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Year4 of Economic Recovery:
New Municipal Realities to Come

New Brunswick, NJ (July 12, 2012) More than 100 leaders from the business and government sectors attended the NJLM Educational Foundation annual economic summit July 12, 2012, at Rutgers Bloustein School in New Brunswick. Presenters analyzed, from the state, regional and national perspectives, New Jersey’s recovery from the great recession. This half-day event examined the current recovery in terms of jobs, housing, and commercial real estate and the implications for municipalities, and fiscal trends and how we do business going forward.

The event included a detailed review of the companion white paper “New Jersey Employment Upswing? Or will it Succumb to the National Slowdown?” by James Hughes and Joseph Seneca of the Bloustien School. The paper is available free by download at the NJLM Educational Foundation website.

The audience included mayors, elected officials and finance experts at all levels of government and corporate/business leaders interested in hearing the latest on the state of the economy.

Led by Dr. James W Hughes, Dean, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, the distinguished presenters included:

• Patrick O’Keefe, Director of Economic Research, JH Cohn, Accountants and Consultants
• Gil Medina, Executive Managing Director, Cushman and Wakefield
• Martin Allen, Associate League Counsel, Member of the Firm: DiFrancesco, Bateman, Coley, Yospin, Davis &Lehrer, P.C.
• Dr. Raphael J. Caprio, University Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
• Tom Neff, Director, Division of Local Government Services, DCA
• Keith A. Bonchi, General Counsel, New Jersey Tax Collectors and Treasurer Assoc.,Goldenberg, Mackler, Sayegh, Mintz, Pfeffer, Bonchi and Gill,
• Matthew Jessup, Esq., Partner, McManimon, Scotland and Bauman

Rutgers prof sees ‘tsunami’ coming to towns in a few years
While several towns were impacted during the “Great Recession,” forcing them to lay off and furlough workers, one expert predicts towns will go through another “municipal tsunami.”

Professor Raphael J. Caprio of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, said the reasons largely stem from severe state aid cuts to municipalities over the years. Also, many towns have exhausted much of their surpluses and there isn’t much hope other types of revenues will grow enough, such as hotel taxes and construction permit fees, to make up for the loss. (Hassan, PolitickerNJ)

This NJLM Educational Foundation event is made possible by the generous support of program partner United Water; and supporters Atlantic City Electric; McManimon Scotland, Bauman, and PSE&G; along with Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority; New Jersey Natural Gas; TD Bank, and Rutgers - The Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.