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>> For decades, our dad has been a steady, trusted voice here at M Insurance. Helping neighbors, not just clients, protect what matters most. >> As dad steps into retirement, one thing stays the same. our commitment to this community. >> We're proud to be independent, rooted right here in Milville. No call centers,
no runaround, just real people ready to help just like dad always did. >> M insurance built on trust. Proud of our past and ready for what's next. >> I'm just going to do a a pledge of allegiance. I get everyone to stand.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thanks, Pastor Robertson.
>> Would you join me in prayer? Lord, as we come to this day, we are grateful for the city of Milville that we love so much. We see a bright horizon, a bright sun on the horizon for us, whether that be in in government or business or the
spiritual life. Lord, we are turning a corner. We all believe. So what we ask for is your guidance as uh the new commission is is working Lord that you would give them wisdom as to what's best for all of us as the business community
is is uh endeavoring to to bring fuller life to the city that you would bless those efforts and Lord for the rest of our time here today just uh allow us to enjoy each other's company and uh and and this great food
and uh we pray it in the name of your wisdom. Amen. >> Thank you, sir. This is usually where we do our dignitaries as far as there's any commerce going on in the morning today cuz everyone's here.
So, if you Okay, you know what? I'm going to leave it to the to the mayor to announce the dignitaries. He's got it covered. So, thank you, mayor. This time I always announce uh recognize our our sponsors for the chamber. Our diamond sponsors Bill Savings Bank does
a cut up job Rick your team there in the back. Thank you sir. Gold sponsors Mint Insurance and Allen Associates and silver members in Spear Health Network the Authority for the city of Milville South Jersey Gas Christy funeral home also recognized
here somewhere I've seen and Del River Bay Authority always always turned out. Um, this is our first one that I can think of in at least a while since I've been president here at the Elks. So, thank you Elks uh uh for for hosting this. Actually, the staff for opening this up really highlights the uh the
city of Noble being here, I think. So, thanks so much. Uh, we have a lot of lunch and host in the interest of time and when we get to the mayor's address, um, just everyone, I'll recognize you just 20 seconds announce who you are and what you represent would be great. Uh, first one on the list. Look at that. Don
Dgo, Charles Swab. >> I just want to say thank you to the city of Island for showing up and for the county coming out here organizations, you know, turning the page and you see all of you coming out as a res.
>> Thanks, sir. uh password Chris funeral home with sentiments. We're very pleased with the turnout for being a part of this and um hope everybody enjoys their time here today.
>> Keep it on to Palma realy in the back. >> Everybody thanks everyone for coming. Glad to see packed house. Uh we've been here a long time so we're hoping to see everything continue in the positive direction. Happy to see everybody here. Just 30 more. Um, just kidding. Uh,
Allan Associates. >> Hi everybody. Um, even though I was born in Vinland and our office is in lame old Vinland. >> I grew up here just went off. I was looking at you. I grew up here.
Uh, my parents live here. We will always consider Milville our home. Uh my granddad started doing business for the board of eds and we started working with the city in the '9s. So uh we appreciate all of your business. We appreciate we're here. We love Milville
and we're looking forward to getting to know the new mayor. So thanks for coming out. >> Thank you. Actually about halfway through Complete Care Health Network. If someone's here for complete caregone better than that. >> Mr. Gary Galloway,
>> glad to be here. I was actually born in Milville, but don't tell the mayor that please your taxes just went up. >> Uh, Miss Insurance Bob in the back. >> I was told I have 8 seconds.
>> So, I'm thrilled with the turnout. Uh, we've been in this community for over 90 years and committed to this community and I'm looking forward to dealing with the way it kind of used to be where business government, nonprofits, volunteers, all work together to to create a synergy. Looking forward
forward to a positive message here. >> Thank you. Uh, two more. Uh, Mr. Puji, our Pucci real estate insurance. >> He's already the tax comment wasn't good. >> And then impact fitness. >> Thank you.
