Mayor Quinn Talks Business at Chamber Meeting

At the Lacey Township’s regular meeting of its Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Gary Quinn was in attendance to speak with roughly 20 members of the local business community at the on East Lacey Road.

Quinn explained that being mayor for 2 years and on the governing body for nine years in total has given him a perspective on the economic state of the town.

“We try to run the township like a business. It’s been good, but we’ve had some difficult years as well,” Quinn said, who added that making cuts and changes in the municipal operations is part of the normal course of business. “But it’s difficult and not always accepted,” Quinn stated.

That remark was in reference to how municipal operations have been reduced, such as in the case of last year’s furlough days on Fridays, which saved $500,000 according to Quinn.

“Our employee capacity is better, and we’re starting to see a turnaround,” Quinn said. “We’ve made it clear that everyone on staff has to do more for the same money, because people expect us to continue to provide the same level of services.”

Quinn added that the town is “not in bad financial shape”, and noted that all municipal departments are aware to stop spending any funds for the remainder of the year from Nov. 1 on.

The mayor explained how the has nine fewer officers on duty, with a total of 42, and that the organization was recently “restructured”

“We want everyone in the cars and out on the streets. Having a presence out on the street cuts down on crimes and stops problems,” he said. Quinn commented that hard economic times have led to a rise in break-ins and burglaries, and issues of domestic violence.

“However, the police department is stepping up enforcement – the town is safe,” Quinn explained.

Quinn also said that after meeting with local fire departments and EMS groups, securing grant money for equipment upgrades has become a top priority for those organizations.

“The money is out there, and I think they have a good shot (at obtaining it),” the mayor explained. Chamber President Janet Levy-Minetti inquired to Mayor Quinn about fundraising for those volunteer organizations.

Quinn went on to say that he moved to Lacey Township in 1979, and when he later got involved in local government, it was a goal of his to attract businesses to the area. “Fortunately, it’s worked in our favor and gives residents the ability to shop locally,” he commented.

Quinn said that when the local was being constructed, every major restaurant franchise wanted to build a location in the same plaza.

In contrast, the mayor explained the difficulty of beginning a new business at the present time. “It’s hard right now for small businesses to start and survive. You have to bring people in and market your business,” Quinn stated.

The mayor said that a benefit of the upcoming was to attract more businesses to the area, and referred to the Township Committee as “pro-business.”

Another part of the re-design emphasized by Quinn was the inclusion of the property behind Oyster Creek Generating Station, where the town plans to when Oyster Creek closes down in 2019.

“We get $11.3 million in taxes from that plant, which is one-third of our municipal budget – it’s a major item for us. We want it in the master plan so it can be properly zoned,” the mayor said, and credited Committeeman Dave Most for keeping the governing body up to speed on all the latest developments at Oyster Creek.

In her closing remarks, Levy-Minetti also mentioned the “Welcome to Lacey” bags which were scheduled to be distributed to any new residents of town, and feature information regarding local businesses and events.

“We would definitely like to get some more materials to put in those,” she said. Levy-Minetti also asked anyone who had interest in being an officer for the Chamber of Commerce to approach her for more information.

The next meeting will be on Oct. 12 at the Captain’s Inn, where potential new business members will be encouraged to learn more about the Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the chamber, please visit www.laceychamberofcommerce.com.