WE ORDERED THEM FOR 2022.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS AS A TAX ADMINISTRATOR THAT I WAS BROUGHT TO THE STATE COURT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT AGREE WITH THAT ORDER.
WE DISCUSSED IT WITH THE MAYOR AND HIS ENTOURAGE, AND THEY PROPOSED 2025.
AND I GOT UP AND SAID, OKAY, YOU'RE GONNA SUFFRAGE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENED.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN 22, 3 YEARS LATER.
THERE IS, THEIR RATIO ARE, UH, IS LOW.
I MEAN, I FORGET WHAT THEY ARE NOW WITHOUT ME DOING THE CHAPTER, BUT THEY'RE AT 64.
SO THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO THEM.
AND THEY'LL HAVE TO RESOLVE IT AND SETTLING.
WELL, IT'S NOT, THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO RESOLVE IT.
THEY CAN CALL NOW TO THE REVAL COMPANY AND, UM, TALK, DID THEY LET THE PEOPLE IN, UM, WHAT ARE THEIR, WHAT ARE THEIR, THEIR POSITION TO SAY, BUT THEIR, THEIR PROPERTY HAS GONE UP IN VALUE.
AND YOU CAN'T SAY WHAT THEIR ASSESSMENT WAS PREVIOUS BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT WAS RIGHT OR NOT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, THEN THEY CAN COME TO US, FILE AN APPEAL.
THEY HAVE UNTIL MAY 1ST TO FILE THAT APPEAL.
AND THEN WE HAVE HEARINGS IN MAY AND JUNE.
AND IF WE HAVE NEED AN EXTENSION, I'VE ALWAYS ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION IF WE NEEDED IT.
BUT, UM, WEST ORANGE NEEDS TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
THEN IF THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT WE SAY, THEY CAN GO TO, UH, TAX COURT.
SO THEY HAVE THREE OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT DID MAPLEWOOD FINALLY AGREE TO WHAT YOU SAID? WHAT I MEAN? YEAH.
MAPLEWOOD, THEY DIDN'T GO TO COURT.
MAPLEWOOD WAS A COMPLETELY OTHER THING.
THERE WAS A, SOMEBODY FILED A SUIT AGAINST THE REVAL COMPANY.
THEY, I MEAN, THEY WERE REALLY, YOU KNOW, AND THEY LOST THE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, IT WAS A, A GOOD EVAL.
I THINK I WAS A COMMISSIONER THEN.
SO IN THE END, IT'LL SETTLE WITH WESTERN ORANGE.
BUT PEOPLE GET UPSET WITH, UM, WHEN PEOPLE ARE THROWING NUMBERS.
NOW, WEST ORANGE WILL HAVE A NEW BUDGET COME, YOU KNOW, THE SPRING AND SUMMERTIME, GET APPROVED BY THE STATE AND EVERYTHING, AND THEN WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT BUDGET'S GONNA BE AND WHAT THE REAL TAXES ARE GONNA BE.
BUT THIS GAVE YOU THEM A CAGE OF WHERE IT WAS BEFORE AND WHERE
[00:20:01]
IT WAS GOING.THEY, BUT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO THE COMPANY, COME TO US, AND GO TO STATE.
RECOGNIZING VICE PRESIDENT COOPER HAS JOINED THE MEETING.
COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. IKEN? MM-HMM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY, AND AS ALWAYS YOUR INSIGHTS.
OKAY, MR. JACKSON, WHAT DO WE HAVE UP NEXT? WE HAVE OUR ESTEEMED SHERIFF AND HIS TEAM ARE READY TO PRESENT.
WE HAVE A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN,
WHAT'S UP, SIR? GOOD EVENING, SHERIFF.
WHAT PAGE? SO YEAH, LET'S, LET'S MAKE IT A HABIT OF 77.
OH, WHAT TIME IS GOOD AFTERNOON.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I, UH, WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, YOUR SUPPORT REPRESENTS JUST, NOT JUST THE FINANCIAL BACKING, BUT IT'S A VOTING OF, OF, UH, IN CONFIDENCE TO THE WORK THAT WE DO AND THE MISSION THAT WE ARE, ARE COMMITTED TO, UH, ACHIEVING.
I ALSO WANNA THANK OUR COUNTY EXEC FOR CRAFTING A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS OUR PRIORITIES OF THIS OFFICE AND THE NEEDS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE, UH, OF THIS COUNTY.
UM, I'LL START WITH, UH, OUR PERSONNEL, STAFFING, OUR POSITIONS, TOTAL POSITIONS.
WE HAVE, UH, 469, UH, THAT'S 398 IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
TODAY, UM, OUR VACANCIES ARE 14 OFFICERS, FOUR CLERKS AND FOUR SECURITY GUARDS.
UM, AND OUR PLAN, BASED ON OUR CURRENT VACANCIES AND RETIREMENTS, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO FILL OUR VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY BEGAN TO DO.
UM, OUR REVENUE IN 2024 WAS FORECAST AT 3.2 MILLION.
WE ENDED UP WITH, UH, 3.4, UH, 2025.
UH, OUR, OUR REVENUE WAS FORECASTED TO BE AT 3.15 MILLION, UM, CONTINGENT UPON LEGISLATION ALLOWING NON-PROFITS TO BID ON FORECLOSED HOMES, WHICH MAY REDUCE OUR REVENUE.
UM, OUR GRANTS, UH, 2024, OUR GRANTS PROCURED AND RECEIVED, UH, RESULTED IN TWO POINT, UH, $2 MILLION.
UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH ON BODY ARMOR WAS 26,000, UH, BODY WORN CAMERAS, 400,000, HOMELAND SECURITY, 325,000, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ONE 50, UH, DRUNK DRIVING, DUI, UH, 7,000 ANTICIPATED, UIC, UH, 334,000.
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, 254,000.
AND OUR COPS HIRING GRANT, UM, 600,000.
UH, OUR TOTAL FORFEITURE FUNDS, UH, 2024, WELL, CURRENTLY IS APPROXIMATELY 233,000.
UM, AND OUR CHARGEBACKS FROM OUR, OUR HIGHER GRANT WAS 600,000.
AND TOTAL CHARGEBACKS WERE 2200 25,000.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SHORT COMPARED TO WHAT WE, WHAT YOU GUYS, YOU'RE USED TO.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
ALSO WITH ME IS CHIEF SPANO AND OUR UNDERSHERIFF, UH, CON AND OLA.
NO STRANGERS TO, TO ANY OF US HERE.
UH, MR. KINER, ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I, I HAD A MUCH HIGHER AMOUNT AND I WENT OVER THESE NUMBERS, UH, WITH MR. SPANO, BUT I HAD 43 VACANCIES.
BUT SINCE THEN, YOU'RE SAYING IT'S DOWN TO 22 NOW AT THIS POINT? 8, 20 20.
AND IS THAT, IS THAT PRIMARILY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS?
[00:25:02]
YES.UM, AND I HAD ASKED YOU THIS FOR THE RECORD, THE 727,000, THAT'S, THOSE ARE, THAT'S LISTED UNDER THE NOMENCLATURE WILL OF BASE SALARIES, AND THEN IT SAYS INC DASH, THAT'S STRICTLY INCREMENTS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND, UH, I HAD ASKED YOU THIS AS WELL, BUT I'M GONNA ASK YOU ON THE RECORD, THE, THE LONGEVITY.
HOW MANY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT? EIGHT.
THIS IS GONNA BE A SHORT CONVERSATION.
THE, UH, THE, THE OVERTIME IS AN ISSUE THAT, THAT I LOOKED AT.
AND, UM, I WANT TO RAISE THAT ISSUE BECAUSE THE SHERIFF'S OVERTIME BUDGETED THIS YEAR IS 5,287,000.
UM, BUT LAST YEAR THE OVERTIME WAS $7.4 MILLION.
SO WHAT IS, WHAT, YOU KNOW, AND I, WE SEE THIS CONSTANTLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED WHY, BUT IF, IF YOU WOULD EXPLAIN TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WHY THAT IS, WE'RE NOT BUDGETING WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY INCUR ACCORDING TO THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, WHEN OUR PERSONNEL SWORN OFFICERS WORK ON WEEKENDS, THEY RECEIVE WEEKEND TIME, THE SHERIFF CAN DECIDE TO PAY THEM IN WEEKEND TIME OR OVERTIME.
WEEKEND TIME ESSENTIALLY IS EIGHT HOURS OF COMPENSATORY TIME FOR A SHIFT.
THEY WORK PLUS FOUR ADDITIONAL HOURS.
SO IT'S TIME AND A HALF JUST GIVEN THE TIME INSTEAD OF MONTHS.
BUT WHAT THE OFFICERS CAN DO IS THEY CAN ACCUMULATE THOSE WEEKEND DAYS THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREER.
SO WE OFFER, PROVIDED WE STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT ASKED FOR MORE FUNDING FOR THIS, WE OFFER TO PAY THEM THE OVERTIME OR THE WEEKEND TIME WITH THE REASONING AND LOGIC BEING, IT'S MORE RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING TO GET RID OF THESE BEFORE THEY BECOME UNFUNDED LIABILITIES.
SOMEONE AT A RATE OF PAY IN YEAR ONE, CASHES IT OUT IN YEAR 25, IT'S MUCH MORE OF A LIABILITY FOR THE, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMISSIONERS.
SO IT, IT'S AN UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
SO PROVIDED WE CAN STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET AND WE ARE REEVALUATED EVERY THREE MONTHS AS THE METHOD OF PAYING, WE OFFER THE OFFICERS THE OVERTIME.
SO WE'RE NOT STUCK WITH A BIG BILL OR PAYOUT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY FINALLY SETTLE.
HOW, HOW MUCH TIME CAN AN OFFICER ACCUMULATE IF THEY WEEKEND TIMES THEY CAN ACCUMULATE UP TO 50 DAYS? 50.
AND AND HOW MUCH, WHO, WHO TRACKS THAT? DOES I TRACK IT OR DOES THE SHERIFF'S? WE, WE, I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNTY DOES, BUT WE INTERNALLY TRACK AS WELL.
DO, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS AT THIS POINT IN TERMS, NO, BUT I DO KNOW EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO SUBMIT OUR, UH, OUR TIME DUE.
SO THE COUNTY HAS AN IDEA OF WHAT IT'S, WE WOULDN'T DO THAT PROBABLY UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER.
FIND OUT HOW MANY DAYS BECAUSE WE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS.
NOW PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER, WE'RE FORCING THEM TO USE THEIR TIME.
BUT, BUT THERE IS AN AMOUNT THAT, UH, WOULD THAT THE LIABILITY WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
PROB DOES THAT ROLL INTO THE NEXT, I MEAN, IT ROLLS INTO, DOES IT USUALLY GET PAID IN THE NEXT YEAR OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CARRIED FORWARD UNTIL AN OFFICER RETIRES? CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY CARRY OVER TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT PAYOUT THEY GET RETIRE.
SO THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO FOR WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED AND YOU CAN TRY TO CUT IT OFF NOW.
AND SO BY BUDGETING, UM, WELL, BY MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO TAKE THE TIME IN TERMS OF COMPENSATION RATHER THAN, UM, FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY, YOU KNOW, UH, COMP TIME.
WE, WE, WE STARTED THAT JANUARY ONE, SO OKAY.
WE HAVEN'T ACCRUED MUCH SHY, BUT, BUT THAT'S THE POLICY THAT'S GONNA MAKE THE CHANGE, ALLOWING THAT TO GROW JANUARY 2ND.
AND, AND WHEN THAT AMOUNT OF 50 DAYS COMES DUE, UM, IS THAT BASICALLY, UM, THAT'S PAID WITHIN THE BUDGET YEAR AS PART OF THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION? CORRECT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S FUNDED IN RESERVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, JUST SPEAKING ABOUT RESERVES, WE, WE SEEM TO HAVE HAD ENOUGH RESERVES TO PAY THE, THE, UH, UH, RETRO THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, WHAT DOES THAT, IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT OR DID YOU HAVE ANY IMPACT ON YOUR BUDGET? WE DID NOT HAVE A LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR FOR THAT.
WAS HANDLED BY ADMINISTRATION.
SO IF I CAN TO THE, UM, AL UH, GOOD EVENING, HUSAM, MOHAMED COUNTY TREASURER.
UH, YES, WE HAVE, UH, ADEQUATE RESERVE FOR TO PAY THE OFFICERS.
UH, LAST YEAR, UM, CORRECTION SETTLED AND WE, WE PAID ALL THE, THE SUPERIORS UP TO THE THREE YEARS, WHAT THEY SETTLED AND, UH, THE, ALL THE, THE CORRECTION OFFICERS ALL THE TIME DUE.
AND FOR, UM, UH, SHERIFF, UH, SUPERIORS ALREADY GOT THEIR, THE RETRO AND,
[00:30:01]
UH, FOR THE OFFICERS WILL BE PAID IN THE FIRST PAY OF FEBRUARY, AND WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO, TO, TO PAY THE RETROS.AND THAT WAS SOMETHING YOU WERE ANTICIPATING EVERY YEAR, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE FUNDS DID NOT IMPACT ON ANY ONE SINGULAR YEAR? THAT THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND ACCRUED OVER, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH WAS, WHICH WAS GREAT.
UM, AS FAR AS, UM, OTHER EXPENSES, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CHANGE IN, IN THAT NUMBER.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY DOWN FROM, WELL, IT IS A LOT OF, I MEAN, IT'S DOWN FROM WHAT WAS, UH, WHAT THE FINAL BUDGET WAS LAST YEAR.
SO YOU HAD TRANSFERS THAT CAME IN OF ABOUT $600,000 IN THE 2024 YEAR.
UM, AND YOU'RE BUDGETING A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN YOU BUDGETED IN THE 2000 IN 25, AND THEN YOU DID IN 2024.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S REALLY, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S DRIVING THAT, THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY BUDGETING LESS NOW THAN YOU DID IN THE, IN THE PRIOR YEAR? WELL, EVEN THOUGH YOU EXPENDED MORE, AS, YOU KNOW, MAKING THESE CONTRACTS GO UP EVERY YEAR SOMEWHERE AROUND 10%.
MOST OF IT'S IT RELATED, BUT WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE ARE HEALTHY ENOUGH ON OUR SALARY AND WAGES SIDE TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS IN NOVEMBER.
AND WE DO A BUDGET TRANSFER TO ABSORB THE DIFFERENCE.
SO WE STAY WITHIN OUR TOTAL BUDGET AND OUR OPERATING AND SALARY AND WAGES, AND WE TRANSFER NOVEMBER.
AND WHAT, WHAT WAS, WHAT WERE THOSE AREAS THAT YOU TRANSFERRED TO IN TERMS, I KNOW IT WAS OPERATING EXPENSE, BUT OPERAT SPECIFICALLY AS THE IN, IN THE ITEMIZED EXPENSES.