So, um I just want to say thank you to everyone that has come out today and I appreciate that. Um we've been around for 19 years and we just appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thanks so much. Just before the mayor's
address, our executive director Jerry for a few words about upcoming events. Thank you, Rob, and thank you for giving your dad eight seconds. Much appreciated. Uh, first thing I always do is can we have our board members stand up, please?
>> Ladies and gentlemen, these are the folks that make it happen. Uh, we have an energized board. We have great leadership. Uh, I'd like to just call out our executive committee president Rob Connor, vice president Mike Deama, second vice president Ricky
Edwards, our finance chairman Patrick Reynolds, and our treasurer Carol Luso who can't be with us today, but we're always thinking of Carol. So, they they are really the fuel behind the engine and um we are brainstorming all new
ideas all the time. So, you're starting to see the results of that. uh there's a sense of optimism that has just overwhelmed the city and I think we're absorbing that ourselves. So, um we're looking for a great 2026 and beyond. Uh
what I would like to do is some of some of the items that are on your table. So, the 2026 community guide that came out in January, uh you have a copy of that. So, if you would cruise through those pages and please support our businesses
that uh are really the fabric of our community. On your table, you will also find our latest strategic partners report. So, with today's attendance and with an effort to save the trees across the country, we've only printed printed up limited reports. Uh if you're new to
the chamber uh our member connect program, we launched it in uh our strategic partners initiative back in September and to be honest with you the results are amazing in a report which uh can be accessed through that QR code. So
if you want to see quite frankly who we connected you to at this lunchon, feel free to uh look at that document and uh maybe connect with those people. So just to capsulize what we're doing, we take a
look at the entire attendance list. Uh we utilize AI to tell us who in the room would be a strategic partner with one another. So our members wanted better networking,
better connecting. So if you look at that report it quite amazing how they are matching up business people. It's not the traditional thing or our query with AI is provide a unique opportunity
to for someone to share conversation that strategically would be a win-win for each business. And we have some great stories to tell. I'm not going to tell them today, but you'll hear those stories. So, uh, if you scan that in, you'll be able to see who you're connected with, and the only your only
obligation is to either say no or yes. I would advise that you say yes, connect to that person, and have a great conversation. Um, what else is going on? You will see uh on your table a flyer for our uh golf
and guac event as we're calling it that's on Cinco de Mayo and it will be at running deer. It includes a 9-hole golf event and then a cocktail reception and we know will be a good party following. Registration is now open for
golfers reception attendees and sponsors. Uh Running Deer is a great course. We think we have a really unique program. Come on out later in the afternoon, play nine holes, go drink some margaritas in the evening and celebrate Cinco de Mayo when it's thumbs
up. Uh what else is coming up? March 11th, uh thanks to with folks at Inspir Medical Center, we will be hosting a special member appreciation event. So pay attention. The price is really good for this event. It's free for our
members. So, Inspira and our corporate host are providing a unique opportunity to share in some of the chamber activities and uh there is no charge for that. There is a caveat. There's a
limit. So, if you are interested, my humble recommendation is you should register sooner than later. Um April 8th, we will be at the River Renaissance Center for the Arts for a special launching event. The program will include a special panel discussion on
downtown and a vision for the future. So, we've got energy in in the city. We have people who are now visionaries that see a better Milville and it'd be neat to
kind of discuss that uh with a panel on April 8th. So, that'll be at the RRCA building on High Street. And then on May 13th, we'll be at Milville Senior High School as we hear the good superintendent Matt Mazone uh and his staff. And we also honor our student of
