2023 Innovation in Governance Awards

Dear Mayor:

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey League of Municipalities will again acknowledge and promote Innovation in Governance through our annual recognition program. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase innovative solutions to problems that have cropped up suddenly or over time in your municipality. It can also be an opportunity to let your peers in on innovations that prevent problems from even arising. This can tremendously benefit your colleagues around the state who are facing, or will face, similar challenges; It lets you congratulate your public professionals and employees for a job well done. And it can help to demonstrate to your constituents the appreciation that other local officials throughout New Jersey have for your creativity and leadership.

This year, the Innovation in Governance Awards Committee is looking for any new and distinctive approaches undertaken by Garden State municipalities during a period of   months, beginning from June 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. Any creative and original innovation will be considered for recognition.

This program was established to highlight exemplary local government activities that exhibit creative and practical approaches to local problems and concerns. We will share the winning entries with municipal leaders at the 108th Annual League of Municipalities Conference Mayors’ Luncheon on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at the Sheraton in Atlantic City and in the January issue of the League’s magazine, New Jersey Municipalities.

This year’s judges will be League Past Presidents Paul Matacera and Peter Cantu, the Department of Community Affairs Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez, and NJLM Executive Director Michael Cerra.

The application can be accessed by clicking on either of the links below:

  • League of Municipalities website:
  • Department of Community Affairs website:

  • The nomination deadline for this program is Friday, October 20, 2023. Accordingly, we encourage you to forward this information to the appropriate people in your municipality today, giving them ample time to meet this deadline.

If you have questions about the Innovation in Governance Award program, contact Ciara Bradley at 609-695-3481, x128, or cbradley@njlm.org.

Very truly yours,

 

Jacquelyn A. Suárez
Acting Commissioner
Department of Community Affairs

Ray Heck
NJLM President
Mayor, Millstone, NJ

  

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