WHERE, WHERE WAS THE AREAS THAT, THAT OPERATE? IT, IT WAS, IT WENT INTO THE, UM, NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT'S PARKED, AND THEN WE JUST ALLOCATED FROM THAT LINE.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT TYPICALLY IS IN NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES? UM, WELL, WE MOVE, IT GETS PARKED THERE AND THEN WE TYPICALLY MOVE IT OUT OF NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
MOST OF THESE COSTS ARE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS.
FOR RECORDS MANAGEMENT, SYSTEMS FOR EVIDENCE TRACKING, EVERYTHING IT RELATED GOES UP BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10% A YEAR.
AND YOU SAY REVENUES THIS YEAR, GETTING ON REVENUES NOW, REVENUES THIS YEAR WOULD BE COMMENSURATE TO LAST YEAR? THAT'S WHAT THE YES.
I, I KNOW THAT THIS QUESTION ALWAYS COMES UP THOUGH, AS FAR AS THE, UM, UM, THE ARMOR JACKETS AND CAMERAS, IS THAT MAINLY TAKEN CARE OF BY, BY GRANTS, BY, YES.
THIS YEAR THE SHERIFF MENTIONED WE HAD A 26,000 GRANT AND WE USED THAT TO OFFSET WHATEVER COSTS INCURRED.
UH, A YEAR BEFORE LAST, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAD TO SPEND ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR VESTS.
UM, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUDGET TRANSFER, WHICH CAME BEFORE THIS BOARD RIGHT.
AND WE TRANSFER THE MONIES IN TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY STAYS UP TO DATE ON OUR LICENSE.
ARE WE, ARE, ARE ALL OUR OFFICERS IN COMPLIANCE WITH, WITH THAT AT THIS POINT OR ON THE CAMERA SIDE? YEARLY ROTATE YEARLY A FIVE YEAR LIFE TO THE BEST NEW OFFICER.
AND WHEN, LIKE, WHEN RELEASES UP ON YOUR CAR, BRING THE OLD ONE, WE GET YOU FITTED AND GET YOU, YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE'S AROUND 230,000 IN YOUR CONFISCATED FUND ACCOUNT.
WHAT IS THAT, WHAT ARE YOU TYPICALLY USING THAT FOR? WE CAN USE IT FOR PRETTY MUCH, UM, ANYTHING, UH, VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT TRAINING, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHATEVER YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF DISCRETION WITH THAT? YES.
I, I JUST, SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, UH, I KNOW THAT MR. JACKSON IS, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS, NOT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE, UH, ON A ROLLING BASIS HAS BEEN KEEPING TRACK AND INFORMING THE METRICS OF THE BODY ARMOR, NOT ONLY FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, BUT FOR THE OTHER, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SHERIFF AND, UH, OUR CHIEF SPANO COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT COOPER.
MY CONCERN IS IN YOUR O AND E BUDGET, UM, THAT SIDE, LIKE YOUR CLOTHING AND A UNIFORM ALLOWANCE, WHY DID IT SPIKE SO MUCH? WHAT MONEY, IF YOU DON'T MIND? SO, ON PAGE 77, IT SHOWS THAT WE BUDGETED FOR $11,000, BUT WE SPENT MORE.
SO MY QUESTION WOULD BECOME, UM, IF WE'RE HOLDING THAT NUMBER AT THAT SAME NUMBER AS THE PRIOR YEAR, IF THAT INCREASE IS GONNA HAPPEN, DO WE NEED TO INCREASE IT NOW? NO, THAT, THAT CLOTHING UNIFORMS WAS PROBABLY INCREASED DUE TO THE, UH, BODY WORN CAP.
SO, UH, THE, UH, BOTH THE VEST THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER AT THE END OF 2024, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO DOWN AGAIN, UM, FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND IS THAT AMMUNITION? NO, THAT NON-PROFESSIONAL
[00:35:01]
SERVICES IS WHEN YOU, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DID A BUDGET TRANSFER AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.THEY PARKED THAT MONEY THERE BEFORE WE SPENT IT.
AND THEN, THEN WE REALLOCATE IT TO THE PAY MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, ET CETERA, AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN THE SAME QUESTION WOULD BE FOR THE ITEM THAT SAYS ARMS, IS THAT AMMUNITION ARMS WOULD BE, AM ANYTHING RELATED? UH, ANYTHING RELATED TO AMMUNITION? DO WE, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THE NUMBER THAT'S IN HERE? OR DO WE NEED TO INCREASE IT, SEEING THAT THERE WAS A BASE NUMBER AND THEN THE NUMBER WENT UP AGAIN? NO, WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD.
YOU'RE GOOD WITH THE NUMBERS THE WAY THAT THEY ARE? YES.
UM, QUESTION TO MR. MCINERNEY.
UH, IS IT, IS IT THESE UNIONS HERE ARE ALL SETTLED FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY OUTER YEARS CONTRACTS, DO WE FOR THEM? I THOUGHT IT WAS ONE GROUP, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH GROUP IT WAS.
IS IT SHERIFF OR CORRECTIONS THAT STILL HAVE SOMETHING OUT I ARBITRATION OR SOMETHING? A COUPLE YEARS.
I THINK THAT MAY BE ABOUT AS GOOD.
MR. JACKSON, COULD YOU ANSWER? UM, WE'RE GOOD THROUGH 23 FOR EVERYBODY AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE YEARS GOING FORWARD.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON YEARS GOING FORWARD.
THERE'S NO BACK YEARS IS STILL OPEN CORRECTION.
SAYING WE'RE THE CORRECTIONS SUPERIORS ARE JUST 20 THROUGH 18, 20, 20 I THINK.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, AND WE STILL HAVE THAT MONEY.
I KNOW WE SAID WE HAD A FUND OR SOMETHING SET ASIDE FOR THAT BEFORE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? SEE? SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A MAGIC GENIE POPPING UP NEXT.
I'M FAST CASTING A WAND AND QUESTIONS ARE COMING.
THANK ON YOUR FIRST YEAR AS SHERIFF AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SPANKER FOR JOINING AND FOR YOUR TEAM.
YOU YOU DIDN'T NEED THAT BIG BOTTLE OF WATER
YOU COULD, YOU COULD HAVE CAME HEADS ALL YOU WOULD'VE NEEDED.
JIMMY, YOU, THAT'S THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
JACKIE'S GONNA BE HOME ON FRIDAY.
IS THAT WHAT'S OH, YEAH, YEAH.
WHAT'S THE NEXT PAGE? ALL RIGHT.
MR. JACKSON, DID HE SAY WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG? WHAT'S NEXT ON PAGE 59, OUR COUNTY CLERK.
I DON'T SEE CHRISTOPHER 59 CG.
IT IS A HANDSOME BOOK, ISN'T IT? YES.
WHAT DID HE SAY? JUST FOR THE RECORD, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE SO SHE DOESN'T LET'S KEEP ROCKING, LET'S KEEP GOING.
SHE MUST BE BETTER, HUH? MAYBE NOT.
A FIRST ONE IS ALWAYS TOO MUCH, MR. PRESIDENT, IF YOU WISH.
UM, THE, THE REGISTER AND, UH, ALSO HIS ACCOUNTANT ARE BOTH SUFFERING WITH THE FLU.
I WAS GONNA COVER, WE COULD COVER THEM WHILE WE'RE WAITING IF YOU WANTED TO.
WELL, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT KICK THAT OVER TO TOMORROW, BUT PREPARED TO DO THAT.
WHY DON'T WE, SO LET'S DO THIS.
SO SINCE THE REGISTER AND ASSISTANT ARE BOTH, UH, OUT WITH THE FLU, AND THAT MEANS THEY WON'T BE BACK TOMORROW, AND I'M SURE NONE OF US WANT TO GET THE FLU, LET'S MOVE ON TO THAT.
UH, WE'LL SKIP OVER WHAT, UH, PAGE ARE WE, WOULD YOU, ON PAGE 70 70, WHICH ARE WE DOING RIGHT NOW? WE'RE DOING THE, UH, RE EXCUSE ME, REGISTER.
AND FOR HI, HIS, UH, IT SAYS TYPICALLY THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MOVEMENT.
UM, THE OTHER EXPENSES ARE, ARE DOWN AND THE SALARY NUMBERS JUST REFLECT MERIT INCREASES.
UM, HE DOES HAVE THREE, UH, POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT.
UM, AND HE, HE HAS SOME OTHER HIRES THAT ARE ALL, UM, UM, WHAT AM I, UH, SEASONAL HELP THAT HE BRINGS IN.
UH, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, HE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON, ON THE REGISTER'S OFFICE FOR NEXT YEAR, FOR THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE RELATIVELY FLAT, BASICALLY WITH, WITH THIS IN TERMS OF, UH, EXPENSES AND REVENUES.
I GUESS REALLY THE ONLY THING HERE THAT, THAT WE, WE REALLY LOOK AT FOR THE MOST PART IS, UM, IS, IS THE REVENUES.
AND SO YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT THAT.
[00:40:02]
LET'S SEE.UH, I WILL, UH, DEFER TO MR. UH, MUHAMMAD ON THAT, BUT, UH, LAST YEAR THEY HAD, WHAT, 9.8 MILLION? UM, AND IT'S 1.4 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FEES.
BUT MR. HAMM CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR.
UH, FOR THE REGISTER OF DEED, WE HAVE TWO, TWO TYPE OF REVENUES.
YOU HAVE REGULAR REVENUE, AND WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND, UH, THE REGULAR REVENUE WHEN, UH, ACTUALLY WAS THE UNDER REALIZED, BUT LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, THE OTHER REVENUE ACTUALLY WAS OVER REALIZED.
SO FOR 2025, WE ALMOST FLAT BETWEEN THE TWO TYPE OF REVENUES.
AND WHAT WE ANTICIPATED, BECAUSE WE CANNOT, UH, WE CANNOT ANTICIPATE MORE THAN, THAN ONE, UH, WHAT WAS COLLECTED.
AND WE DISCUSSED IT WITH MR. RIVERA, AND HE'S COMFORTABLE WITH THIS NUMBER FOR 2025.
HE ACTUALLY THINK THE ACTIVITIES WILL, WILL ACTUALLY START PICKING UP FOR NEXT YEAR.
IS IS, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TO RAISING RATES OR, MOST OF THE RATES ARE ACTUALLY DECIDED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, BUT YOU DON'T SEE ANY INCREASE IN THOSE HAPPENING OVER NEXT YEAR? I, I, I DON'T REMEMBER IF WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME IT WAS CHANGED WAS, WAS A WHILE BACK.
THE ONLY THING, THE ONLY THING COUNTY HAS A CONTROL OVER IS LIKE COPY FEES OR SOMETHING.
THIS IS THE ONLY THING BY COUNTY ORDINANCE, BUT MOST OF THE OTHER FEES IS JUST DECIDED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
WE, WE WERE USING SOME SYSTEM THROUGH, THROUGH MONMOUTH COUNTY AT ONE POINT IN TIME.
WEREN'T WE USING SOME SORT OF COLLECTION PROCESS THROUGH MONMOUTH COUNTY? IS THAT STILL YEAH, I THINK MONMOUTH COUNTY ALMOST ACCESS A CO-OP.
AND, AND THE, UH, THEY USED IT, THEIR SYSTEM AS THE MOTHER SYSTEM AS IT WERE FOR, FOR A LOT OF THE DATA.
SO THAT'S WHERE OUR FUN, EVERYTHING RUNS THROUGH THAT, RIGHT? YES.
THIS IS, IF THE INDIVIDUAL AND COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS YOU WANNA PAY BY CREDIT CARD, THEY USUALLY GOES THROUGH THAT.
THEY GO THROUGH ONLINE AND THE, AND THE, UM, THE ORDER, THE, THE SERVICES, YOU KNOW, RECORDING THE DEEDS OR, OR MORTGAGES OR ANY, ANY OTHER SERVICES AND WILL BE PAID ONLINE.
DOES EVERYTHING GO THROUGH THERE OR JUST, JUST THOSE ONES THAT ARE PAID BY CREDIT CARD? I, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE, UH, STILL ACCEPTING CASH AND CHECKS AND SOME, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY COME HERE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH CHECKS.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF CHECKS, ACTIVITIES, BUT THEY HAVE THE OPTION FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO PAY ONLINE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE USE IT FOR.
WE USE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEOPLE TO PAY IT ONLINE.
ANY QUESTIONS? I KNOW THIS IS PRETTY FLATTENED.
UH, DOESN'T CHANGE A WHOLE LOT, BUT, WELL, WE WISH MR. RIVERA AND COMPANY, UH, A QUICK AND SPEEDY RECOVERY FROM THE FLU.
SO PLEASE SEND OUR, SEND OUR REGARDS.
I SEE THAT OUR ESTEEMED COUNTY CLERK IS HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF MR. DURKIN WANTS TO START WITH A JOKE.
DOESN'T HE USUALLY DO THAT OR DOES HE RETIRED FROM HIS STANDUP ROUTINE.
I HOPE I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES, RIGHT? IS THAT THE CLOCK? YOU GONNA START?
UH, MR. DURKIN, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
UH, CHRIS DURKIN, UH, ESSEX COUNTY CLERK THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST OF ALL COMMEND AND THANK THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ESSEX COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE WHO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.
ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS OF ESSEX COUNTY, I AM BEYOND FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH SUCH DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO THE GREAT PEOPLE OF ESSEX COUNTY.
I WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION COUNTY EXECUTIVE, JOE DI VINCENZO AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR ROBERT JACKSON, UH, FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS PROCESS.
OUR TREASURER, HOSSAM MOHAMMED AND OUR BUDGET ANALYST, ANNETTE DE BLASIO, FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION.
OUR BUDGET IS STRAIGHTFORWARD.
THERE IS NO CHANGE TO OUR STAFF.
SO EVERYONE COULD BE ON PAGE 59.
IT'S A BIG BOOK AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
THANK GO AHEAD, MR. GOOD TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
UH, THERE IS NO CHANGE TO OUR STAFFING LEVELS FROM 2024 TO 2025.
OUR OVERALL INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET FROM 2024 TO 2025 IS 1%.
ESSEX COUNTY FUNDS THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR ALL OTHER ELECTIONS, WHICH FOR THIS YEAR WILL INCLUDE A SPECIAL ELECTION IN CALDWELL, WEST CALDWELL, UH, FOR A BOND REFERENDUM ON MARCH 11TH.
UH, TWO SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS IN APRIL, APRIL 15TH, YOU HAVE THE NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION AND THE IRVINGTON SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.
YOU HAVE, UH, NONPARTISAN, UH, MAY ELECTION ON THE SECOND TUESDAY IN MAY.
AND THEN THE PRIMARY ELECTION, UH,
[00:45:01]
WHICH IS MOVED FROM JUNE 3RD TO JUNE 10TH, UH, IN OBSERVANCE OF A JEWISH HOLIDAY.SO IT'S A WEEK LATER, UH, FOR THIS PRIMARY, UH, THERE'S STILL THREE DAYS OF EARLY VOTING, BUT THAT'LL, UH, TAKE PLACE ON THE SEVENTH, EIGHTH, AND NINTH, OR NO, SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH.
