July 31: Weekly Report from Mayor Madden
WEEKLY REPORT FROM MAYOR JOHN L. MADDEN
AN INTRODUCTION TO HOW OUR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION WORKS
I wanted to take my next few reports to introduce you to our form of government and some of the key municipal employees.
Our borough is an incorporated municipality. There are locations around NJ, such as Avenel in Woodbridge, which is an unincorporated area. (The Township of Woodbridge is the incorporated municipality there.) As incorporated municipalities, local governments operate similarly to any large, public corporation. You, the residents, are our shareholders. The Council is the Board of Directors who meet from time to time to vote on various topics that involve policy, budget, and revenue. The Mayor acts as Chairman of the Board and runs the meetings and is the figurehead of the Board. Our Clerk, by state statute, serves as Secretary to the Corporation, and maintains our corporate seal. Our Administrator is both our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Operating Officer, running the corporation on all day-to-day matters, overseeing all personnel issues, our facilities, and the full operation of the corporation. Our CFO acts as any corporate Chief Financial Officer: responsible for the budget and overseeing all revenue and expenditures.
Since elected, I have heard that, as Mayor, I should be seen everywhere; available full-time in the Mayor’s Office; running the entire operation of Borough government – that that’s how it always has been in Middlesex Borough. However, a full-time mayor is not how state law lays out my duties. The Council and I are all part-time, and as such, require a full-time, knowledgeable staff who know the complicated laws, rules and regulations of government. My role, by both state law and Borough ordinance, is that of a “weak” Mayor. I chair meetings, I sign corporate documents when authorized by the Council to do so, and I make certain appointments.
The Council, by law, must authorize all spending including passing our annual budget, authorize the municipality entering into any contract, and has the power to make certain appointments without my approval.
Next week, I will start discussing the function and roles of the full-time Borough corporate staff in more detail. The residents should know who they are as they are the “go to” people who can generally answer all your questions and issues.
SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE FOR WEBSITE E-COMMERCE
On another note, I am pleased and proud to announce that our public relations firm Positive Solutions, which handles our website, Facebook page, and media, is one of only three agencies to be selected by the New Jersey Economic Development Agency (NJEDA) as part of a pilot program called the E-Commerce Technical Assistance Program. This program will help New Jersey restaurants, retail stores, and personal care businesses that normally rely on foot traffic and in-person transactions to upgrade the E-Commerce capabilities they need to stay in business and operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Borough of Middlesex small businesses should be aware that this service is provided by the NJEDA at almost no cost to them. URL registrations and annual fees for their specific apps would be the only financial obligation to them. All the technical work they need to upgrade their website is covered under the NJEDA program.
You can reach Positive Solutions directly at andrea@positivesolutionsteam.com or businesses can complete the NJEDA’s intake application form at this link. You can learn more about the program and see if your business qualifies from the NJEDA’s press release here.
Be safe and stay healthy!
John L. Madden