New Jersey Municipalities
June 2009
By Harry Pozycki, Chairmen Citizens' Campaign

Over the next several years, New Jersey municipalities face the difficult challenge of doing more with less. In all likelihood, the reductions in state aid in this year's budget will not be restored in the foreseeable future.  Still, our residents will expect the delivery of high quality services without big increases in local property taxes.

Now is the time to draw new ideas, talent, and energy from a source that remains largely untapped--our citizens. New Jersey has among the most educated and accomplished citizenry in the country, yet very few of them participate in their communities. This is in large measure because they are unaware of the opportunities for people who lack the time or the money to run for office to serve in hundreds of appointed government posts.  It's time to promote a "Call to Service."

To do this the Citizens' Campaign's Legal Task Force, Chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein, has crafted a model ordinance that lays a solid foundation for cultivating the best and brightest to bring their leadership to service in the community. Called the "Citizen Service Act," this model creates a public roster of local boards and commissions and an easy to use Citizen Service Application Form. More than ten municipalities have already adopted the Citizen Service Act.

 The Citizens' Campaign developed this model ordinance because, while boards and commissions throughout New Jersey make up thousands of volunteer leadership opportunities, over the years we've seen a reduction in the number of individuals seeking to serve. In some towns more than a third of the positions are vacant. Subsequently, many boards find it harder to achieve a quorum and are missing grant opportunities and other benefits.

To reverse this trend, local officials can shine a spotlight on their boards and commissions. In addition to adopting the Citizen Service Act, the Citizens' Campaign is working with local officials to facilitate a multifaceted "Call to Service." This Call to Service is creating a new generation of civic leaders, one that will bring fresh ideas and a new approach to government and politics.

The Call to Service is a partnership between local residents and government officials. To participate, towns adopt the Citizen Service Act; host Citizen Leadership Forums to educate potential community leaders about board and commission leadership posts (these forums are provided at no cost by the Citizens Campaign's Academy for Citizen Empowerment), and establish a Citizen Service Day to recognize exceptional board members and recruit new residents.

The Citizen Leadership Forum Series brings together government officials and civically-minded community organizations & businesses. Among the course offerings are an Introduction to Local Government, How to Seek Appointed Office, and How to Make a Constructive Policy Proposal. Leadership Forum Series' are well underway in communities across New Jersey, including Newark, Paterson, Edison, and Ventnor.

Besides adopting the Citizen Service Act and hosting Leadership Forums, municipalities can step up their recruitment efforts by establishing an annual Citizen Service Day. A Citizen Service Day can not only bring much-needed recognition to exceptional volunteers, but it can also boost recruitment to local emergency response teams and municipal boards and commissions.

In my more than 30 years of experience in New Jersey government and politics, I have had the honor of serving with some of our finest public servants-elected and appointed. Most of them found a post on a municipal board or commission as their point of entry for a life of service.  Promoting this access point to service and making sure its easy to apply will not only augment our State's leadership; it will strengthen our towns and cities at a time of local economic stress which requires "all hands on deck"!