AND THEN THE NINTH IS THE DAY, UH, DAY OFF THE MONDAY, AND THEN THE 10TH IS THE, UH, PRIMARY.
UM, SO ALL RELATED COSTS FOR ALL OTHER ELECTIONS, EXCEPT FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION, ARE BORN BY THE MUNICIPALITIES, UH, OR SCHOOL BOARDS.
UH, A FEW THINGS TO NOTE THIS YEAR, UH, THAT FOR THE NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD, ELECTIONS, 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS WILL, WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE APRIL 15TH SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION FOR NEWARK, BUT THEY MUST REGISTER TO VOTE BY MARCH 25TH.
UH, THERE ARE UPDATED VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS AVAILABLE, AND THE SYSTEM, THE STATE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM, WILL BE, UH, ABLE TO INPUT, UH, NEW VOTERS ON FEBRUARY 1ST, UH, WHO ARE, UH, EITHER 15, GONNA BE 16, UH, BY APRIL 15TH, UH, OR 16 YEAR OLDS, UH, AND 17 YEAR OLDS.
UM, SOUTH ORANGE AND VERONA HAVE BOTH VOTED TO MOVE THEIR MAY NONPARTISAN ELECTION TO THE GENERAL ELECTION.
SO THE ONLY MAIN NONPARTISAN ELECTION, UH, WILL BE CEDAR GROVE.
UH, OUR OFFICE CONTINUES TO ITS EFFORTS TOWARD FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
WITH THE TIMELY SUBMISSION OF ANNUAL ELECTION GRANTS TO THE STATE IN 2024, WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPETED, COMPLETED, AND RECOUPED APPROXIMATELY 750,000 IN ELECTION MONIES THAT WERE SPENT.
WE ARE A REVENUE GENERATING OFFICE THROUGH FEES GENERATED THROUGH PASSPORT APPLICATIONS, NOTARY SWEARING INS, COUNTY IDENTIFICATION CARDS, BUSINESS REGISTRATIONS.
WE WERE PROJECTED TO GENERATE 200,000 IN 2024, BUT WE EXCEEDED THAT BY GENERATING 218,000 IN REVENUE.
WE ARE ESTIMATED FOR ANOTHER 200,000 FOR 2025, AND HOPE TO EXCEED THAT, UH, EVEN GREATER THAN THE 218,000.
UH, WE SEE, UM, BIGGER NUMBERS THAN WE DID AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, UH, DUE TO THE DEMAND, UH, FOR PASSPORTS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE IMMIGRATION CHANGES BEING MADE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF POP OF THE POPULATION.
WE HAVE, UM, WE'VE INCREASED, UH, OUR HOURS.
WE HAVE TWO SATURDAYS, UH, EACH MONTH GOING FORWARD HERE IN THE OFFICE OF NEWARK.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, ALSO ADDED, UH, ONE EVENING OF EXTENDED HOURS, UH, IN NEWARK, UH, AS WELL TO ACCOMMODATE WORKING FAMILIES.
WE ALSO CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OUTREACH SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, UH, PROCESSING US PASSPORTS, SWEARING IN NOTARY PUBLIX ON EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS IN FAIRFIELD AND VERONA IN SOUTH ORANGE AND LIVINGSTON, MELBOURNE AND WEST CALDWELL.
THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR PASSPORTS, UH, IS RELATIVELY QUICK.
IT'S, UH, FOUR TO FIVE WEEKS STANDARD, UH, TWO TO THREE WEEKS FOR EXPEDITED PASSPORTS.
UH, REAL ID REQUIREMENTS FOR DOMESTIC TRAVEL GO INTO EFFECT IN ABOUT THREE MONTHS, UH, MAY 7TH, UH, IT'LL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WHERE YOU NEED A REAL ID TO TRAVEL ON AN AIRPLANE DOMESTICALLY, UNLESS YOU HAVE A PASSPORT OR A PASSPORT CARD.
SO YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE YOUR REGULAR, UH, DRIVER'S LICENSE AND YOU, YOU CAN'T FILE FLY DOMESTICALLY ON A REGULAR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
IT NEEDS TO BE A REAL ID, WHICH IS TWO MORE, UH, POINTS OF IDENTIFICATION.
INSTEAD OF THIS REGULAR SIX POINTS, IT WOULD BE EIGHT POINTS.
UH, I HAVE MINE, SO IT'S GONNA BE A, I KNOW IT'S A, A MAD RUSH THESE NEXT THREE AND ALMOST THREE AND A HALF MONTHS TO, UH, TO GET THE REAL ID.
OR IF, LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN REPLACE THAT WITH, UH, A PASSPORT OR THE PASSPORT CARD, UH, YOU'RE ABLE TO DO.
AS FAR AS NOTARY PUBLICS, THERE WAS LEGISLATION PASSED IN JULY OF 2022 THAT REQUIRES NEW NOTARY PUBLICS TO TAKE A COURSE AND ATTEST TO BE CERTIFIED AS A NOTARY ATTORNEYS.
AND PEOPLE WHO WERE ALREADY NOTARIES PRIOR TO THE NEW LAWS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE THE COURSE OR THE TEST.
OUR ONLY UNFORESEEN COSTS ARE WITH OUR ELECTION BUDGET, MAINLY POSTAGE INCREASE IN POSTAGE, UH, AND INCREASE IN, UH, THE COST OF SUPPLIES ALL VOTE BY MAIL.
BALLOTS MUST BE SENT VIA FIRST CLASS MAIL.
BETWEEN THE INCREASE IN THE POSTAGE AND THE INCREASE IN REGISTERED, UH, VOTE BY MAIL VOTERS.
OUR POSTAGE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE.
UH, COST OF PAPER ALSO CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
OUR VOTING MACHINES REQUIRE EACH INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT TO BE PROGRAMMED HAVE ITS OWN SPECIALLY PROGRAMMED BALLOT.
THIS REQUIRES THE PRO PROGRAMMING AND PRINTING OF 574 DIFFERENT BALLOTS
[00:50:01]
FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION AND 1,148 DIFFERENT BALLOTS, UH, FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION.WE ARE FORTUNATELY ABLE TO RECOUP THESE COSTS FOR ALL ELECTIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR WHICH THE COUNTY COVERS ALL COSTS.
IN 2024, WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW ELECTION APP, S SIX VOTES, UH, AVAILABLE FOR VOTE, BOTH IPHONES AND ANDROIDS.
WE ARE UP TO, UH, 1600, UH, PEOPLE THAT UTILIZE THE APP, UH, HOPING TO INCREASE THAT.
UM, THIS YEAR, UH, THIS APP ENABLES US TO PUT THE MOST UP-TO-DATE ELECTION INFORMATION INTO THE HANDS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
IT ALSO, UH, HAS A PUSH NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, WHICH ENABLES US TO SEND OUT IMPORTANT ELECTION DAY UPDATES AND CHANGES TO VOTERS PRIOR TO ELECTION DAY, UH, OR ON THE DAY ITSELF.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF ESSEX COUNTY CLERK'S BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
I BELIEVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET REFLECTS THE ESSENTIAL RESOURCES REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THESE SERVICES WHILE REMAINING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
AS ALWAYS, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EFFICIENT AND ACCESSIBLE SERVICES TO THE RESIDENT RESIDENTS OF ESSEX COUNTY.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCINERNEY TO ASK SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I THINK, UH, THAT GRATITUDE IS OWED TO YOUR OFFICE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK IN THE LAST HANDFUL OF YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT'S BEEN THROWN AT US SINCE COVID SPECIAL ELECTIONS, THE VOTE BY MAIL, THE CHANGE IN MACHINES.
IT, IT'S BEEN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, PROBABLY THE BUSIEST FIVE YEARS IN THE LAST 50 YEARS, I WOULD THINK.
YEAH, I'D SAY THE BUSIEST SEVEN YEARS, UH, WITH THE BEGINNING OF, YEAH, THAT'S TRUE.
GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY, UH, IN ALL THE CHANGES AND UPDATES TO THE ELECTION PROCESS, UH, ON EVERY LEVEL.
I MEAN, YOU SAID IT EARLY VOTING, UH, VOTE BY MAIL, UH, THE INCREASE IN VOTE BY MAIL, THE SECURE BALLOT, DROP BOXES, UH, ALL THE CHANGES.
UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE ON PROBATION AND PAROLE NOW, BEING ABLE TO VOTE, UH, ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION, UH, MOTOR VEHICLES INSTANT, UH, UPDATES IN IN PEOPLE'S VOTING RECORDS THROUGH DMV.
IT USED TO BE WHERE YOU HAD TO PROACTIVELY ASK THEM TO DO IT.
NOW YOU, IT HAPPENS UNLESS YOU ASK THEM NOT TO DO IT.
UH, SO YEAH, IT GOES ON AND ON.
IT'S A LOT LONG LIST, UH, WITH THE REAL ID.
I, I THINK SO THIS HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF CONFUSION FOR AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DELAYS WITH IT HERE.
DO YOU SEE AN INCREASE OF DEMAND IN, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICE WITH RESPECT TO THAT MOBILIZATION TO CHANGE OR THAT REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THE REAL IDEA? CAN YOU, LIKE, JUST, I KNOW YOU SPOKE ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT? I THINK IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF, UH, GETTING THAT OFF TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, MR. PRESIDENT, I, I SEE A MARKET INCREASE IN, IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WANTING TO GET A PASSPORT OR PASSPORT CARD.
UH, THE PASSPORT CARD IS $30, SO IT'S A CHEAPER VERSION, UH, OF THE BOOK.
UH, SO THAT CAN REPLACE THE REAL ID AS FAR AS FLYING DOMESTICALLY.
BUT YEAH, IT'S BEEN A, A LONG TIME COMING ABOUT FOUR YEARS 'CAUSE OF COVID IT HAS KEPT, UH, PUSHING, UH, INTO THE FUTURE, THE, THE DEADLINE.
UH, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NATIONAL FORM OF ID TO HAVE IT, A MORE SECURE ID, UH, MORE POINTS OF IDENTIFICATION FOR EACH PERSON TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BE REQUIRED, UH, TO QUALIFY FOR THIS ID.
UH, SO YEAH, WE WE'RE GONNA, AND I KNOW IN THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS AND BEYOND, UH, AND I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE LINES AT THE AIRPORTS, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE IF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE IT, DON'T QUALIFY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S GONNA BE, UH, AND I HOPE IT DOESN'T HURT THE ECONOMY IN ANY WAY WITH PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO FLY WHO DID NOT UPDATE THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE AND DO NOT BRING THEIR, UH, OR DO NOT HAVE A PASSPORT OR PASSPORT CARD, OR DIDN'T BRING IT TO THE AIRPORT.
I'M OPTIMISTIC PEOPLE WILL BE MOTIVATED TO NOT HAVE THEIR VACATIONS, UH, RUINED.
SO I'M A BIG FAN OF THE PASSPORT CARD.
UH, AND I SHOULD SAY I'VE HAD MINE FOR, SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN IT STARTED TO OFFER IT.
I JUST KEEP IT IN MY WALLET, LIKE A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
IT'S COME IN HANDY A GOOD NUMBER OF TIMES AS ANOTHER FORM OF ID TRAVELING DOMESTICALLY.
I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD TO HAVE THE PASSPORT.
AND FOR MY CHILDREN, WHEN I OPENED MY SON'S BA FIRST BANK ACCOUNT, IT WAS HELPFUL.
SO I HAVE FOUND, FOUND IT TO BE USEFUL IN MANY OTHER WAYS AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, IF FOR ANYONE LISTENING, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT.
SO I, IT'S A GREAT SERVICE YOU PROVIDED, AND IT WAS VERY PAINLESS, I SHOULD SAY, AS WELL.
MR. PRESIDENT, MR. MCINERNEY, HE'S ALL YOURS.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HIT HIM WITH? UH, NOT MUCH, BUT, UM, YOU, YOU DID TALK ABOUT THE INCREASE IN, UH, A LOT OF YOUR EXPENSES,
[00:55:01]
UM, BUT YOUR EXPENSES ARE, ARE BUDGETED DOWN 6,000 THIS YEAR, 5%.SO IS THAT, IS, IS THAT GONNA WORK FOR YOU? UH, IT WILL, WE HAVE IT IN THE COST.
IF YOU SEE, WE DID GO UNDER, UH, WE WERE, UH, 12, 13 EACH OF OUR LINES, WE, WE WERE UNDER AS FAR AS, UH, THE BUDGET GOES, UM, 22,400 AND THEN, UM, 16,449.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I WILL SAY, WITH UNEXPECTED COSTS, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T KNOW, UH, THE NUMBER OF THE ADDED NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL VOTE BY MAIL.
UH, THERE COULD BE A BIG CAMPAIGN FOR THAT.
THEN THERE COULD BE AN INCREASE IN COST FOR FIRST CLASS POSTAGE.
UH, SO THAT'S AN UNFORESEEN, UH, COST THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
THE CAMPAIGNS COULD, UH, GO OUT AND INCREASE THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VOTING BY MAIL.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THIS IS NOT US, BUT EVERYTHING INCREASES BECAUSE, UH, EVERYTHING IS DONE BY DISTRICT BECAUSE THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS MANDATED THAT ALL RESULTS MUST BE DONE BY VOTING DISTRICT.
UH, WHICH INCREASES THE COST OF PROGRAMMING, UH, PRINTING TO MAKE SPECIFIC BALLOTS, UH, FOR EACH DISTRICT.
DOES I, I, I DON'T RECALL THIS.
DOES CLARK HAVE A A A TRUST ACCOUNT? YES.
AND WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT USED FOR AND HOW MUCH DOES THAT? SO I, I'M PRETTY SURE WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UH, IN THE TRUST ACCOUNT.
WE RECEIVED $2 OF EVERY TRANSACTION GOES INTO OUR DEDICATED FUND, UH, FOR THE UPGRADE.
AND, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY MOSTLY THAT CORRECT? I'M SORRY? MOSTLY IT.
AND, UH, DO YOU STILL HAVE A VACANCY NOW IN YOUR OFFICE? ONE VACANCY? NO, WE FILLED THE VACANCY DECEMBER 1ST.
DO YOU SEE IF YOU SEE A VACANCY THAT I DO HAVE ON, I DID
THE, THE PERSON WAS, WE A LOT OF, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF SAVINGS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THAT.
WE HAD SOMEONE OFF THE PAYROLL FOR ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
AND THE REVENUES YOU SEE STAY IN CONSTANT, YOU DON'T REALLY SEE ANY INCREASE OR DECREASE TO THOSE REVENUES.
I THINK A, A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE REVENUES.
FIRST OF ALL, WHEN THE IDEA OF CHANGING THE VOTING TO 16 FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WAS PRESENTED IN NEWARK, IT SEEMED THAT EVERYONE AGREED, HOWEVER, THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAD TO CHANGE IT.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR EVERYONE WHO IS 16 IN EVERY DISTRICT TO VOTE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION.