the year May 13th that will be at Milville Senior High School. So finally, you will see a form on your table asking for your support for our golf event and the spirit of Milville awards celebration which will be held September
30th. Uh we've had numerous members quite frankly said hey Cal how can we help the chamber and this is how uh so please take a moment complete the form and tell us how you would like to support these events. After completing
the form one of our board members will get in touch with you and discuss the details of how you would like to help our organization. So with that then these are my notes for today. Give us Mr. Mayor, two minutes
and and the stage is yours. No, >> you're not coming up here introduction. Um, >> we've always had the honor of inviting the mayor of this good town to offer a state of the city address to the chamber
of commerce and the business community. Uh, that has been the tradition for years and years and years. We are always excited to have our leaders join us for a lunchon event and hear about their vision and what they're doing for our city and for the business community and
our residents. Um, it goes without saying we have a packed house today. Uh, optimism is skyhigh if you're in Milville. There's a there's a genuine sense of optimism across town. There's a lot of work to do, but I think as
organizations, we are optimistic. As residents, there's a sense of optimism. And we are excited to have Mayor Dixon to share his vision and the vision of our commissioners. Thank you very very much. Um, it is a
honor to be here today with so many friendly friendly faces I see out there. Um, I want to try to manage your expectations a little bit. Bring them way down cuz this is probably the most people I've ever spoken in front. Thank you. Um,
so just a little bit about me. I I told uh my wife I would try to stay on track because uh my wonderful vice mayor and the public safety director told me the other day, we've got to find a way to get you to kind of condense what you say. So, I will try to stay on, you
know, for 20 years, uh me and my wife have owned our business and uh if you don't know, I own a gym out in uh out by the airport and for the past 20 years, I go to work every day wearing shorts. It's it was the greatest job in the world. So, I had to pull out all the dress clothes and get new dress clothes.
And I pulled out my fancy watch today and unfortunately it's been broken for probably 10 years and it says 9:00. So, I will have no idea how much time I have spent talking. So, you're in trouble. >> Um, thanks. Thank you, Charlotte. Just
start waving if it goes beyond uh 75 minutes. Okay. Um, good afternoon. Um, I'm really pleased and honored to be here today. Um, the business community, see, I'm already off target here. I
can't stay off. The business community is the backbone of everything that happens in the city. And myself and the other commissioners want you to know that we have your back. We are 100% behind business in the city and we are
going to do everything we can um to make business successful. There have been some challenges in the past and we're going to talk a little bit about that today. I don't I think it's hard to uh there's some hard things I'm going to say today, but I think uh a lot of people need context of where we're
coming from and where we're going. you know, you don't know where you're going unless you know where you came from. So, the first thing I like to do is uh just go through the uh elected officials that are here today. I forever will have a lot of respect for every elected
official. It's only been 36 days and I don't know why you guys do it. My goodness, I have a lot of respect for you guys and uh it's a hard job being elected official. Very little appreciation, very little compensation. And uh I did the math the other day. I
think what was it? We make a $1.73 an hour right now. That's about where we're at. But uh it's worth it for the city. You know, nobody gets into public service that all the public service people I see here uh to make money. Um none of you do. And I I have now seen
how the sausage is made, as they say. I see behind the the behind the curtain. And it's a hard job. And I have a lot of appreciation for all you guys. Let me first start out with if you could just stand up and say hi. Um, uh, our assemblyman, Eric Simson.
