The January 2019 issue is available now

Focus: Leadership

Upfront

Q & A with the New League President Mayor Colleen Mahr of Fanwood discusses her presidential plans at the League

Q: What led you to get involved in local government in Fanwood?

A: I come from a family with a meaningful history of public service. My mother, Nancy, was a special assistant to two Governors, Gov. Brendan Bryne and Gov. James Florio. My father, Joseph, was president of First Savings Bank, based in Middlesex County. I grew up at the kitchen table hearing about both politics and community service, so I was bitten by the public service bug early on. I worked for Mayor Jerry McCann at the City of City Jersey, and that’s where my love of public service was born. I stayed on through the term of Mayor Brett Schundler, and it was during my time in Jersey City that I understood that there’s a place for government in our lives, and if harnessed correctly, it can be transformative and do great things. After I worked for Jersey City, I really understood the power local municipalities have–their ability to really help their residents. When I moved to Fanwood, I was approached to be involved with the local Democratic organization, which led me to run for mayor.

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Featured Article

Focus: Leadership

Creating Better Communities

2018 Innovation in Governance Awards winners named

Representatives from Highland Park, Gloucester, and Mt. Olive have been recognized for their hard work and achievements as winners of the 2018 Innovation in Governance Awards program.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey State League of Municipalities continue to recognize Innovation in Governance through their annual awards program, which was presented as part of the Mayors’ Lunch and Executive Briefing on November 14 during the League of Municipalities’ Annual Conference in Atlantic City. The 2018 judges were League Past Presidents Paul Matacera and Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu; Division of Local Government Services Director Melanie Walter; and League of Municipalities Executive Director, Michael J. Darcy, CAE. The program invited applications describing any type of innovation undertaken by municipalities in the past 16 months. The participants responded with a range of submissions that underscore the variety of challenges municipalities solve. These awards highlight exemplary local government programs that provide innovative and practical approaches to solving municipal problems and concerns. Following, we share these innovative approaches. They can also be found in the National League of Cities’ “Best Practices” database and on the League’s website, www.njslom.org.

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In Each Issue

Now and Then

Authored by NJ Municipalities Managing Editor, this monthly article takes a look back at past issues of NJ Municipalities and compares them to the Issues of today.

This month: Making New Year’s Resolutions, Following Many Paths
A year into a new governor’s administration and as the Governor himself said at the League’s Conference in November, “No one doubts the challenges we face as a state. There are many still to conquer.” We share more highlights from his speech at the League Luncheon held during the 103rd Annual League Conference in Atlantic City (page 20).

And in this month’s issue of NJ Municipalities we strive to help you make the best possible resolutions for your community’s happy new year. Highlighting the topic of leadership, we share insights from our newly elected NJLM President, Mayor Colleen Mahr of Fanwood. Mayor Mahr has the goals of increasing outreach from the League and seeking new voices from municipalities all over the state to create an advocacy network for local leaders.

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About NJ Municipalities

NJ Municipalities serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on municipal affairs, new initiatives and changing legislation for public officials in New Jersey. This magazine has been a news source for local government organizations for over 100 years, and is available in print and digital format. Published monthly, with the exception of July, August and September.

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