NOW YOU'RE SAYING, OR YOU DID SAY THAT THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN IN NEWARK.
WHAT HAPPENED? THAT IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE IN NEWARK AND NOT IN THE REST OF THE TOWNS? OKAY, SO, UH, THE NEWARK CITY COUNCIL PASSED, RIGHT, AN ORDINANCE SAYING THAT 16, 17 YEAR OLDS COULD VOTE IN THE NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.
UM, SO IT ONLY PERTAINS TO THE NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS, AND IT ONLY PERTAINS TO THE APRIL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD HAVE, AND IT'S BEING, UH, DEFENDED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
UH, IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, IF IT WANT, IF IT WAS TO GO TO THE, SO MO AS YOU KNOW, 90% OR MORE THAN THAT, 90% OF THE SCHOOL BOARDS RUN IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION WHERE 18 YEAR OLDS, UH, IT IS A REQUIRED AGE TO VOTE.
UH, NOW THERE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE, IF THAT WERE TO BE DONE, UH, IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE LEGALLY, UM, ALLOWABLE.
SO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WOULD HAVE TO, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT, OR WOULD HAVE TO STAND BY THAT.
UH, AND THERE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE TWO SEPARATE BALLOTS IF THIS EVER HAPPENED, BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT MIX, UH, THE BALLOTS, UH, WHERE A 16, 17-YEAR-OLD COULD VOTE ON AN ELECTION THAT THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE ON.
UH, SO IT, IT HASN'T GOTTEN TO THAT LEVEL.
UH, AS FAR AS, UM, NO ONE HAS TAKEN, NO ONE HAS TRIED THAT AS OF YET
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TO PASS RESOLUTION, UH, TO HAVE 1670 YEAR OLDS VOTE IN THEIR SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION.SO WE WILL SEE WHERE THAT GOES.
AND ESPECIALLY BEING, IF IT'S A NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ELECTION ALTOGETHER.
WELL THEN HOW DID NEWARK GET PERMISSION FOR THE 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS TO VOTE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION? DID THAT COME THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE? IT DID NOT COME THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE.
THE, THE NEWARK DECIDED, AND THAT'S IT.
SO NEWARK DECIDED THE STATE DEFENDED THE DECISION.
THE STATE DEFENDED THE DECISION.
AGREED WITH THE DECISION, DEFENDED THE DECISION.
UH, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT'S BECAUSE IT'S AN APRIL SCHOOL ELECTION, IT'S A STANDALONE ELECTION, DOESN'T HAVE ANY OTHER OFFICES, UH, ON THAT BALLOT OR IN THAT ELECTION.
IT'S STRICTLY FOR NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES AND NEWARK SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION.
SO I THINK THAT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
SO IF SOMEONE IN MY TOWN WHO IS 16 ASKED ME WHY THEY CAN'T VOTE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION, WHAT'S THE ANSWER? THEY CAN GO TO COURT OR THEY CAN LOBBY THEIR, UH, LOCAL GOVERNING BODY TO PASS AN ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THEM TO DO IT.
AND THEN WE WILL SEE WHERE IT GOES.
SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH UP IN THE AIR.
MY OTHER QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE NEWARK AND IRVINGTON SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS NOT BEING IN NOVEMBER.
THAT MEANS THE TOWN HAS TO PAY FOR THOSE ELECTIONS.
THAT MEANS THE SCHOOL BOARDS DO THE SCHOOL BOARDS.
THE SCHOOL BOARDS FOR EACH OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE.
HOW DO WE GET THEM TO HAVE THEIR SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION IN NOVEMBER THE WAY THE OTHER TOWNS HAVE DECIDED TO DO IT? SO THE LEGISLATURE SET UP, UH, IN 2009, UH, THAT THE WAY TO MOVE YOUR ELECTION, IT ACTUALLY COULD BE TWO WAYS.
IT COULD BE THE, UH, NEWARK, THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE ACTUAL SCHOOL BOARD CAN VOTE TO MOVE THE ELECTION NOVEMBER.
OR THE CITY COUNCIL OR TOWN COUNCIL CAN DO THAT.
SO EITHER GOVERNING BODY, THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE CITY COUNCIL CAN VOTE TO MOVE THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE TO VOTE.
THOSE ENTITIES COULD DECIDE ON MOVING THE ELECTION TO NOVEMBER.
AND IF THEY MOVE THE ELECTION, THEY'D SAVE MONEY.
YOU ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS.
JUST, JUST TO, 'CAUSE YOU ASKED A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
WHY CAN'T THE KIDS IN YOUR TOWN VOTE? SO COULD THE TOWN COUNCIL ACTUALLY VOTE TO MOVE THEIR SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL? THAT'S CORRECT.
THEN YOUR KID, THEN YOU, THEN YOUR, YOUR 16 AND 17-YEAR-OLD CAN VOTE.
COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, UH, THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, UH, A SCHOOL BOARD CAN ELECT TO GO BACK TO, THEY CAN GO TO NOVEMBER.
THEY CAN EVEN GO BACK TO APRIL.
BUT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU MOVE TO NOVEMBER, THERE'S A TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEND IN THAT ELECTION.
YOU CAN'T JUST MOVE BACK EACH YEAR, BACK AND FORTH.
I I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S, IT'S EITHER FIVE YEARS OR 10 YEARS THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY, UH, AS A NOVEMBER ELECTION OR AS AN APRIL ELECTION.
BUT YES, UH, LIVINGSTON, AS AN EXAMPLE, COULD CHOOSE TO MOVE THEIR ELECTION BACK TO APRIL.
IF THEY SO CHOOSE, THEN YOU COULD GET THOSE KIDS TO VOTE.
CHIEF EGIO HAS JOINED US AND ALSO WHO, BUT THE OTHER SITUATION DEALING WITH MOVING IT IS THAT MORE PEOPLE VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION THAN WHEN THE BOARD OF ED HAS IT IN.
UH, WHEN DO THEY HAVE IT? APRIL.
WELL, THAT'S, AND THAT'S A GREAT POINT BECAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TURNOUT.
AND THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE SOUTH ORANGE AND VERONA JUST DECIDED TO NOT ONLY SAVE MONEY BY MOVING THEIR ELECTION FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER, BUT TO INCREASE THE TURNOUT.
UH, SO YEAH, THE OF, OF THE VOTES BUT NUMBER OF VOTES.
'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE REALLY VOTING FOR OTHER THINGS AND THEY DON'T REALLY VALUE SCHOOL BOARDS AND RIGHT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE OTHER ARGUMENT.
THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T COME OUT.
SO YEAH, YOU DO IT IN NOVEMBER IS CONNECTED TO A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER STUFF.
SO THE TURNOUT WOULD BE GREATER, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY COMING OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, FOR THE 16-YEAR-OLD RE UH, ARE WE USING THE SAME REGISTRATION FORMS OR ARE THEY, UH, SPECIFIC REGISTRATION
[01:05:01]
FORMS FOR THIS ELECTION? FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.UH, THREE, YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, UH, THEY HAVE NEW FORMS, WHICH, UH, STATE ON THE FORM, UH, THAT YOU MUST BE 16 BY APRIL 15TH BY ELECTION DAY TO REGISTER.
UH, AND YOU'RE SWEARING TO THAT WHEN YOU SIGN NOW, THEY WILL ACCEPT, UH, THE OLD FORMS. OKAY.
THAT YOU'RE SWEARING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE 16 OR 16 BY APRIL 15TH BY THE ELECTION.
BUT THERE ARE NEW FORMS THAT WERE JUST PUT OUT, UH, THAT THE STATE APPROVED.
COMMISSIONER LUCIANO, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, CLERK.
UM, JUST TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COME UP YET, BUT SETTING THIS TYPE OF PRECEDENT, WHAT HAPPENS IF A 16-YEAR-OLD SAYS THEY WANT TO RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD? IF THEY'RE ALLOWED TO VOTE, ARE THEY GONNA BE ALLOWED TO RUN? WELL, THAT WOULD BE A DECISION MADE BY THE SCHOOL BOARD SECRETARY AND THE SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY.
UH, AND THEN IF SOMEONE DIDN'T LIKE THEIR DECISION, IT COULD BE, THE DECISION COULD BE MADE BY A JUDGE.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR FEELINGS ON THAT? DO YOU THINK THAT THE JUDGE WOULD RULE IN FAVOR BEING WE'RE ALLOWING THEM TO VOTE, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE CONSCIENTIOUS TO MAKE THOSE TYPE OF DECISIONS THROUGH YOU, MR. PRESIDENT? I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THIS.
I WOULD SAY THERE'S AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE FOR IT.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY WHAT I FEEL ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE I REALLY HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT AS CLOSELY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MAKING ME THINK ABOUT THIS, BUT I'LL SAY THIS.
I DO SEE AN ARGUMENT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO SAY, IF I'M QUALIFIED TO VOTE, WOULDN'T I BE QUALIFIED TO RUN? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION FOR THE OFFICE.
BUT I HAVEN'T LOOKED THAT DEEPLY INTO IT.
WELL, I, I THINK TO MR. JUDGE DISCUSSION, I THINK THOUGH, YOU KNOW, IN THE CONSTITUTION WE ARE 18-YEAR-OLD CAN VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, BUT CANNOT BE THE PRESIDENT.
AN 18-YEAR-OLD VOTE CAN VOTE FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR, BUT CANNOT BE A SENATOR.
SO I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S PRECEDENT TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO VOTE DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO HOLD THE POSITION FOR WHICH YOU'RE VOTING.
THERE ELIGIBILITY, UH, FOR HOLDING OFFICE MAY DIFFER THAN VOTING REQUIREMENTS.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE SILENT HERE.
BUT AS THE ADMINISTRATOR SAID, TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, YOU NEED TO BE 35.
UH, TO RUN FOR CONGRESS 26, 25.
IS IT 25? 25 OR 30 25 FOR THE HOUSE.
I MEAN, I MAY HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT AS A PROFESSOR.
BUT YEAH, THERE ARE THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
SO MR. COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, BEFORE WE WRAP UP, 50 YEARS AGO, LARRY HAM WAS APPOINTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND HE WAS 17, RIGHT.
17-YEAR-OLD WAS ALREADY FIT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.
WE HAD, WE HAD THE CASE OF A, A YOUNG MAN IN MELBOURNE WHO WAS UH, YES.
HE WAS GONNA BE 18 BY ELECTION DAY.
AND, UH, AND THERE WAS COMPLAINTS ABOUT HIM RUNNING, BUT NO ONE WENT TO COURT AGAINST HE WON.
ON ELECTION DAY? NO, ON ELECTION DAY, HE WAS 18.
BUT WHEN HE FILED PETITIONS, HE WAS 17.
SO FOOD FOR THOUGHT, WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT WE WOULD'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ALL THIS? I KNOW.
STUFF FOR JUST BUDGET, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
IT LEADS DOWN A LOT OF AVENUES.
COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE LET MR. KIN OFF THE HOOK? HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB PRESENTING BEFORE LIVING FIELDING OUR THEORETICAL QUESTIONS.
NOT A QUESTION, BUT A COMMENT.
I LOVE THOSE CALENDARS WITH THE KIDS.
THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL, LOVELY CALENDARS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
AND PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO FORWARD THE, UH, MATERIALS THAT YOU USE FOR THE PUBLIC SINCE A LOT OF FOLKS COME TO US ASKING, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES ON PASSPORTS, THE REAL ID ELECTION CYCLES.
WE, YOU DO A FANTASTIC JOB WITH THAT.
SO PLEASE KEEP THAT COMING AND WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO BE AMBASSADORS FOR THAT AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER MCCA, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE MAKES A, A, A FANTASTIC, UH, DIRECTORY TO, THEY DO THE COUNTY DIRECTORY, THE BOOKLET.
[01:10:01]
HAS BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO, TO GIVE US COPIES TO WE CAN HAND OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND THEY LOVE IT.SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING MY OFFICE WITH THAT.
WE'RE GETTING MORE IN THIS WEEK.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TODAY MOVING SO FAST.
WE LOVE MR. DURKIN OFF THE HOOK.
WHO DO WE HAVE NEXT? MR. MR. JACKSON? UH, NEXT UP IS, UH, SURROGATE KENNY.
AND THEN JUST FOR THE RECORD, AFTER THE SURROGATES PRESENTATION IS DONE, WE'LL BE TAKING A SHORT BREAK AND, UH, WE'RE JUST A LITTLE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, WHICH IS FINE FOR DINNER.
CAN WE KEEP GOING? NOT EVERYONE WILL BE HERE IN TIME, BUT WE'LL GET, WE HAD GOTTEN THEM EARLIER.
LONG RIGHT? WHAT'S UP BUDDY? WHAT'S GOING ON? GOOD EVENING, MR. SURROGATE.
HOW ARE YOU, SIR? GOOD, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
FEEL FREE TO START WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, JUST GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR, THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING TODAY, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MR. MCINERNEY AND COMMISSIONERS ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
UM, EVERYONE, MY NAME IS KINNEY.
I CURRENTLY SERVE AS
UM, JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE A BRIEF INFORMATION ON WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST, UH, YEAR, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
ADAM IS, UH, I THINK ADAM MAY IN THE HALLWAY, BUT IF YOU CAN HEAR US, MAYBE YOU CAN COME BACK IN.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LUCIANO.
I'M SORRY FOR NOT PROVIDING YOU A COLOR COPY, BUT WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY, UH, CONSCIOUS ABOUT THIS FUNDS THAT WE USE YOU IN OUR OFFICE.
WE APPRECIATE THE BUDGET CONSCIOUSNESS THAT WE HAD AND MAKING THE BLACK AND WHITE COPIES.
SO, UM, LAST YEAR OF 2024, OUR IMPACT NUMBERS.
JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A HIGHLIGHT.
UM, OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS 940 40 $6,920.
OUR REVENUE THAT WE GENERATE WAS $787,760.
AND WE, UH, PROBATED OVER 10,000 270, 73 CASES, WHICH WAS UP FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, AND WHAT I ALSO PROVIDED YOU WAS JUST SOME MEDIA INFORMATION BECAUSE, UM, FIRST LET ME JUST GO PERSONAL.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMMUNICATING WITH ME, UH, COMMISSIONER MR. RICHARDSON, UM, FOR REACHING OUT TO ME AND, AND, UH, EVERYONE WHO, UH, 'CAUSE MY MOTHER'S PASSING.
UM, I THANK YOU FOR THE LETTER, THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THE WELL WISHES.
AND SO FOR ME, UH, DOING THIS SORT OF WORK IS DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO BECAUSE IT'S PERSONAL NOW.
UM, 'CAUSE NOW I, I TRULY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT FAMILIES EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY LOSE SOMEONE.
AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONVERSATION, HOW FAMILIES STAY TOGETHER AND HOW FAMILIES HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO REMAIN WITH ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE OF SOMEONE'S PASSING IN YOUR FAMILY.