>> Hey, there he is. Thank you for representing today. Um, next we have Sandra Taylor, director of K County Board of Commissioner. We have a couple other county commissioners here, uh, James Sorrow
and newly elected commissioner Yolanda Garcia Baliki. ALL RIGHT, I SAW that Celeste Riley, our Cumberland County clerk, is here. Mayor of Bridgton, Albert Kelly, where are you at? He was on the list. All
right. Well, I'm sorry that didn't work. And then we have Violent City Council President Paul Spinelli. and Cruz uh violent city council member Cruz Gomez. And I want to give a special shout out
to someone who's really extended an olive branch. Uh the mayor of Brian uh mayor Brian the mayor of Violin, Anthony Fernucci. Um, for a long time, Millville and Violin have been uh, a lot of people see us at odds with each other. Um, you
know, economically definitely, well, not football anymore. Um um but our divisions uh one of the first people that I met with was uh Mayor Fenucci and uh he has wonderfully
reached out a helping hand to Milville. I have been floored by how much help he has offered Milville. Um I don't think it's ever been done in the past. Well, he's offered in the past, but it's never been accepted. uh myself and the other commissioners have gone up and met with
him and um I'm overwhelmed by your support, your help, your offer of anything we need. I truly believe you'll be there to help and uh there's no reason that Milbone Violence shouldn't work collaboratively together. Um it's a new era. It's a new time and um you
know, even though your football team isn't very good, I think we can still we can still get along just fine. I can't wait till next year's bet for uh um >> You're lucky you raise your taxes. >> Well, I'm getting to that part. So, um
sorry too soon. Um one uh one other person I'd like to mention, give a shout out to, uh Jerry Velasquez, not elected official, but Jerry, give a give a wave wherever you are. Um probably the first um visit that I made
um after getting elected was to Jerry. Jerry is an a an amazing person, a very motivated person. Economic development is something he's tremendous at. And um we're working very collaboratively. That's something that past commissions haven't really uh taken advantage of.
And I think they were uh they were very mistaken for not doing that. Jerry's an amazing guy, has become a friend, and I'm real happy that uh we are working collaboratively with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority. So, thank you, Jerry. Um
I want to go next to our commissioners. If you could all stand up and just give a wave. Let's start out with Vice Mayor Rick COT and Commissioner Carol Casabon. Commissioner Marissa Reinella and Commissioner Sherman Taylor. I am going to go out on a limb here and
say that I doubt in the history of Milville you've had five people so engaged in city hall. Uh if you don't know about city hall, there's something called the sunshine law. Um there's some initials that go with it, but um you can't have more than two commissioners
kind of collaborating together. You know, you have an event like this, it's okay, but you can't talk business with more than two commissioners. And we struggle sometimes to not be in the same place at the same time at city hall. That's how engaged we are. I think most of us probably spend 20 to 30 hours a week there, if not more. Um, and we're
we always wind up ducking each other in the hallways to try to stay away, but there's two there and we kind of duck through. And um, so it's it's encouraging to see that I have four other people who are amazingly engaged at city hall. I can't believe that
there's ever been a commission quite like this. And it comes at the right time when when the stakes are so high. There's never been a time in Millville where Milville has needed this type of collaboration more than it does now. And we're going to talk a little bit about
that. Uh but first, let me talk about um introduce some of the people from uh these uh the city of Milville that work for the city of Milville who are here in attendance today. Our brand new business administrator, Roy Berman. Go ahead and give a wave there.
If you have a chance to say hi to Roy, he's brand new. He would love to talk to you afterwards. Uh if he gets 15, 20, 30 people to come up and ask him lots of questions that he said that would make his day. So um next we have Joe Couchy
who has moved into economic development. Joe Couchy, I call him our economic concierge. Anything you need revolving around economic development, Milville, he's your guy. Um he's working on a huge list of projects right now. Very excited
about his direction. Um, Emily Dylan, the city clerk. Emily, she's going to be new and doing a fantastic job. Our new CFO, Trish McGee. There she is back there.
Our chief of police, Ross Hoffman. And then we have our business manager for construction, permitting, and inspections, Sean Fel. I think you're over there. There he is. I think our fire chief is still here. Uh, Chief Wetstein, go ahead and give a
wave. There he is. And our EMS chief, Chief John Feltus. Where are you at, John? There he is. Our tax assess. Did I say tax assessor to Tracy? She's our assessor, right?
>> Trash trash collector. You know, >> I'm just going to go now. >> Well, taxes. Nobody likes taxes. Yeah. So, I can get away with that. Um, tax collector Tracy Gregoire, right?
There she is right there. All right. Don't >> throw anything. And they didn't bring the tomatoes. That's good. Um, is Derek Cheeseman here? There's Derek. Derek is our head of the water department. And not last but not least, Sam Cruz.
