The Mayor's Message - August 2014
Mailed August 1st, 2014 - received August 2nd,
2014 - postage paid $0.48 x estimated 26,000 households -
$12,480.00*
Dear Residents and Stakeholders,
Over the course of the past six months as your new mayor, I have
been faced with serious challenges left behind by the Bowser
administration. The challenges have also presented opportunities
for improvement. When I took office in January 2014, my
administration inherited a 3.9 million dollar budget deficit, a
3.2 million dollar deficit at the East Orange Water Commission, a
lack of investment in capital improvements in our city, and a low
morale amongst city employees.
When you elected me your mayor, I made a promise to myself and to
the residents of the city of East Orange that the Taylor
administration would work hard, be transparent, and would
diligently serve the residents of our great city. Recently I took
the drastic step of requesting that four of the five East Orange
water commissioners resign. I do not have to tell you how
important the water commission is to our city and its residents.
Water is our most viable asset and resource, and the issues that
I have expressed concern and dissatisfaction with are not new.
The problems are systematic, long running and ultimately affect
you as a resident of this city as well as the city's ability to
grow and develop. My request was not personal, but based on
factual information that my administration has reviewed. My
actions were in the best interest of the residents and the city
as a whole.
I will not sit idly by and watch an important asset in our city
continue to suffer from mismanagement and lack of proper
oversight.
In the months ahead, my administration will support the new East
Orange water commissioners, as well as their plans to return the
commission to an organization that operates effectively and in
the best interest of residents. In this short time with the new
appointees, we have learned even more damaging information that
ensures that we made the right decision in asking the former
commissioners to resign.
I am a firm believer that there are limitless opportunities and
vast potential in the great city of East Orange. It is time for a
transformation to move the city forward. The steps that my
administration and I have taken over the past six months, such as
the creation of the Quality of Life Task Force, the Office of
Constituent Services, and the implementation of ward tours and
community forums has helped to increase accessibility and
interaction between our municipal government and those we serve.
This message is yet another means to open the lines of
communication between my administration and the community. It is
time to shine a light on the potential of the city of East Orange
and debunk the years of mismanagement from the previous
administration.
I will honor my commitment to redevelop the city of East Orange.
Please look out for future regular installments of the
"Mayor's Message". Thank you for your trust, patience
and belief in the Taylor administration. I look forward to moving
the city of East Orange forward with you.
Mayor Lester E. Taylor, III
* I have purposely left off an estimated cost of the
envelope, paper, color printing, and worker time spent loading
all the envelopes and sealing them for mailing. I'm sure, in the
interests of "transparency", our mayor will make this
known in the budget... somewhere.