AND SO, UM, THIS YEAR IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE MY MOM'S PASSING.
AND SO I ALSO REALIZED THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND HOW FAMILY PLANNING PLANNING IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SO LAST YEAR WITH THE EFFORTS, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH ABOUT 947,000 PEOPLE IN OUR AUDIENCE.
UH, WHICH TO US GENERATED OVER $18,000 WORTH OF FREE REVENUE THAT CAME BY THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TERMINOLOGY, YOU CAN GO BEYOND THAT PAGE.
WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE OUR INFORMATION, UM, ON TELEVISION.
UM, WE WERE ALSO ON, UH, ON OUR IMMEDIATE PIECES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR WEBSITE ABOUT THE, UH, REDUCING THE STRESS AS A RESULT OF ESTATE PLANNING AS WELL AS THE OP-ED THAT WE DID FOR ESTATE PLANNING AS WELL.
[01:15:01]
WE'VE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.UH, WE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION, UH, REGARDING SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
IT RELATES TO ESTATE PLANNING, ADOPTIONS AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD A RETIREMENT LAST YEAR.
WE HAD A YOUNG LADY NAMED EVELYN RIVERA, WHO WAS WITH OUR COURT FOR 42 YEARS.
UM, SHE STARTED AT THE AGE OF 19 AND SHE RETIRED AT THE AGE OF BEYOND 19.
SHE WAS GREAT FOR OUR CORE AND SHE WAS A STABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ALSO DID, UM, SOME VIDEOS THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE TO GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION, UH, AT ABOUT STATE PLANNING AND FINANCIAL ASSETS.
UM, BILINGUAL ADULT GUARDIANSHIP, ONE PAGER, WHICH WAS NEW TO OUR COURT BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE, UH, UH, TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING WHAT GUARDIANSHIP MEANS.
HOW DOES THAT IMPACT MY FAMILY? HOW, HOW CAN I PROTECT A LOVED ONE? UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, WE S SPOTLIGHTED SPOTLIGHT IS ON OUR PAGE, UM, FROM SENIOR WELLNESS DAYS AT EAST ORANGE, UM, TWO ADOPTION DAYS, AND ALSO WORKING WITH NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT REGARDING TITLE ONE AND PARENTS CONFERENCE.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY FOR A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU WERE ABLE TO HELP US, UH, WITH THE PROGRAM TO DIGITIZE MORE THAN 6.5 MILLION IMAGES INTO MICRO FISH FROM BLUESTONE.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR TWO, TWO INDIVIDUALS.
ONE IS FOR OBVIOUSLY OUR, OUR SEARCHES WHO COME TO OUR COURT AND LOOK FOR CRITICAL INFORMATION, UM, REGARDING LOVED ONES OR PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH.
BUT ALSO IT HELPS US, UH, MAXIMIZE AND BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TEAM REGARDING OUR DIRECTORS, KEEPERS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING INFORMATION FOR, UH, FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COME TO OUR COURT.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THAT'S BEEN A VERY GOOD HELP TO US.
AND, UM, IT ALSO DIDN'T CAUSE UH, EXES COUNTY TAX PAYERS AS, UH, FORMER PRESIDENT RICHARDSON REMINDED ME.
TAXPAYER DID PAY FOR IT, BUT IT DID COME FROM THE COUNTY OF THAT PER SE, CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND ALSO BOB JACKSON AS WELL, FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE ABLE TO GET THE INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, IN COMPARISON WITH OUR OTHER SURROGATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, OUR LARGER ONES, UH, IF YOU SEE IN COMPARISON WITH BERGEN COUNTY, UM, NO MENTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
HUDSON COUNTY, TWO MENTIONS, UM, AND A SMALLER AUDIENCE.
AND THEY HAD A FULL YEAR OF WORK AND PACIFIC COUNTY, WHICH HAD A FULL YEAR.
AND, UH, WE ONLY HAVE FOUR MONTHS WORKING WITH THE AGENCY THAT WE WORKED WITH.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT IS REGARDING, UM, OUR BUDGET.
AND SO LAST YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD A, UM, A PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM THAT WORKED WITH OUR, OUR COURT, UH, WHO DID A FEW THINGS.
ONE, THEY HELPED US CRAFT A MESSAGING, UH, FOR OUR AUDIENCE WHO WERE NOT ATTORNEYS, UM, WHO WERE NOT FINANCIAL WIZARDS.
THEY JUST HAPPENED TO BE REGULAR PEOPLE WHO WERE LOOKING FOR HELP, LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP US CRAFT MESSAGING TO ENSURE THAT WE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION TO THEM, UM, WHEN THEY NEEDED IT.
AND THAT WAS THE TOWER ELL GROUP.
UM, AND THEY WERE GREAT FOR OUR, OUR, UM, INITIATIVES.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM BECAUSE THE MONEY WAS COMING FROM OUR, UH, DEDICATED FUNDS.
AND WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, ABOUT HOW WE CAN, UH, 'CAUSE WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION REGARDING COUNTY BLUESTONE SYSTEMS AND MAINTAINING OUR, UM, OUR COMPUTERS, THE LAPTOPS, THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT ALSO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO KEEP THIS ORGAN TO KEEP THIS, UM, AS PARTNERSHIP ALIVE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE THEY WERE HELPFUL FOR US TO GET INTO SPACES THAT WE TYPICALLY WOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN INTO.
UM, AND SO WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING A FEW THINGS, UM, HAVING, UH, CAPITAL EXPENSES JUST EARMARKED FOR, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES.
UM, AND THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH OUTREACH INITIATIVES CAN LOOK MULTIPLE WAYS, WHETHER IT'S ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, WHETHER IT'S NEWS ARTICLES, OR WHETHER IT'S CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN OUR WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE IT'S, UH, USER FRIENDLY FOR ANYONE THAT DECIDES TO WANT TO USE OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
UM, THIS IS OUR REPORT REGARDING WHAT WE'VE DONE LAST YEAR.
AND PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS OUR BUDGET GOING FORWARD, UM, WHICH YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M OPEN TO ANSWER ANYTHING FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS.
UM, MR. KINER, AGAIN, MR. PRESIDENT, VERY SMALL BUDGET.
UM, THERE'S REALLY NO INCREASE IN YOUR OTHER, UH, YOUR SALARIES AND WAGE FROM THE PRIOR HERE.
UM, DO YOU STILL HAVE A VACANCY OR, WE HAD A VACANCY THAT WAS DUE TO THE RETIREMENT AND WE HAD A EMPLOYEE THAT WE WANTED TO BRING ON FULL TIME, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, A FREEZE ON, ON BRINGING PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM TEMPORARY STATUS
[01:20:01]
TO PERMANENT STATUS.SO THAT VACANCY STILL REMAINS OPEN? IT REMAINS OPEN, YES.
UM, SO AGAIN, THERE IS NO INCREASE IN YOUR SALARIES AND WAGE LINE ITEM AND THERE'S NO INCREASE IN YOUR OTHER EXPENSE LINE ITEM.
UM, AS FAR AS REVENUE GOES, YOU WOULD ANTICIPATE, UM, REALIZING AT LEAST AS MUCH AS AS YOU, UH, RECEIVED THIS YEAR, WHICH I SHOULD SAY IN 2024, DID YOU SAY? I'M SORRY, ONE MORE TIME.
YOU'LL YOU'LL, YOU'LL RECEIVE AS MUCH IN 2025 IN REVENUES AS YOU PROBABLY IN 2024.
SO, SO WHAT WE, WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT, UM, THE MORE WE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC, WE'VE SEEN A GREATER RESPONSE.
AND SO IF YOU SEEN OUR CASES FROM THE TIME THAT WE STARTED IN OUR OFFICE, WE HAD ABOUT 7,700 CASES RIGHT NOW, WE HAD 10,000 CASES.
AND SO WE RECOGNIZED THAT THE MORE WE ARE ABLE TO TOUCH PEOPLE, THE MORE WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO PEOPLE, THE MORE WE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE COME TO OUR COURT AND INTERACT, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR COURT REGARDING WHATEVER CASES THEY NEED TO INTERACT WITH.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ABLE TO PUT GREATER EMPHASIS ON OUR COMMUNICATION EDUCATION PIECE, UH, REGARDING OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO.
DO YOU HAVE A TRUST? YOU HAVE A TRUST FUND, DON'T YOU? WE DO.
HOW MUCH IS IN THERE NOW? UH, IT'S ABOUT 32 MILLION.
HOW MUCH? 32 MILLION YOU, REGARDING, YOU'RE REFERRING TO OUR MINUS TRUST, TRUST FUND THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO? I GET A LOAN
THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT MS CAN CLARIFY THAT.
UH, HU JOSE MOHAMAD COUNTY TREASURER, UH, THE CURRENT BALANCE FOR THE TRUST FUND IS 38,900.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
Y'ALL THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MINUS TRUST FUND? NO, I UNDERSTAND.
YEAH, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONFUSION IS.
AND WHAT DO YOU USE THAT FOR? BASICALLY? SO I, OUR MINUS TRUST, OH, I'M SORRY.
OUR TRUST FUND GOES TOWARDS DIFFERENT THINGS FOR OUR COUNTY BUSINESS SYSTEMS. RIGHT? OR MAYBE WE PAY FOR, UH, MATERIAL, UH, FOR OUR, THE PUBLIC.
AND SO WE JUST NEED TO, WE REALLY WANNA INCREASE THAT NUMBER SO WE CAN DO MORE THINGS WITH THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON? SURE.
YOU USING THE ELL GROUP, YOU WERE THE CONSULTANTS, YOU WERE ABLE TO INCREASE YOUR REVENUE AND OUTPUT AND TOUCHES TO PEOPLE, AND YOU SAID YOU COULD NO LONGER DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE COST.
WHAT WAS THE COST? SO IT BECAME A DECISION.
DO WE CO CONTINUE THEIR CONTRACT OR WE HAVE TO PAY FOR PROPRIETARY RE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IS CALLED COUNTY BUSINESS SYSTEMS, WHICH MAINTAINS OUR FILES THAT WE USE FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS WITH THE STATE.
AND SO WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION THAT WE COULDN'T CONTINUE WITH THE TYRA ADELL GROUP BECAUSE OF WE HAD TO SPEND OUR MONEY FOR COUNTY BUSINESS SYSTEMS. SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A, AN OPENING BECAUSE OF A RETIREMENT, YOU CAN'T BRING THAT PERSON ON FULL-TIME.
AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, UM, NOT A FULL-TIME PERSON.
BUT YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT YOU WANTED TO BRING? YEAH, WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY IN OUR OFFICE THAT, I'M SORRY.
WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY IN OUR OFFICE THAT IS CURRENTLY TEMPORARY TEMP, A TEMPORARY, WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PERMANENT.
RIGHT, BUT THERE'S A HIRING FREEZE.
BECAUSE OF FREEZE WE NOT SO YOU STILL HAVE THAT GAP IN TERMS OF THE MONEY NOT BEING EXPENDED BECAUSE OF THE RETIREMENT? YES.
BUT YOU CAN'T USE ANY OF THAT MONEY? I DON'T THINK WE CAN.
I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO, UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT SORT OF CONVERSATION.
SO THEY CONTINUE TO DO THE OUTREACH WITH THE CONSULT? I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE.
I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO THE EXPERTS.
I THINK MR. LL ASK SOME CLARITY.
UM, THE TRUST FUND IS DEDICATED, IS AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AND IT'S, UH, ONLY FOR UPGRADING THE OFFICES.
SO YOU CAN, UM, UH, UPGRADE THE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE OFFICE OR GET TECHNOLOGY.
SO IT'S NOT FOR THAT TYPE OF CONTRACT.
I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT THE TRUST FUND.
I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDS.
YOU HAVE A HIRING OPENING, RIGHT? YOU HAVE A POSITION THAT HAS NOT BEEN FILLED? I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT ONE, NOT THE TRANSFER.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT CAN REQUEST, UM, TRANSFER FROM, UH, SALADS AND WAGES TO OTHER EXPENSES AND WE CAN DO THE TRANSFER TO COVER THAT COST IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
[01:25:01]
OFF OF WHAT COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON IS SAYING, IF A SERVICE HELPS US INCREASE OUR OUTREACH TO RESIDENTS, I THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND TIME WHERE PEOPLE DIE SUDDENLY.AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF US DON'T ALWAYS HAVE OUR HOUSE IN ORDER.
WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE OUR WILLS ESTABLISHED.
UM, I JUST TALKED TO A CONSTITUENT YESTERDAY.
THEIR MOTHER DIED TWO, THREE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING.
THEY HAVE A HOUSE AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, AND IT'S 13 KIDS THAT THE MOTHER HAD.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THEY'RE GONNA DESCEND UPON YOUR OFFICE
THEY'RE GONNA DESCEND UPON YOUR OFFICE.
THE WOMAN WAS 93 YEARS OLD AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE A WILL.
AND AS I WAS TALKING TO THE FAMILY WHO HAPPENED TO BE AT MY WORK THIS MORNING, THEY WAS LIKE, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE OR THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE.
UM, SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT, IF YOUR OFFICE IS DOING SOMETHING TO HELP US OUTREACH TO PEOPLE, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION TODAY.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, OF TRANSFERRING.
HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, BY THE WAY? I I DIDN'T HEAR THE NUMBER.
IS IT A MILLION DOLLARS OR HOW MUCH IS IT? CAN WE SAY A MILLION? AND I CAN SAY WE CAN NEGOTIATE DOWN TO A REALISTIC NUMBER.
UM, THE NUMBER THAT WE SPENT, UH, THE PAST FEW YEARS OF THAT PARTICULAR ORGANIZ, THAT PARTICULAR GROUP WAS ABOUT 60,000.
AND THEY MAINTAINED AND CREATED OUR WEBSITE.
THEY REFORMATTED OUR, UM, OUR WEB PAGES.
UM, PREVIOUSLY IT WAS VERY LEGALESE.
LIKE IT WAS, YOU HAD TO BE ATTORNEY ORDER FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE.
UM, NOW IT'S, IT'S, IT IS, UM, MORE USER FRIENDLY.
AND UM, ALSO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN SPACES THAT IN YEARS PAST WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO GET INTO.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE SORT OF BENEFIT THAT THE, THAT THE, UM, TARADALE GROUP HAD FOR OUR, OUR, UM, OUR OFFICE.
SO I'M ASKING THE ADMINISTRATION TO HELP FIGURE THIS OUT.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP FIGURE OUT THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO SOME KIND OF OUTREACH TO OUR RESIDENTS? BECAUSE THIS IS A, A CRITICAL SERVICE THAT IS NEEDED.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WE GIVE OUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CONTRACTS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT OTHER THINGS.
SO LET'S GET THIS FIGURED OUT.
I KNOW I MYSELF NEED TO COME TO YOUR OFFICE IS REALIZING THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED MY WILL IN A VERY LONG TIME MYSELF.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH ALSO FOR COMING AND GOING INTO THE COMMUNITY THE WAY THAT YOU ARE.