Everybody knows you. Stand up. She's in the charge of our public property. >> Oh, >> Wayne's not here. >> Oh, uh, streets and roads, Wayne Gresman. I don't know. I don't think you on the
list. Not here. And our assistant engineer for the city, Michelle Knack. I always look at her name and I'm not quite sure how to ever pronounce it. How about you tell me right now how do you pronounce last name? >> Uh no. >> No. Okay. Thank you very much. And
that's everyone for the city here. Right. >> Oh, your name wasn't on the list. Ham Shapiro is have to stand up. And human resources. Was that everybody? That's all the Bill City people that showed up. All right. Awesome. And I would be remiss if I did
not say hello to my good friend Jim Quinn. Where are you, Jim Quinn? long time may there fans. Thank you for your support throughout this whole process and your advice and your mentoring. I appreciate everything you've done, J. All right, this is my first State of the
City address, obviously, and I want to be clear about some things from the start. Normally, as I looked at the I look back at years past of State of the City addresses, and usually they come up and they tell you, "Hey, we had this ribbon
cutting. We did this. We did this little project here and you're not going to hear that today. If you came for some red meat, buckle up. But but what I want to talk about, I want to talk about some big bold plans that we
have. The problems that the city is going through, little things, little adjustments are not going to help. I want to make sure that I want to get here. our leadership team.
Let me get to where we're going. We are in this place because no one here sitting here can deny that Milville was on the wrong direction. I think the testament to all the people that are sitting here,
there's an understanding that the city was headed in the wrong direction. Uh for the last four years, time was lost. time that should have been used to fix problems and move forward. Instead, the city was led by commissioners who were
disengaged, unprepared for the job, or more focused on infighting and personal agendas than governing. There was a virtual chokeold on city employees by commissioners that didn't
allow employees to operate at full potential. While leadership faltered, dysfunction spread, city hall lost focus, decisions were delayed, problems were ignored, and the cost of inaction compounded year
after year. The new commissioners didn't take over a smooth running ship. We took over a ship that needed more than a course correction. We needed 180°ree U-turn. Milville was like a team loaded with
talent on paper but held back by poorly poor elected leadership. Talent alone doesn't win games. Leadership matters. Discipline matters and accountability matters. We have great city employees.
Our elected leadership recently has not put them to their full potential. These department leaders of the city are not placeholders. They are professionals. They are leaders. Yet even the best people cannot succeed in
an environment defined by dysfunction and poor elected leadership. Imagine a team with elite players on the field every day. people with experience, commitment, and institutional knowledge and still losing not because the talent
wasn't there, but because elected leadership failed to put them in a position to win. Where we are today, make sure I keep up with this. where we are today. 36 days since we
were sworn in. It's going to take a good amount of time to fix four years of failure. But our inauguration marked the day when the ship changed course.
For years, Milville's revenues have not met operating expenses. The city survived on grants and land sales. Grants come and go, and there's only so much land to sell. Previous commissions did not raise taxes
when it was fiscally necessary. They cut critical staff and they allowed vital staff, including our police, to become the lowest paid law enforcement officers in the c in the county. That decision created a ripple effect.
Experienced officers left for other municipalities, leaving Milville dangerously understaffed. And as staffing fell, crime was allowed to grow unchecked across our city. High crime drove businesses out and discouraged new businesses from
investing. It hurt our economic development, weakened our neighborhoods, and damaged our schools. Because when public safety declines, everything else suffers with it. This isn't speculation. This is cause and effect.
The first thing we had to do was make leadership changes at the top. We were gutted of talent. And over the past several years, some of our best and most experienced employees left. That's not a secret. Not because they didn't care about
Milville and not because they couldn't do the job, but because they no longer wanted to work in an environment defined by dysfunction and poor leadership. elected leadership. As a result, virtually every department in this city is underst staffed.
