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jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3263
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 - 8:08 pm: |     |
Calling all Maplewoodians!!
This year the MAPLEWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION has appointed me, George Berkeley, as the chair of the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC). I am now seeking citizens' that would like to contribute to our town at a very fundamental level; the annual township budget.
The CBAC is a virtually unique organization among municipalities of New Jersey and very possibly in the entire nation. Each year, it performs a valuable budget advisory service not only for the Township Committee but for all residents and tax payers in Maplewood.
The Maplewood CBAC is a non-political, purely advisory body which is called into being annually by invitation of the Mayor. The members of the CBAC serve the Township Committee by analyzing the municipal and school budgets and making recommendations in a process which is mutually informative and educational. We are currently organized into the following areas:
1. General Government and Finance
2. Board of Health, Welfare and Library
3. Recreation
4. Public Works (Engineering, Public Works, Building Maintenance, Shade Tree, Streets and Roads, Sanitation, Automotive, and Electrical Maintenance)
5. Public Safety (Police, Fire, 911, EMS, Civil Defense, and Municipal Court)
6. The Schools Subcommittee (A unique group which begins its work somewhat later and covers the entire Maplewood/South Orange school district budget.)
Skills needed vary, and training is free. If you want to meet a lot of cool people, if you want to better understand your local government, if you want to understand where your tax payments go, if you want to improve services to the entire township, if you want to shape the future, then hear my call.
Contact me to register your interest. Soon the meetings will be scheduled to form the teams needed to help the Township in this next budget cycle.
Were you a member of years past, and have bad feelings? If so, so was I.
This year a lot of work has been done to change how things will operate. People have changed. I am a small part of that change and I will manage our group to be remembered as the year that things changed. My motto, “Look forward and don’t look back, we can make a difference and make it work.”
Send your real name, address phone number and Email contact to jgberkeley@aol.com. The information you send will never be sold or passed around. It will only be used to answer any question you may have, inform you of the general meeting and then it will be sent to the old bit bucket (electronic trash can).
I will answer questions on Maplewood online here.
Please consider the call!!
Thank you,
Jgberkeley
George Berkeley (The g in jg)
jgberkeley@aol.com
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ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2063
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 12:17 am: | |
Best wishes and good luck George... I'm sure you'll do a great job. I'll send you an e-mail. |
Ed May
Citizen
Username: Edmay
Post Number: 1824
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 12:43 am: | |
GEORGE
If I did not plan on spending the next three years as Mayor, OK ..... Vice Mayor ..... , OK as one of five equals on the Maplewood Township COMMITTEE I would say YES!!!!!!!!!!!! today.
ED
If being a Harvard MBA meets your minimum requirements!
Ed May |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2054
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, November 1, 2003 - 5:21 pm: | |
George:
Can you give us an idea of the time commitment involved and the skill(s) level needed? Do CBAC members need prior budget and/or fiscal experience? |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3270
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, November 1, 2003 - 6:01 pm: | |
The time need varies depending on the job you take on.
CBAC members do not need prior budget or fiscal experience. It is not all budget work.
What is needed are people who willing to help and we can match your skill sets and interests needed. For example, if you come from a family of fire fighters, and that interests you, you may want to work on that team. You would be meeting with the members of the Fire department to talk about the equipment they want to aquire, what it would be used for. You may research other township fire departments and write a report with your recommendations as to the need, what alternatives may exist or the number of items needed and the date schedule they need to arrive. You may end up suggesting that we buy a new fire truck rather than fix the one we have.
So, it is not all $$ counting.
We will have groups working on studies such as better use of recycling program.
Does that help? |
anon
Citizen
Username: Anon
Post Number: 818
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 1:05 pm: | |
Art: Don't just send an E-Mail, join the CBAC.
Joan, have you really never served on the CBAC? I thought all interested involved citizens have at one time or another been on it. |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2067
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 1:59 pm: | |
Anon:
Thanks for including me in the class of interested involved citizens.