I HEARD RECENTLY FROM SOME CONSTITUENTS IN EAST ORANGE ABOUT, UM, THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU MADE RECENTLY, HOW GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL THAT IT WAS.
UM, BECAUSE SINCE COVID, SOME OF THEM HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE THAT FILE LIFE CARD.
AND, UM, A WOMAN I WAS TALKING TO AGAIN WHO CAME TO MY OFFICE, SHE WAS ABLE, WHEN HER MOTHER PASSED SUDDENLY TO GET THE INFORMATION YOU TAUGHT HER TO LEAVE IT ON THE REFRIGERATOR.
SO THEY WERE VERY GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR THAT.
AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE IN ORANGE TOMORROW.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OUTREACH, UM, SERVICES THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND I, I WANT TO ADD ONE MORE THING 'CAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU MADE A GREAT POINT, COMMISSIONER.
UM, NOT ONLY ARE WE PUBLIC SERVANT, BUT WE'RE ALSO PEOPLE.
AND SO, UM, AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH LOVED ONES.
SAY, YOU NEED TO GET THESE THINGS DONE.
I'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION, BEGGED MY MOTHER TO, TO HAVE A WILL PUT IN PLACE.
AND SHE'S LIKE, NO, YOU GONNA TAKE MY MONEY? NO, YOU GOING TO, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT ME TO DIE? I WAS LIKE, NO, MOM, I DON'T WANNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DEATH IS INEVITABLE.
AND WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT'S DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, IT GOES FROM THEORY TO REALITY.
AND SO, UM, I EVEN EMPLOY ANYONE IN THIS ROOM, IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT YOURSELF, UH, DO IT.
UM, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD ALSO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AS YOU, AS WELL AS YOU PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
UM, LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A PUBLIC SERVICE, BUT YOU ALSO PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND PROTECT THE LOVED ONES WHILE YOU'RE NO LONGER HERE AS WELL.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MIGHT I ADD TO THAT, SIR? SINCE I'VE BECOME A CAREGIVER AND I'VE, UH, LEARNED QUITE A FEW THINGS, THE, THE LAST FIVE OR SEVEN YEARS, I WOULD ADD NOT ONLY WILL MEDICAL DIRECTIVES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY WELL IN ADVANCE OF ANY CRISIS, SO THAT WHEN THE DAY COMES, IF IT SHOULD COME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
'CAUSE BY THE TIME THAT DAY COMES, THOSE THINGS ARE ALL TOO LATE.
AND I'VE, I'VE LIVED IT THANKFULLY.
AND THEN THE GOOD SIDE BECAUSE, UH, MY SISTER HAPPENS TO BE AN ATTORNEY AND SHE TAUGHT ME WELL.
BUT IT, IT COULD BE A, A, A TOUGH LESSON FOR SOME OF I'VE SEEN OVER TIME.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION COMMISSIONERS.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. KENNY AND COMMISSIONER MERCADO, AND THEN COMMISSIONER SERMONS.
I WANT THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN THE WORK THAT YOU DO, ESPECIALLY IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE OUR HOUSES IN ORDER AND THE EDUCATION, THE OUTREACH, UM, THAT I'VE SEEN SINCE, SINCE YOU'VE COME TO THAT OFFICE, UM, IS TO BE COMMENDED.
AND, AND WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE, UM, THROUGHOUT
[01:30:01]
THE COUNTY, UM, IN, IN, IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.UM, SPANISH OR PORTUGUESE OR, BECAUSE, UH, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE, UM, FOLKS TAKE FOR GRANTED.
AND, UM, IT'S UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO GETTING AHEAD OF IT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND, UM, YOU DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK, A LOT OF VALUABLE WORK.
COMMISSIONER SUMS, UM, TWO QUESTIONS.
FIRST QUESTION IS THE SERVICE FOR THE, UM, WILLS, IS IT FREE? SO WE DON'T WRITE WILLS.
WHAT WE DO IS WE PARTNER WITH AN ATTORNEY, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DO THE WILL FOR YOU IF THEY, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT.
WE, WE CAN'T WRITE AS A COURT.
WE DON'T WRITE WILLS ON BEHALF OF PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, THE PRESENTATIONS, UH, ARE IN COLLABORATION WITH ATTORNEYS WHO CAN GIVE YOU LEGAL ADVICE FOR FREE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT
LIKE EVEN TOMORROW, THE, THE INFORMATION IS FREE.
THE LEGAL ADVICE IS FREE WITH THAT, THAT THE ATTORNEY WILL GIVE YOU.
AND, UM, AND THEN AFTERWARDS, IF YOU WANT TO WORK WITH THAT ATTORNEY, YOU CAN, BUT WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH PRIOR TO COVID, AND WE WANNA DO THIS AGAIN, WE PARTNER WITH RUTGERS LAW SCHOOL TO WORK WITH THEM TO HELP THEM HELP WRITE WILLS WITH THEIR, THEIR STUDENTS WHO WERE IN LAW SCHOOL.
AND THAT WAS ONE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE WANTED TO CONTINUE.
UH, GOING FORWARD, SINCE WE CAN'T DO IT, WE WANNA PARTNER WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN DO IT.
UM, AND SINCE YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, UH, THAT SORT OF OUTREACH INITIATIVE WHERE YOU WALK AWAY WITH SOMETHING TANGIBLE, WHICH IS A WILL, A MEDICAL PRO, UH, DIRECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
SO, UM, DO WE JUST CALL YOU? YES.
LIKE YOU COME OUT TO DO A PRESENTATION? YES, SENIORS WILL.
UM, YOU CAN CALL OUR OFFICE IF IT'S TELEVISED AT (973) 621-4901.
YOU CAN CALL US AND WE'LL DEFINITELY, UH, UH, WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO DO AN OUTREACH INITIATIVE.
WE ONLY ASK THAT YOU HAVE A MINIMUM 10 PEOPLE.
UM, SO IT CAN, YOU CAN HAVE MORE THAN JUST A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION.
IT COULD BE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE GET SOME VALUE INFORMATION OUT OF THIS.
AND IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD FORWARD WHATEVER, YOU HAVE A STANDARD FLYER, I WOULD IMAGINE, UH, TO ADAM OR TO THE DEPUTY CLERK, AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ALL HAVE IT.
I'M SURE WE COULD ALL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DISTRIBUTE IT IN OUR OWN WAY AS WELL.
I THINK THE, UH, NEXT ONE IS THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, AND THAT'S A LITTLE TOO EARLY FOR THEM, RIGHT? SO WHY DON'T WE DO THIS, UH, WHY DON'T WE BREAK FOR NOW, INSTEAD OF GOING SIX TO SIX 30 FOR A BREAK, LET'S TRY TO DO 5 45 TO SIX 15.
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO PING THE REST OF THE TEAM THAT WE'RE RUNNING ABOUT 15 TO 25 MINUTES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, THEY SHOULD MAYBE ADJUST THEIR TIME SO THAT THE LAST PERSON HERE, UH, LAST GROUP DOESN'T MAKE US WAIT AN HOUR.
ALRIGHT? SO LET'S ADJOURN FOR A BREAK.
WE'LL, WE'LL RECONVENE AT SIX 15.
[01:55:02]
[01:56:08]
YOU[01:56:08]
KNOW,[01:56:08]
OUR[01:56:09]
JOB SAYS, BRO, THIS THE REASON, THIS THE REASON WHY YOU DON'T GIVE TWO.THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A CAT ON THAT HERE.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THAT IS.
DO YOU HEAR IT OR IS IT, IT'S LIKE A,
[02:00:02]
I DON'T HEAR IT FROM HERE, BUT, WELL, SO IT DOESN'T COME ON THERE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING.I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEONE'S, UM, RING PHONE.
LIKE I THOUGHT IT, SO IT COULD BE MAYBE SOMEONE SITTING BACK HERE LIKE, I DON'T HEAR IT NOW.
SOMETHING WITH NO, THE ONE OF THE MOVIE THEATERS, HE HAD UNLIMITED POPCORN.
OH NO, THAT'S, SO BASICALLY YOUR OWN CONTAINER.
PEOPLE HAVE LIKE THINGS, WHAT WAS IT? JUST LIKE A PROMOTION? PROMOTION, YEAH.
LET'S SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE, YOU'D HAVE TO SEE IF IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE WHAT IT, THE, THE ONE, THIS IS HOW MUCH THEY GET THIS BIG HUGE CONTAINER.
AND THAT'S THE BASIC NO, NO, NO.
THEY REQUEST AND ALL THIS UNLIMITED.
SO HE KEEP LIKE, DUMPING IN THE THING.
HE IS JUST, AND THE THING PEOPLE, OH, COME ON.
WHICH IS SO DO THEY THAT BIG? I HAVE NO IDEA.
IT'S A HUGE, IT'S A HUGE DO DOWNSTAIRS POT.
IT'S A HUGE POT ACTUALLY COOKING THESE THINGS.
THEY MAKE LIKE A WHOLE, LIKE, THEY COOK LIKE A WHOLE THIS WAY, LIKE SOMETIMES WHOLE THING.
SO THAT'S, I THINK, AND SO ELECTION COMMISSION LEGISLATION OUTSIDE, UH, ELECTION.
SO IT'S BOARD OF ELECTION THEN COMMISSIONER, WE DID REGISTER DEED AND THEN I GUESS JOE SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOLS BE TIME, SO I'M SURE MATT CALLED HIM EARLY.
YEAH, TOMORROW'S GONNA BE, YEAH.
BUT THEN HOPEFULLY WE JUST, I'M DEFINITELY GONNA GET THAT PASSPORT CARD.
SO HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR ID IS, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE, HOW COME YOU GUYS ARE, YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO EAT? HUH? YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO EAT? NO, I'M FINE.
[02:05:22]
I LOVE THE, IT'S CALLED DRIVER'S LICENSE.SO THEN, SO MY SON GOT LICENSE, NOT, NOT MUCH TO GO OVER IN SOMEBODY'S, THIS IS TAXES 2%.
SO IT'S LIKE MOSTLY EVERYTHING IS FLAT.
THE THING THAT AL WAS TALKING ABOUT IS ADMINISTRATION CONVERSATION BETWEEN HIM AND JACKSON.
I'M BORED BECAUSE HIS OFFICE HAS GONE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DONE THESE LIKE TOWN HALL KIND OF THINGS.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO DO ONE IN THE NORTHWARD.
I WANT DO ONE IN THE EASTWARD BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES, THEY DUNNO.
AND THEY WAIT THE LAST MINUTE AND THEN IT'S TOO LATE AND THEN NO WILL.
CHRIS IS, CHRIS IS DOWN POINT.
TELL YOU, OUR OFFICE IS ONLY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WHY COME THEY COME TO THE BACK, THE WHOLE HAM AND THE OTHER, THEY SHOULD HAVE COME BACK TO EAT.
I GOTTA MAKE SURE WE, HUH? ALL.
WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE LEFT OUT.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GET READY TO ROLL EVERYBODY.
THE QUESTION IS, DID THEY GET THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT TO COME OUT? WHAT'S THAT? THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT? THE LAST ONE? YEAH.
I, I ASKED HIM TO TELL EVERYONE WE WERE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO GET AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
I KNEW THAT BECAUSE I LEARNED EARLIER TODAY THAT JUAN WAS, HAD THE FLU AND NO, IT WAS GONNA IMPACT EVERYBODY THAT THAT'S, WE WEREN'T EVEN GONNA COVER IT TODAY.
WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT DO IT TOMORROW, BUT SINCE WE HAD A LITTLE EXTRA TIME, WE DID IT EARLY.
MS. TOMORROW WILL BE A LITTLE LONGER, BUT YEAH.
UH, SHE HAD, SHE FELL DOWN OR SOMETHING.
I, I DIDN'T FIND OUT UNTIL LATER EITHER.
SHE FELL DOWN AND SHE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
[02:11:37]
THE S COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS ALONG WITH ME HERE TODAY IS, UH, ONE OF OUR TRUSTED STAFF MEMBERS, TITAN, IDA COTTON.ON BEHALF OF DIRECTOR AMOS, I WILL PRESENT THE 2025 BUDGET FOR THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
THE 2025 ELECTION CALLS FOR ONE SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION, UH, IN MARCH FOR ROSELAND.
I HAVE TWO ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTIONS IN APRIL FOR NEWARK AND IRVINGTON.
ONE MAY MUNICIPAL ELECTION IN CEDAR GROVE.
WE HAVE THE JUNE PRIMARY AND THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION TOTAL OF SIX ELECTIONS FOR 2025.
AT THIS TIME, OUR ELECTION SEASON WILL RUN FROM FEBRUARY TO JUNE, 2025 AND SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER, 2025.
OUR STAFFING PRESENTLY, ALL POSITIONS ARE FILLED.
OUR 2025 SALARY BUDGET KEEPS OUR CURRENT STAFF AND INCLUDES THE 2% FOR 2024 AND THE 2% FOR 2025.
CONTRACTUAL INCREASES FOR STAFF THAT ARE ENTITLED THE BOE BUDGET INCREASE IN SUPPLY COSTS AND VENDOR FEES IS REFLECTED IN THE 2025 BUDGET.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL, OUR EXPENSES CANNOT BE NEGOTIATED AS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ADMINISTER ELECTIONS FOR THE COUNTY.
THERE IS AN INCREASE FROM 2024 TO 2025 IN THE AMOUNT OF $259,280.
AND SOME OF THE REASONS ARE EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.
UH, THEY INCREASED 40,000 FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE BALLOT PROCESSING MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT.
OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES EXPENSES WERE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED IN THE WRONG ACCOUNT, NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
WE CORRECTED IT, SO IT WILL BE ACCURATE GOING FORWARD.
ALSO, DOMINION CONTRACT INCREASED BY $118,250 FOR 2025 STATIONARY AND OFFICE SUPPLIES INCREASED OF BY 30,000 WITH THE INCREASE IN MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED BY OUR OFFICE.
WE'RE USING MORE PAPER FOR PRINTING FOR SIGNATURE VERIFICATIONS, CURE LETTERS, AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS.
OUR DIRECTOR WILL BE ATTENDING MORE CONFERENCES THIS YEAR, SO THAT WOULD INCREASE BY $500.
OUR TELECOMMUNICATION COSTS INCREASED OF 4,700 FOR MAINTAINING THE WEBPAGE WITH UPDATES AND ELECT FORMATION.
RENTAL OF EQUIPMENT'S INCREASED OF, UH, $51,830.
UH, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OUR HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE RAMPS FOR CERTAIN, UH, POLLING LOCATIONS.
UH, TABLES AND CHAIRS, WHICH WE RENT FOR CERTAIN POLLING LOCATIONS HAVE ALSO INCREASED.
AND LASTLY, RENT AND TAXES HAVE INCREASED BY 7,000.
SOME OF THE POLLING LOCATIONS HAVE INCREASED THEIR LEASING FEES.
IN CLOSING, THE, THE BOE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY BUSY AND PRODUCTIVE YEAR.