Rebuilding Millville means rebuilding city hall. And that starts with leadership. We brought in Roy Berman as our municipal administrator, bringing structure, accountability, and professionalism back into daily operations. We've moved Joe Couch into
economic development where his extensive business background will deliver a significant return on investment for the city by turning opportunity into ratables. These changes are not about personalities.
They're not about friendships or politics. We're not hiring our friends or political donors. It's about competence and it's about execution. Past elected leadership now belly aches
on social media about the cost of effective leadership while in office they bragged about being the most sued commissioner in the history of the city. The price tag for these very avoidable
lawsuits will cost the taxpayers at least $500,000. We are doing our best to dig out from multiple expensive lawsuits that have been dumped in our laps. Now, the good news. Well, bad news
first. That's the good news. Public safety. Public safety is the foundation of everything we're trying to accomplish. Without public safety, nothing else will progress. Economic development will falter. Everything nothing's going to move
forward without public safety. Across the public safety department, staffing levels declined. Morale suffered. Equipment aged without a plan to replace it. Police officers left for other departments. Fire and EMS carried heavier loads, often understaffed, very
demanding jobs, and too often people doing them felt un unsupported. Equipment failures compounded the problem. Fire apparatus beyond recommended service life was repeatedly bandated instead replaced. Public confidence was strained not because of
the police's ability but because systems were allowed to erode without leadership planning for the future. Since taking office, we have opened direct lines of communication with department leadership. Public safety will not be rebuilt
overnight, but it will be rebuilt with honesty, planning, and sustained commitment. In addition to stabilizing our public safety departments, this administration is moving toward clear, measurable public safety initiatives. By the end of this year, we expect Noble
Police Department to be fully staffed with 85 officers. Reaching that level is critical, not just for response times, but for restoring visibility, morale, and effectiveness across the city. See if I can catch up here.
I'm like going the wrong way, aren't I? Over the next 3 to 6 months, we'll be installing state-of-the-art surveillance cameras along High Street from Main Street to Broad Street. I'm very excited about this because I think I mention it to somebody in the commission every day. They are tired of me mentioning it. So,
we're going to get it done just probably to shut me up. um the the type of technology that's available in cameras today. They they embed cameras with AI where they can tell if somebody has a gun in their hand that the computer can tell if has a gun in their hand. They can tell if there's
people congregating. There's two-way communication in these cameras. There's, you know, red and light. You can send messages. Um the technology is amazing and I think it's going to do a great job to making people feel safer uh in some of our our most vulnerable areas.
Um, these cameras serve as both a crime deterrent and an investigative tool, assisting law enforcement in identifying and solving crimes more quickly. Looking ahead, additional cameras will be strategically deployed in high crime areas in the city, expanding coverage
where it's needed the most, and reinforcing our commitment to public safety in every neighborhood. And as staffing levels are restored, residents will see a meaningful shift. Proactive policing will once again be implemented through the city. Not just
responding to crime after it happens, but working to pre prevent it before it does. At some point in 2019, the city code was revised and the criminal nuisance property or ordinances were removed. Shortly, you will see that ordinance replaced in our code with an ordinance
restoring our police ability to crack down on properties that are habitually causing chaos in the city. These properties will be fined and landlords will be fiscally pressured to solve tenant problems that wreak havoc to the innocent law- abiding neighbors who feel
trapped in high crime areas. Public safety is not just a promise. It's a plan and it's already being put into place. Economic development. Immediately after this election, we reached out to our partners inside and
outside of the city. News traveled fast. Milville was once again open for business. Not only were partner or organizations sending business to Millville. Developers began spreading the word that
uh previous word that the previous commission that was difficult to deal with was gone and a new commission that encouraged development was now in charge. We have hired Joe Couchy to focus all of his time solely on economic development. Just since the election,