The fact is, I have never served on the CBAC. No one ever asked me before. I have already e-mailed George a summary of my professional qualifications and an indication of the amount of time I can commit to. I urge every Maplewoodian reading this thread to give serious consideration to participating in the CBAC process to the maximum of their ability.
For the last several years, the CBAC process has seemed worse than a waste but this year, given the commitment to the CBAC process by the remaining TC members and the candidates for TC, I am hopeful that the process will once again become an important tool for ensuring the optimum utilizaton of the town's limited resources. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2116
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 4:02 pm: | |
Thanks Anon, but nobody just joins the CBAC. It's by invitation only...
"The Maplewood CBAC is a non-political, purely advisory body which is called into being annually by invitation of the Mayor."
The truth is I was asked to serve on the EDC a couple of years ago, and after my first year was not invited back. Personally, because of the B&B issue, and all my activity on MOL, I’ve become a little to controversial, political, vocal, or opinionated if you will.
On the other hand, there are other attractive options for anyone interested in serving and making a difference in our community. Attending township committee, and various other organized public meetings provides the opportunity to learn first hand what’s going on in town. Speaking in favor or against various ordinances, policies, and applications can also influence their outcome. Finally, thanks to MOL, anyone who wants to affect the politics in town, can!
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anon
Citizen
Username: Anon
Post Number: 821
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 5:33 pm: | |
Years ago it was not by invitation. An organizational meeting was announced and anyone who showed up could become a member. That's how I remember it. Has it changed?
Mr. Berkeley, please elucidate. |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2072
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 6:35 pm: | |
Anon:
Announced where, how and by whom? |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2117
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 8:35 pm: | |
“An organizational meeting was announced and anyone who showed up could become a member.”
Anon, this thread began by George stating:
We are currently organized into the following areas:
1. General Government and Finance
2. Board of Health, Welfare and Library
3. Recreation
4. Public Works (Engineering, Public Works, Building Maintenance, Shade Tree, Streets and Roads, Sanitation, Automotive, and Electrical Maintenance)
5. Public Safety (Police, Fire, 911, EMS, Civil Defense, and Municipal Court)
6. The Schools Subcommittee (A unique group which begins its work somewhat later and covers the entire Maplewood/South Orange school district budget.)
7. Committee organization and information center.
I think I’ll sign up for #7... 
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jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3271
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 10:40 pm: | |
Joining the CBAC is by invitation. I am inviting any Maplewood citizen to join.
Any!!
Please join, many have. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 2120
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 2, 2003 - 11:17 pm: | |
George, the only subject that might interest me is #1.
Would you please be more specific about what “General Government and Finance" entails? Thanks. Art
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Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 2087
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, November 3, 2003 - 7:04 pm: | |
George:
Is membership in the Civic Association a co-requisite? |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3277
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2003 - 8:31 pm: | |
Joan,
Membership in the Maplewood Civic Association in not a requirement.
We would encourage you and others to join, however, it is not a co-requisite to work on the CBAC.
The Maplewood Civic Association (MCA) will be hosting the formal Kick-off meeting for the 2003/2004 Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC), Wednesday, November 12th, 7:30 PM, at the Maplewood Town Hall.
The goal of the meeting will be to invite Maplewood citizens to serve on the CBAC and to disseminate information. Topics will be:
• Review a high-level organization chart of the various organizations
• Discuss the role and the function of the MCA
• Discuss the role and the function of the CBAC
• Discuss the role and the function of the Township members and Committee
• Discuss the role and the function of the Board of Education
• Review the deliverables and the time line
• Review of the functions of each of the CBAC Sub-committees
• Review time expectations and skill sets required
• Questions and answer period
• Define the next steps
Following the agenda, applications will be accepted for the various CBAC Sub-committees.
Should you have any questions, please post them here.
Please pass the word to your non-MOL friends.
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