OUR PLAN IS TO STAY WITHIN OUR 2025 APPROVED BUDGET AND CONTINUE WORKING WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY AND SEARCH FOR GRANTS AND CONTINUE OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP TO ENGAGE ALL VOTERS.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US THIS TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST, UM, DID YOU GO OVER THE, UM, THE LARGE SWINGS IN, UH, PROFESSIONAL
[02:15:01]
SERVICES AND, UH, NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES? WHAT WAS THE SWING THERE FOR? WELL, I KNOW THE, THE DIFFERENCE IN NON-PROFESSIONAL, WE, WE, WE PUT THE WRONG AMOUNTS IN THE WRONG CATEGORIES AT FIRST.UH, SO IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SO THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE EXCEPT THAT IT'S IN DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS. THIS YEAR, LINE ITEMS THIS YEAR, WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE IN THE DOMINION, WHICH IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE OF THE 118,000.
SO REALLY, IF, IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT THIS, IT, THE 118,000, IS THE MAJORITY REALLY OF THAT, UH, 200,000, 200 AND, SORRY, 259,000, YES.
UM, AGAIN, YOUR, YOUR SALARIES ARE THE SAME.
YOU'VE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL WHY THE NEED FOR SOME INCREASES IN SOME OF THE LINE ITEMS. UM, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY.
AND ALL OF YOUR VAC YOU HAVE NO VACANCIES? NO.
THEY'RE ALL FILLED AT THIS MOMENT, YES.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND CLARITY AND YEAH.
SO THAT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR US.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SIEBEL.
SO THERE'S NO, UH, OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, BUT THIS IS PRETTY, UH, ROUTINE, WELL PRESENTED OF COURSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF IS ELECTIONS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, RIGHT? THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
THEY'RE WHAT THEY'RE, SO, THANK YOU.
WELL, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'LL, BIG ELECTION COMING UP WITH THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION.
WE'RE, WE'RE UP FOR THE CHALLENGE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GOOD WORK AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
PRESENTATION IS A GOOD SIGN,
ALL RIGHT, MR. JACKSON, HOW ARE WE DOING? WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT NEXT? WE'RE GOING TO PAGE 66, COMMISSIONER OF REGISTRATION, SUPERINTENDENT ELECTIONS.
AND COMMISSIONER SPANO AND HER TEAM WILL PRESENT.
EVENING, COMMISSIONER CARLOS PRIMERO'S, COMMISSIONER, VICE PRESIDENT, COOPER, AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE SUPERINTENDENT OF ELECTIONS AND COMMISSIONER OF REGISTRATION FOR ESSEX COUNTY.
THE 2025 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE IS $3,292,289.
MY OFFICE WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET TO STAY ON TRACK FOR A FEW YEARS.
ALL OF OUR ELECTIONS ARE BASICALLY ELECTRONIC, VERY ADVANCED, AND ELECTIONS HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY EXPENSIVE WITH ALL OF THE NEW MACHINERY AND TECHNOLOGY, DESPITE THE DIFFICULTY IN PREDICTING ELECTION TRENDS.
WE WILL, HOWEVER, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE PRUDENT WITH OUR BUDGET ALLOCATION.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE NOTE THAT THE STATE DIVISION OF ELECTIONS DOES REIMBURSE THE COUNTY FOR EARLY VOTING FOR THE PRIMARY AND THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ALWAYS A DELAY IN OBTAINING THE FUNDS DURING THE SAME FISCAL YEAR.
PRESENTLY, APPROXIMATELY $850,000 HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE STATE DIVISION OF ELECTIONS FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ELECTIONS.
THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR ELECTIONS ARE FROM THE FOLLOWING, THE ANNUAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION, WHICH IS IRVINGTON AND NEWARK BOARD OF EDUCATION, MUNICIPAL ELECTION, MU MUNICIPAL CLERKS FORTHCOMING, AND ANY SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS THAT LOCAL TOWN BOARD OF EDUCATIONS WOULD REQUEST.
ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I'M, THANK YOU.
I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE, MR. MCINERNEY.
WELL, THE, THE $850,000, WHERE DOES, WHERE DOES THAT, I CAN'T HEAR HER.
THE REIMBURSEMENT, THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE 850,000 THAT YOU MENTIONED FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, WHERE, WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GET POSTED WHEN IT COMES BACK? IS THAT A REVENUE ITEM OR IS THAT AN OFFSET TO THE
[02:20:01]
APPROPRIATIONS? MR. MOHAM, UH, JOSE MOHAMAD COUNTY TREASURER? UH, WE ACTUALLY DID BOTH WAYS.WE DID, UM, IT HAS TO BE INSERTED AS A GRANT BECAUSE IF SINGLE AUDIT PURPOSES HAS TO BE INSERTED AS A GRANT, IF THE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE, UH, ENOUGH FUNDS TO, TO SUSTAIN THEM TO THE BIG, TO THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WILL ACTUALLY, UH, RECOGNIZE IT NA FALLON YEAR WHEN WE GET THE FUNDS AND, UH, FOR BOARD OF ELECTION, BECAUSE THE, THE, THE SIZE OF THE GRANT IS HUGE.
WE WILL INSERT THE GRANT BEFORE WE GET REIMBURSEMENT, AND WE WILL HAVE, UM, A GRANT RECEIVABLE AND WE WILL POST THE EXPENDITURES TO THE GRANT APPROPRIATION.
SO I, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE, UH, IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS DEPARTMENT WHERE TYPICALLY YOU WOULD SEE APPROPRIATIONS AND THEN YOU MIGHT SEE CHARGE THE GRANTS.
IS THAT, IS THAT ALREADY, IS THAT, HOW, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN FOR COMMISSIONER REGISTRATION? UH, THEY DID NOT ACTUALLY INSERT THE GRANT, UH, LAST YEAR.
SO, UH, BE WAITING UNTIL THE, YOU KNOW, THE FINALIZE YOUR REIMBURSEMENT.
AND AFTER THAT, WE WILL, ONCE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE STATE APPROVED IT, UH, WE WILL GET TO THE, THE FUNDS AND WE WILL DO, UH, WE RECOGNIZE THIS AS A REVENUE, BASICALLY, AND WE'LL CHARGE THE GRANTS REIMBURSEMENT BASIS.
SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL PICK IT, IT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH APPROPRIATIONS.
YOU'LL PICK IT UP AS A REVENUE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A, A DIFFERENT FISCAL YEAR.
WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT REIMBURSED TO, TO, TO THE, YOUR BUDGET.
SO THAT'S WHY THE APPROPRIATIONS, REGARDLESS OF THE GRANT, IS CONSISTENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT CHARGING STUFF OUT OF THE, YOU, THERE'S NO EFFECT OF THE GRANT REIMBURSEMENT ON AN ANNUAL, ON THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THIS DEPARTMENT? NO, IT'S NOT.
SO AGAIN, YOU SET IT UP AS A GRANT, THEN WHEN IT COMES IN, YOU JUST CHARGE IT AGAIN, IT'S A RECEIVABLE AND THEN IT'S A YES, IT'S CASH AND IT'S, UH, OFFSET TO THE GRANT? YES.
IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN, I GUESS IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE TIMING? YES, DEFINITELY.
UH, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE STATE TAKES, UH, LONG TIME TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE, FOR THE GRANT.
SO IN THE DOCUMENTATION WE HAVE, IT SHOWS THAT THERE'S TWO VACANCIES AT THIS TIME.
ARE THOSE VACANCIES GONNA BE FILLED DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR? I'M SORRY? ARE THOSE VACANCIES GONNA BE FILLED DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR? I'M, I'M WORKING ON FILLING THE CLERK POSITION.
UM, I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE DEPUTY POSITION.
SO, AND THAT WASN'T FILLED LAST YEAR EITHER, WAS IT? NO, IT WAS NOT.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT WAS FILLED? I WAS THE LAST DEPUTY.
WHICH WAS WHAT YEAR I BECAME SUPERINTENDENT IN 2019.
SO THAT POSITION'S BEEN OPEN SINCE 2000? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
WELL, IT'S BY STATUTE, RIGHT? THEY HAVE TO, RIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER SEBOLD, I HAVE A QUESTION.
WERE THERE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE MACHINES IN THE LAST ELECTION? WE HAD SUCH AN EXTREMELY HECTIC ELECTION YEAR, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, WE DID NOT HAVE ONE GLITCH.
IT WAS THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING THAT WE DID EXPERIENCE WAS THE EARLY VOTING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
UM, OUR BUSIEST SITES IN THE COUNTY ARE WEST ORANGE AND THEN VERONA.
AND IT'S BEEN THAT WAY SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED EARLY VOTING.
SO THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF EARLY VOTING, THE LINES AT THE ZOO WERE AROUND THE BUILDING, AROUND, UH, THE COMMUNITY CENTER IN VERONA.
SO I TRIED TO, I GAVE SIX POLL PADS, SO I TRIED TO INCREASE IT, BUT IF, IF YOU INCREASE IT, YOU EAT INTO THE CELLULAR DATA AND IT STARTS TO DISINTEGRATE.
BUT I WOULDN'T GIVE UP ON THAT.
I CONTACTED MY VENDOR AND I TOLD HIM WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND HE SAID TO ME, OKAY, PATTY, HE SAID, I'LL HELP YOU.
I WILL OVERNIGHT TWO HEAVY DUTY, LIKE THEY'RE CALLED CRADLE POINTS, WHICH ENABLED ME TO ADD FOUR MORE IPADS TO EACH SITE.
SO I HAD A TOTAL OF 10, AND IT WAS, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT, BUT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AFTER THAT.
WILL YOU HAVE THE SAME SITES FOR THE NEXT ELECTION? I, NO, I DON'T DETERMINE THE SITES BOARD OF, UH, ELECTIONS DOES.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S GOING TO BE A GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY BUSY ELECTION.
AND HOPEFULLY THE MACHINES WON'T GIVE YOU ANY PROBLEM THIS TIME.
YEAH, NO, I HAVE TO SAY THE MACHINES WERE REALLY GOOD, BUT WHAT I PLAN ON DOING IS, BECAUSE IT'S GU GUBERNATORIAL IN WEST ORANGE AND VERONA AGAIN, I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN GET THOSE TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AND START OUT WITH IT.
[02:25:01]
WE ONLY HAVE THREE DAYS THOUGH OF EARLY VOTING.SO IT'LL BE BUSY AND NINE FOR PRESIDENTIAL.
AND HOW MANY FOR GUBERNATORIAL? THREE.
SO WE'LL SEE, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE BUSY WITH IT.
LEMME JUST ADD FOR THE RECORD, SEVERAL PEOPLE KNOCKED ON WOOD WHEN SHE SAID, UH, THEY HAD NO GLITCHES.
IT WAS VERY GOOD DIRECT TO RECORD THAT.
JUST IN CASE COMM COMMISSIONER HAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, CONSIDERING HOW BUSY THIS PAST YEAR WAS, UM, THAT EXPLAINS WHY YOU HAD SUCH AN OVERTIME INCREASE IN THAT LINE ITEM.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE SAME THING BECAUSE YOU BUDGETED $41,000? MY CONCERN IS IF YOU GO DOWN THAT SAME ROAD, DO YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO THE OFFICE EXAMPLE.
A LOT OF THIS OVERTIME WAS USED FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
WE HAD 16,500 PROVISIONAL BALLOTS CASTED.
SO, AND WE, A, A, A PROVISIONAL BALLOT WHEN SOMEONE FILLS THEM OUT, AND LET'S SAY THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED, WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE THAT.
THEY'RE NOT REGISTERED, SO THE VOTE DOESN'T COUNT.
HOWEVER, THAT BECOMES A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM.
WE THEN HAVE TO, THAT'S THEIR FORM, SO WE HAVE TO REGISTER THEM.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAD A LOT OF OVERTIME, AND I WAS VERY, VERY PRUDENT WITH MY OVERTIME PRIOR TO PRESIDENTIAL, BECAUSE I ANTICIPATED THAT WE WERE GONNA GET HAMMERED.
WE JUST FINISHED, WE FINISHED, AND WE, WE GOT EVERYTHING FINISHED.
HOW DID THE TRANSPORTATION WORK OUT FOR YOU? I KNOW YOU, WE CALL YOU DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH BRINGING IN MULTIPLE COMPANIES VERSUS ONE.
WHAT DID YOU DO? WE DON'T HAVE EVER SINCE WE SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWO TRUCKING COMPANIES.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER, YOU KNOW, GRANT, UM, UH, BILL GRANT PASSED, OH, NO.
ARE THEY STILL ONE OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES? THEY'RE STILL RUNNING IT.
BECAUSE I THINK THE BROTHER TOOK OVER THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT IT WORKED OUT BETTER.
SEPARATING IT THE WAY I RECALL YOU DOING IT, BE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE LOCATION, THE CITIES ARE, THEY'RE VERY HARD TO MANEUVER.
SO BY SEPARATING IT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE LESS RATHER THAN TO HAVE THE ENTIRE COUNTY TO DO IT.
I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. PENAL? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, MS. BEAL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
NOW, WE HAD DONE THE, UH, REGISTER OF DEEDS AND MORTGAGES EARLIER DUE TO ILLNESS.
WE, AND WE HAD A LITTLE EXTRA TIME, SO WE DID THAT EARLIER.
SO WE ARE ON SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOL, IS THAT CORRECT, MR. JACKSON? THAT'S CORRECT.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S WRONG, MR. HE'S HERE.
WHO'S THAT? GOOD EVENING, MR. ZARA.
HOW ARE YOU, SIR? GOOD TO SEE HIM.
SO YOU MAY START WHENEVER, JUST GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR BUDGET AND THEN, UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU IF MR. MACONE HAS ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME PAGE 200.
AND, UH, THAT'S LAYING OUT THE, UH, SALARIES AND WAGES, OTHER EXPENSES, UH, AND, UH, OFF, UH, AN AWFUL LOT OF, UM, ACTUALLY 200, MY MISTAKE.
AND, UH, JUST THE FIVE COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AND, UH, THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE LISTED AS WELL AS STATIONARY AND TRAVEL.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, TRAVEL HAS GONE DOWN CONSIDERABLY BECAUSE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WE HAVE SEVERAL VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
WE'RE NOT DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO TRENTON.
AND, UH, I, I'M JUST VERY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT.
I THINK IT'S A VERY EFFECTIVE OFFICE.
UH, THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF, UH, ALL THE
[02:30:01]
SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN ESSEX COUNTY, UH, THE 117,000 STUDENTS, AND PROBABLY CLOSE TO 17,000 EDUCATORS IN SUPPORT STAFF.I KNOW THERE ARE SOME EDUCATORS IN THIS ROOM, AND, AND CERTAINLY, UH, I'M SURE EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE OCCURRING.
WE HAD OUR, UH, COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT'S MEETING ON FRIDAY.