Joe Couch is now tracking over 30 brand new development projects that have come to the city. It's it's a pretty amazing future that's going to happen as far as development. Um, he spends the moment he walks into the moment he leaves working on he I could have three of him and it
probably wouldn't be enough. That's that's how bright the future is. Infrastructure, it's not glamorous, but it's essential. The streets and roads department is staffed at about half of historical levels, yet continues to
perform exceptionally well due to the dedicated workforce. Thank you, Mr. President. Much of the department's equipment averages nearly 20 years in age. Despite that, critical improvements have been completed, including addressing long-standing flooding issues through
the coordination and proper use of resources. The water department is in the middle of a citywide water meter upgrade. If you haven't seen that, check out my cool videos on Facebook on the water meters. Um, it goes through all the the details
of the the water meters and how it's going to improve billing accuracy, reduce manual labor, increase revenue through digital transmission. So, that's a great project that's happening right now. Um, this commission is committed to restoring critical services to the residents of the city. We commend the streets and roads
department on their continued fine work despite not being given the tools to ensure their success. For the first time in years, infrastructure is being addressed with planning, not avoidance. Fiscal health and budget realities. To
understand the decisions ahead, we must be honest about the city's fiscal condition. The previous administrative wait administration waited over two years to settle multiple union contracts creating uncertainty uncertainty and delaying long-term planning. The city continues
to have a structural bud budget problem caused by the lack of developing new ratables to keep up with rising city costs. The strategy by the past commission was to survive on grant money and one-time land sales, which is not a sustainable
strategy. Land s land sales were prioritized without much thought given to holding the developer accountable to actually developing the land into revenue producing rainables. A very quick drive around Milville can show you proof of
that. To keep up with rising costs, budgeted positions were eliminated, left unfilled to help balance the budget, leaving the city drastically understaffed in some areas and dangerously understaffed in others, weakening departments and
reducing service capacity to taxpayers. To compound issues, over the past four years, the mun municipal tax rate increased by only 3 cents, which was insufficient to offset rising costs. To
add one more thing, a $19 million ratable error was pushed forward to 2026 budget, deferring a necessary correction rather than addressing it in real time. A sophisticated shell game has been per
perpetrated on the citizens of Milville and this newly elected commission as well as the Milville taxpayer has been left holding the bag. Challenges for 2026. Health care premiums for active and retired employees have increased
substantially for 2026 with average increases of approximately 30%. To mitigate that what would have been an even more severe increase under state health plans averaging closer to 50% the city moved to private insurance coverage in 2026.
That decision reduced the impact but the premium increase of 30% is still felt very strongly. We are lucky to have Trish McGee back as our CFO. She's been furiously working through the mess that she inherited with
the budget and we are excited to have such a committed and competent CFO at back at the helm. Thank you, Trish. Now, where are we going? Taking a pretty bad picture so far, haven't I? You were all so excited when
you got here. Um, let me cheer you up a little bit. Where are we going? Fixing the problems in Milwood can only happen if we start at the top. No organization can thrive without top tier leadership. We have begun by hiring a municipal administrator with the management skills
required to give our excellent staff the leadership that has been missing for well over 10 years. We chose our new administrator precisely due to his lack of connection to any city, state, political party, or entity.
No one in any city or political capacity recommended or suggested him. What we see in Millville is a disturbing pattern of hiring friends and political donors for key positions with no inherent ability to do the job. I have worked under very very many skilled
managers during my career and Mr. Berman is one of the best I've ever seen in action. Thank you, Mr. Bitterman. The citizens of Milville deserve a city that works for them and great talent is worth what we pay for it. Mr. Bitterman has a highlevel track
record in developing talent and building high performance teams while implementing scalable standardized processes and operating procedures that optimize operations, increase consistency, reduce waste, shorten cycle times, and improve service delivery.
Simply put, Milville is at a point where good enough leadership would not turn things around. And quite frankly, Milville has never had a top level manager with a skill set that Mr. Bitterman possesses.
