By Katie Pirolt
May 16, 2011

More than 300 mayors from across New Jersey gathered in Atlantic City April 27-29 for the New Jersey Conference of Mayors (NJCM) 48th Annual Conference titled "2% CAP and Budget Impact, Where Are We?"

As chair of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Membership Committee, Piscataway Mayor Brian C. Wahler spoke at the plenary session luncheon April 28 highlighting the Conference of Mayors’ national agenda "The 2011 Metro Agenda for America, Saving and Creating Jobs."

Wahler said, "Through our Metro Agenda for America, we have been pushing transportation, water infrastructure, energy security and green jobs" and went on to say that "priority one in this agenda is to win the battle to save the Community Development Block Grant program, as it is under attack on Capitol Hill." The April budget deal in Congress cut the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program by 16 percent for the fiscal year 2011. Wahler praised the work of his mayoral colleagues and stated, "Together, we stopped a pending 62.5 percent cut in the CDBG program, but the threats to this priority program and others, still remain, requiring us to speak with one voice." He explained, "In addition to CDBG, homeland security grants to cities were cut by 20 percent, Community Oriented Policing grants were cut by 17 percent, clean water funding by 27 percent, and drinking water funding by 30 percent."

One casualty of constrained budgets is the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, despite strong leadership and support of Senators Robert Menendez (NJ) and Frank Lautenberg (NJ) and Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ). Wahler gave the example: "In my city, we received more than $525,000 in energy block grant funds that was mostly used to invest in solar panels for our Department of Public Works building." Those solar panels are projected to save 25 percent of the operating costs of the building, about $61,000 per year. But, there will not be future funding for this effective program. Wahler explained that this is an alarming trend of cuts to many programs that benefit cities directly.

Wahler closed by inviting all the mayors to attend The U.S. Conference of Mayors 79th Annual Meeting in Baltimore June 17-21. He explained, "You will have the opportunity to participate in special workshops and forums on a variety of issues, and have access to experts that specialize in many different issues that affect our cities."

During the Legislative reception, members of NJCM elected Lambertville Mayor David DelVecchio as President, Port Republic City Mayor Gary B. Giberson as Vice President, and Clinton Mayor Christine Schaumburg as 2nd Vice President.