AND, UH, THIS, TODAY I WAS IN CALDWELL IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
UH, CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON AND THE IMPACT ON EDUCATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND CERTAINLY I'M, I'M EVEN RECEIVING CALLS FROM SOME, UH, EDUCATIONAL LEADERS THAT THEY ARE, UH, EXPERIENCED IN THE FACT THAT STUDENTS AND EVEN SOME STAFF ARE NOT REPORTING OUT OF FEAR OF, UH, NOT BEING PROPERLY DOCUMENTED.
BUT, UH, WHAT WE DO IS WE REPRESENT THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WE MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS REGULARLY.
AND WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF IS WE HAVE DEVELOPED A, AN INCREDIBLY STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ESSEX COUNTY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS PAST, UM, FRIDAY, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAME, WE HAD, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NINE 11 MUSEUM COME TO SPEAK TO OUR GROUP AND INVITE EVERYBODY TO, UH, JOIN THEM.
AND, UH, UH, CERTAINLY THEY EXTENDED A WELCOME FOR FIELD TRIPS AND, UH, THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT MUSEUM AND THAT SITE.
AND, UH, WE REALLY MAKE ALL THE COUNTY, UH, SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AWARE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING OUT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
UH, ANY FLYERS THAT COME OUT OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE SHARE, UH, CERTAINLY WITH CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS THAT WERE MADE AVAILABLE COVID TESTING WHEN WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF COVID AND OF COURSE, INOCULATIONS FOR EDUCATORS.
UH, WE WERE REALLY THE PER THE, THE, THE GROUP THAT MADE EVERYBODY AWARE.
AND, UH, REALLY WE CAN REACH EVERYBODY WITHIN SECONDS.
AND, AND THAT'S VERY BENEFICIAL.
UH, I THINK EDUCATION IN ESSEX COUNTY IS, IS OUTSTANDING.
NOT ONLY DIVERSE AS FAR AS, UH, COMMUNITIES POPULATION, VERY DIVERSE IN THE OFFERINGS.
UH, I THINK THAT STUDENTS THAT GO THROUGH ESSEX COUNTY SCHOOLS RECEIVE AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATION.
AND, UH, THEY GO ON TO GREAT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OR THE BUILDING TRADES CAREERS.
SOME GO TO THE MILITARY, BUT THEY ALL COME THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THIS COUNTY, BETTER CITIZENS AND, AND CERTAINLY BETTER PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE FUTURE.
IF I MIGHT MENTION, UH, I'VE COME HERE, I BELIEVE THIS IS MY 10TH YEAR.
UM, AND WE PRETTY MUCH KEEP OUR BUDGET FLAT.
AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UH, REQUEST CONSIDERATION FOR EXPANDING THE EXPENSES OF OUR OFFICE.
UH, WE HAVE SOME VERY, VERY OLD COMPUTERS THAT ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT.
AND, UH, ALSO, UH, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE GO ABOUT THIS, BUT PERHAPS OPENING THE RANGE OF SALARIES FOR THOSE, UH, FOUR OF THE FIVE EMPLOYEES WE HAVE.
THEY ARE LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND ONE IS RELATIVELY NEW.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE MY TWO, UH, ASKS.
AND, UH, NOW I'D CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, WE'LL START WITH MR. MCINERNEY AND THEN MOVE ON TO COMMISSIONERS.
HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, GOOD.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE EMPLOYEES, I'M, I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO, UH, SAY THAT THESE EMPLOYEES PROBABLY REACHED THEIR MAXIMUM YES.
WITHIN THEIR, WITHIN THEIR, THEIR TITLE, THEIR SALARY RANGE.
AND SO THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD GET AN INCREASE WAS TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER TITLE.
SO, SO THAT'S SOME, AND HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN AT THEIR CAPPED OUT? DECADES.
DECADES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, OF, UH, ONE NEW HIRE THAT, THAT REPLACED TWO PEOPLE WHO, WHO RETIRED, UH, THE REST HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME WITHOUT NEGOTIATED INCREASES OR LIKE 2% A YEAR.
UH, YES, I BELIEVE THEY GET THAT.
AND I, I WAS LOOKING AT, THERE'S NO, NO INCREMENT IN ANY OF THEIR NO, JUST, UM, UH, JUST THE, UH, RECOMMENDED SALARIES THAT ARE LISTED.
SO THE, WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING AT 57,067.
THEY, THEY'VE BEEN AT THESE RANGES.
AND THESE ARE FULL-TIME POSITIONS? YES.
SO THEY'RE FIVE COUNTY, AND I BELIEVE THERE'S FIVE STATE, CORRECT? YES.
AND THE STATE PAYS, OBVIOUSLY FOR, FOR THOSE.
SO I, I, I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH REGARD, HOW MANY OF YOU SAID FOUR FOUR OUTTA THE FIVE? FOUR OF THE FIVE? YEAH.
SO THE CHALLENGE WOULD BE, UM, TO, TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT, WHAT OTHER POSITION THEY COULD FILL IF WHAT I'M SAYING IS CORRECT, AND I THINK IT IS THAT THEY'VE MAXED OUT WITHIN THEIR, THEIR CATEGORY THAT YOU CHALLENGE WOULD BE TO FIND ANOTHER
[02:35:02]
CATEGORY THAT THEY COULD BE PROMOTED TO.AND THEN THE RANGE WOULD OPEN UP.
BEYOND THE HIGHEST RANGE THEY'RE AT NOW.
THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME.
I, AND AS FAR AS THE OTHER EXPENSES, WHAT, WHAT AMOUNT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? UH, I'M LOOKING AT OUR, UH, AND I'M NOT LOOKING AT TRAVEL, BUT I'M LOOKING AT STATIONARY SUPPLIES, 7,000, IF WE COULD INCREASE IT BY FIVE, AND OF COURSE, WHATEVER WE DON'T SPEND, WE RETURNED.
BUT WOULD THAT INCREASE THE, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT COMPUTERS.
UH, WE, WE TRY TO BE VERY FRUGAL AND VERY REASONABLE.
AND, UH, SO RATHER THAN REPLACE EVERYBODY'S COMPUTERS, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT EVERY OTHER YEAR.
AND, UH, IF WE CAN GET TWO MORE, EVERYBODY WILL HAVE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
SO FIVE THIS YEAR, MAYBE FIVE NEXT YEAR INCREASE.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME YOU EVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING
I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION 10 YEARS, AND THIS IS MY 50TH YEAR IN EDUCATION.
AND, UH, THIS IS A VERY SATISFYING POSITION.
UH, I WORK WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS, OF COURSE, MR. LUCIANO AND I WORK HAND IN HAND.
AND, UH, EDUCATION'S CHANGING RAPIDLY.
AND WHAT I'VE FOUND, AND I THINK PEOPLE WOULD AGREE THAT, UH, MANY TIMES WE'RE GETTING EDUCATIONAL LEADERS THAT ARE MOVING INTO POSITIONS EARLIER THAN USUAL BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MANY BABY BOOMERS THAT HAVE RETIRED AND OTHERS BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES IN EDUCATION.
SO, UH, WE NOT ONLY OVERSEE, UH, ALL OF THE COMPLIANCE ISSUES IN CODE ISSUES, BUT WE REALLY MENTOR THEM.
AND, UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S FUN.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I, I LIKE WHAT I SEE, THEY'RE ENTHUSIASTIC.
THEY'RE, UH, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HARDWORKING, EAGER, AND THEY'RE ALSO YOUNG, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
UM, MR. JACKSON, CAN YOU GUYS PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE TO THE OFFICE TO HELP THEM WITH THESE ITEMS THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING? UH, WE'LL DO OUR BEST
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING ABOUT YEAH.
FIGURE OUT THAT CONVERSATION ACTUALLY CAME UP TODAY WHERE I WAS TOLD YOU HAVE A BUDGET MEETING.
SO I WILL CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND I MUST SAY THAT, UH, UH, THE ASSISTANCE WE GET FROM, UH, EVERYBODY IS, IS JUST, IT'S STELLAR.
UM, WE, WE HAVE A SMALL OFFICE, BUT WE'RE TREATED, UH, VERY WELL BY EVERYBODY REALLY, VERY WELL.
AND, UH, EVERY DAY, UH, IT'S FUN TO BE HERE.
SO, MR. JACKSON, CAN YOU HELP MAKE THE DETERMINATION IF YOU CAN EXPAND THE RANGE OR IF WE HAVE TO CREATE NEW TITLES OR WHATNOT TO GET THIS RESOLVED? RIGHT.
WE'LL HAVE THE HR TECHNICIAN WORK WITH MR. ZAINE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SIEBEL.
I HAVE A VERY SERIOUS QUESTION BECAUSE OF THE PRESIDENT, THE IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES ARE MOVING INTO SO MANY TOWNS AS THEY DID TO NEWARK TWO DAYS AGO.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO PREVENT THEM FROM GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS AND LOOKING FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT REGISTERED HERE IN THIS COUNTRY? WELL, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY TIME TIMELY QUESTION.
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COMING OUT OF TRENTON SENT GUIDANCE TO ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON FRIDAY.
AND, UH, DURING OUR MEETING ON FRIDAY, WE, WE DISCUSSED IT.
AND, UH, IT, IT'S COMPLICATED THAT THE, THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED ARE COMPLICATED AND WE HAVE ADVISED EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT, EVERY SUPERINTENDENT CONSULT WITH THEIR BOARD ATTORNEYS.
BUT, UH, MY FIRST REVIEW OF IT IS THAT THERE IS VERY LITTLE THAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO PREVENT THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S, UH, WHERE I'M GETTING CALLS FROM PRINCIPALS, THAT THEY HAVE SOME STAFF THAT ARE NOT COMING IN.
THEY HAVE SOME STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT COMING IN BECAUSE THEY'RE FEARFUL.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE STUDENT WHO GOES HOME AND THE PARENTS ARE GONE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN ARRESTED? THEY'VE BEEN DEPORTED.
I MEAN, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION? I, I WISH I HAD AN ANSWER.
UM, IT, IT'S TROUBLESOME AND IT, IT'S FRIGHTENING.
AND I'M REALLY CONCERNED THEY CAN WALK INTO ANY SCHOOL AND THEY'RE DOING IT WITHOUT A WARRANT.
UH, I MEAN, GOING BACK YEARS AGO, UH, IF I HAD A STUDENT AT LUNCHTIME THAT WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN, THE POLICE COULD NOT COME INTO THE BUILDING AND TALK TO THEM WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS.
THAT WAS SOMETHING LIKE A DRIVING VIOLATION.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BIT DIFFERENT NOW.
NOW WE HAVE A REALLY SERIOUS SITUATION, AND I'M SURE IT'S ALL GONNA BE CHALLENGED IN THE COURTS, BUT AS WE KNOW,
[02:40:01]
THE COURTS TAKE A VERY LONG TIME RIGHT.AND THIS ISSUE IS NOT GOING TO STOP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER LUCIAN? THANKS, MR. PRESIDENT, THROUGH YOU.
UM, FIRST LET ME SAY IN THE ROOM, I PROBABLY SPEND MORE TIME WITH, UH, SUPERINTENDENT ZARA THAN ANYONE ELSE.
AND I WILL ATTEST MORE THAN HE LIKES, IS THAT, UH, PROBABLY MORE THAN HE LIKES AS WELL.
BUT HE HAS BEEN A GREAT ROLE MODEL AND FRIEND.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WE'VE HAD IN ESSEX COUNTY, 11 NEW SUPERINTENDENTS AND A LOT OF THEM LEAN ON MR. ZARA WITH HIS, UM, EXPERIENCE OVER THE 50 YEARS HE WAS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF NUTLEY.
I THINK THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY, VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HIM.
UM, AND HE'S BEEN JUST OUTSTANDING NOT ONLY TO MENTOR THOSE SUPERINTENDENTS, BUT JUST TO BE THERE, UH, FOR OUR, I GUESS, RESOURCE.
AS COMMISSIONER SEABOLD HAD QUESTIONS, JOE IS ALWAYS THERE AS A RESOURCE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL CONFIDENT EVEN THOUGH I, I SHARE OFFICE SPACE WITH YOU TO SAY WHATEVER YOUR OFFICE NEEDS, UM, BECAUSE IT OVERSEES SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, ASPECTS AND ANGLES OF OUR COUNTY HERE WITH OUR STUDENTS.
UH, ESPECIALLY WE HAVE THE LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE, IN THE NEWARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THAT IN ITSELF IS A DISTRICT THAT'S BIGGER THAN MOST COUNTIES.
UM, SO AGAIN, TO YOU, JOE, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE TAUGHT ME, UM, TO MY COLLEAGUES.
I, I KNOW THAT YOU ALWAYS APPRECIATE MR. ZARA, AND HE NEVER NORMALLY ASKS FOR ANYTHING.
I CAN ASSURE YOU ALSO BEING PART OF THAT OFFICE, THAT WHAT HE IS ASKING FOR IS DEFINITELY WARRANTED AND NEEDED.
UM, SO I AM HERE TO SUPPORT AS A COMMISSIONER WITH ANOTHER TITLE, UM, AND JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
I, I DID PUT LENNY DOWN AS A TAX DEDUCTION, BUT THE IRS DISA DISALLOWED IT.
THANK, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
MR. RA IS, UH, WELL RESPECTED AMONG THIS BOARD.
EVERYONE, UH, ON THIS BOARD HAS, UH, HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT YOU, MR. RA.
I WOULD, UH, IF I COULD TWEAK YOUR ADVICE THAT YOU RECEIVED ABOUT ASKING IF THE BUDGET HEARINGS, I WOULD ASK EARLIER.
I WOULD, I DON'T, DON'T WAIT TODAY TO ASK.
YOU CAN GIVE MR. JACKSON A CALL AND SAY, HEY, CAN WE TALK? AND I FIND HIM TO BE PRETTY RECEPTIVE, GUYS.
SO MR. JACKSON BEEN, BEEN VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE AND, AND, UH, CERTAINLY HE GETS IT VERY UNDERSTANDING FOR SURE.
SO, I, I AM SURE, UH, YOU GUYS WILL GET TOGETHER AND, AND, UH, SEE IF WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE NEEDS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE, UH, NOT, NOT THE HEAVIEST LIFT.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MR. Z? ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE REACHED THE END OF HIS PRESENTATION, WHICH ALSO CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S BUDGET HEARINGS.
UH, TOMORROW WE WILL RECONVENE AT 4:00 PM BEGINNING WITH THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
WE WILL ALSO GO, UH, IN ABOUT HALF HOUR INCREMENTS, PROSECUTOR, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ROCKS AND, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION, UH, CITIZEN SERVICES, CORRECTIONS, COUNTY COUNCIL, ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE, CENTRAL EXPENSES AND INSURANCES, DEBT SERVICE AND CLASSIFIED DEFERRED CHARGES, REVENUES COMMISSIONER AND ADMINISTRATION.
SO THAT'S HOW WE WILL, UH, WE'LL DO OUR THING TOMORROW.
BEFORE WE GO, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA ADJOURN UNTIL TOMORROW.