We are fortunate to have him. Please take the time today to introduce yourself, every one of you, um, to Mr. Bitterman after the event today. As we improve the fiscal position of the city, we are committed to bringing salaries in line with surrounding m
municipalities. The employees of the city are worth it and is our commitment to make that happen. Now, some major initiatives. Let me skip ahead here. Going the wrong way again, huh? All
right. If Milville is going to change its trajectory, it will not happen through small isolated actions. It will happen through large strategic initiatives that reshape how this city grows and competes. The NAB Avenue Extension and
the Hurley Industrial Park are just one of those initiatives. The NAB Avenue Extension has been talked about for 20 years. Some of you have kids old, you know, uh, younger than how long they've been talking about NAB Avenue Extension.
If you're a Milville resident, you know why Nav Avenue is so important. You've seen the light poles knocked down at Sharp Street. And how many times have we seen light poles knocked out Sharp Street and Main Street? Probably happens once every two or three months. The
congestion through the center of town, you know, from 4:00, 3:30 on to 6:00, it's tough. It takes you 45 minutes to get across town. So compounding that issue with a growing industrial park,
having trucks try to go through the center of town isn't feasible. That's why N Avenue is so important. Our partners who are developing uh with us in the Hurley Industrial Park require a better route, a direct route, and we're excited to work with uh the state,
federal, county, and private partners to make this long overdue project a reality. The development of that industrial park to its fullest potential depends upon this extension. Downtown revitalization.
We are feverishly working on a downtown redevelopment and revitalization plan. This plan would turn our high street area into a vibrant entertainment, shopping, and dining area that will be the envy of every city in South Jersey,
including mine. We will finally begin taking advantage of an asset that not many cities have, a river that runs through the center of town. Taking advantage of this waterfront and using to generate ratables and revenues is a generationally missed opportunity
by the leaders of Milville. As this plan develops, we will soon bring it to the public so everyone can share in the excitement we see in this opportunity. We are reimagining a future of the airport so that it remains successful
for the DRVA while also becoming a true economic engine for Milville, generating ratables, jobs, and long-term benefits for taxpayers. Under our current 30-year-old contract, the city of Milville generates no revenue from the airport.
We are excited to collaborate with the DRBA to ensure that all parties involved in the next agreement will benefit from the terms of the contract. We enjoy and are excited to work with our friends at the DRBA to make this next agreement a
reality in the near future. We owe it to the taxpayers of Milville to make this potential asset something that benefits the residents of the city. A continuing theme we hear from current business owners in Milville is that they feel unappreciated,
undervalued, and quite frankly ignored by the city. That comes to an end with this commission. Myself and Joe County will begin reaching out to our business partners in the city on a regular basis. And we're going to listen to concerns and collaborate with businesses to
ensure the city success in the city because without you we can never reach our goals. Milville is a story not of decline. It's a story of resilience. This is a
great city. Everyone sitting in this room loves this city. We are ushering in an era defined by cooperation, public safety, and economic development. There is an idea often used to describe
communities that lead by this example, a city on a hill. We are actually a city on the hill. You stand at South High Street, you get to look over the waterfront. It is the most beautiful piece of property in the city.
That is the mill we're building for the future. The path forward is clear. The direction is right and the work has begun. Thank you all for sitting here and believing in this city. You wouldn't be here if you didn't believe in this city in the direction we're going. Thank you
for trusting us, the five of us, and putting your trust in us to lead this city in the right direction. We won't let you down. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, mayor. Um, just before we conclude the afternoon, again,
um, kudos to the mayor, staff, all the city commissioners. thanks for packing the house for us. Just shows a testament to his leadership and transparency and openness and vigor for the community. So, we're all have the chamber and the whole community really looking forward to it. So, that's great. Thanks. Thanks
again. Um, we have courtesy of Mill Savings already randomly did it beforehand. So, three random thank you for savings and Ricky. We have an umbrella and two like Yeti type cups.
So, uh, Samantha Cruz, Joe Hton, and Lindsay Thompson Marvel, you can fight over the three whatever you want. The three items. And again, that concludes the event. Thanks again for coming out, spending some time with us, and have a great afternoon.
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