Why are property taxes and fees so high in many New Jersey communities? One key reason is communities need to collaborate. They isn’t done enough. This ‘go it alone’ approach means municipalities in our region are collectively spending millions of dollars on their own staff, consultants, equipment and buildings. Where do they get this money? You know.
It’s not because of lack of knowledge, or resources. Experts in efficient government have been sounding the alarm for decades. And the state will literally pay municipalities to collaborate. Since 2021, according to Kearny Bank, the State has spent “$13.6 million to help municipalities and counties initiate and implement shared services to reduce costs and improve services.” Bergen County, for example, has an office that facilitates shared services among municipalities.
Municipalities Need to Collaborate
A few examples of municipalities working together exist. The Borough of River Edge shares a number of services with other municipalities. The Glen Rock Board of Education partners with its town’s government and other school districts on various services.
More collaboration between towns – and between local governments and nonprofit organizations – could save their taxpayers more money. Though each community is unique, most urban and suburban communities in North Jersey deal with many similar issues. So why doesn’t collaboration happen more often?
Silos Impede Collaboration
This is a cultural problem. Elected officials and municipal staff may be held down by custom and inertia- doing things a certain way because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Some leaders who want to change may feel stuck, unseen, or too powerless to connect the silos.
It’s not just municipal leaders. Every community, no matter how small, has silos. Health providers might not be connecting with local artists, even though a strong link exists between art and health. Business leaders may not be engaging historic organizations, despite cultural heritage tourism boosting local economies. More collaboration can lead to better outcomes for residents and help struggling organizations become more resilient.
To be fair, doing things differently is difficult, especially when trying to provide a high level of service to your town’s residents and stakeholders. Collaboration is especially hard – you make yourself vulnerable without having a guarantee of future benefits. You can only move at the speed of trust. Every municipality competes with others for grants, businesses, and taxpayers. Trust often slow walks before it sprints. In smaller communities, many local elected officials are volunteers. Collaboration is more work, without guaranteed rewards. As municipal leaders, elected officials shape the cultures that their staff work in. If they don’t model collaboration, it’s less likely that government staff will.
Foundation Works with Organizations to Collaborate
NNJCF brings leaders like Fairleigh Dickinson University Professor Dr. Marion McClary together with public officials to collaborate and address critical issues facing North Jersey’s communities.
One of the most meaningful things we do at the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) is to build cultures of collaboration. You may have seen the fruits of this labor – exciting public art projects, community events, a beautiful rain garden, and more. The projects demonstrate what people can do together. If they work successfully on something small, it builds confidence to handle bigger problems.
Our quiet work leads to the projects that help participants get unstuck, more creative and more confident. We bring people together. We connect them with one another, and the valuable resources to generate lasting impacts to make communities like yours better – and, hopefully, more affordable.
How Can You Make an Impact through NNJCF?
- Join us to collaborate and get involved with initiatives, such as the North Jersey National Heritage Area Council, Hackensack River Nation Council, or Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance.
- Go to an NNJCF convening event, such as New Jersey Creative Communities Conference or Hackensack River Nation Summit to learn about successful collaborations and make connections.
- If you are a mayor or municipal business administrator, talk to me about how NNJCF can invest in your community. Email me at leo@nnjcf.org.
Your donation to NNJCF is critical to helping us build successful collaborations. Please make a tax-deductible donation today.
by Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, Executive Director of the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation
