S potlight o n g overnment Rent Leveling And Open Space A Priority From The Desk Of The Mayor

By Manchester Mayor Robert Arace

Greetings residents.

I am happy to continue reporting on our accomplishments during my first seven months in office.

Rent Leveling Ordinance

During the 2022 election, several residents of our manufactured and mobile home communities brought the issue of rent control to my attention. Due to inflation, some residents saw annual increases of over six percent in their monthly rents.

Many of the residents in these communities are seniors on fixed incomes, and the increases they are experiencing are unconscionable. Our residents should not have to choose between putting food on their tables and paying for significant increases in their monthly home costs.

Knowing that this is a highly urgent issue, I made a campaign promise that we would work to pass an ordinance quickly. By working with our Township Council, I am thrilled to say that we passed a township ordinance that will protect our residents in our manufactured home communities – especially our seniors – from greedy landlords looking to cash in during a challenging economy. This ordinance limits landlords to a single yearly increase at a capped rate for residents who live in mobile homes or manufactured homes.

The ordinance also requires property owners to notify residents of rent increases with a minimum of 60 days’ notice. This ordinance went into effect on March 22nd, a massive win for our residents. I thank our Township Council for introducing and adopting this essential ordinance.

Open Space

Our administration and residents take pride in Manchester’s rural and suburban character. Surrounding towns are seeing ever-expanding development and traffic congestion. We must take the necessary steps to protect our town by implementing an open space policy to preserve land before developers can receive final approvals to build.

Our top priorities have been supporting the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust fund Program to acquire and preserve open space in Manchester Township. Our administration and open space committee are diligently working to identify parcels of land threatened by residential overdevelopment.

Four of our most significant preservation achievements have been the County’s acquisition of 41.22 acres of land on Wrangle Brook Road and School House Rd, 7.21 acres on Wilbur Avenue and Renaissance Drive, 24.83 acres on Pasadena Road, and pending 34.5 acres on Cherry Street. The Administration championed the land acquisitions for preservation with our Township Council, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, and the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust.

These open space acquisitions are four early examples of this administration’s direction. We will continue to work diligently to identify more preservation opportunities throughout 2023. As always, please get in touch with my office with any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.

Bill Would Fund Special Education Nationally

Capitol Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in introducing the IDEA Full Funding Act. This legislation would finally ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

In 1975, Congress passed IDEA to ensure that every child with a disability has access to educational opportunity. This law was a historic step forward, but since its passage

Congress has failed to provide the funding it promised.

Under IDEA, the federal government committed to pay 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for special education. However, that pledge has never been met, and current funding is at less than 13 percent. According to the Congressional Research Service, the IDEA shortfall in the 20212022 school year nationwide was $23.92 billion. The IDEA Full Funding Act would require regular, mandatory increases in IDEA spending to finally meet our obligation to America’s children and schools. It is cosponsored by more than 20 Senators and over 60 House members.

“A good quality education is about opening the doors of opportunity for every child, including those with disabilities,” said Sen. Menendez. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bicameral legislation to ensure students with disabilities have access to high-quality, well-funded special education regardless of their zip code. This bill will help level the playing field for students and Congress should work towards its swift passage.”

Sen. Menendez has strongly supported people with disabilities, working diligently to deliver safe transit options, education and protections to New Jersey’s most vulnerable and underserved communities. Last month, Sen. Menendez and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01) reintroduced the bicam- eral Disability Access to Transportation Act, legislation that would establish a one-stop pilot program to help paratransit riders avoid excessive wait times between multiple trips, streamline the process for submitting accessibility complaints, and assist local communities with identifying gaps in transportation accessibility.

In 2022, Sens. Menendez and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) were joined by ten of their Senate colleagues in introducing the International Children with Disabilities Protection Act, legislation to bolster U.S. support for children with disabilities, helping improve the capacity of local disabilities rights organizations and families of children with disabilities around the world to advocate for necessary reforms.

Funding For Manufacturing Vouchers Increasing By $20M

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy highlighted the additional $20 million included in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to boost the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA) New Jersey Manufacturing Voucher Program (MVP) – bringing the program’s total funding to $53 million. MVP, developed in 2022 as a pilot program, provides manufacturers vouchers to purchase equipment they need to improve their operations and upgrade their businesses.

“New Jersey’s manufacturers are critical to our economy and nation’s supply chain,” said Governor Murphy. “The Manufacturing Voucher Program is a proven success, and this additional funding will help even more businesses modernize and become more efficient and profitable.”

Since the program’s launch, the NJEDA has awarded 189 vouchers to manufacturers across New Jersey totaling $23.4 million and continues to process and approve applications daily. Additional FY2024 funding for the program will enable the NJEDA to fulfill those applications that were submitted after the program was oversubscribed and launch Phase II of the program, with a date to be announced in the coming months.

“Throughout Governor Murphy’s tenure, New

Jersey has prioritized strategies that support and bolster our manufacturing sector by ensuring companies have the resources and capital needed to continue making products used by consumers domestically and abroad,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan.

“I thank Governor Murphy and the Legislature for passing a budget that will further enable us to meet the needs of additional New Jersey manufacturing companies, which in turn will grow our economy, and strengthen our supply chain.”

In October 2022, Governor Murphy announced the MVP as a pilot program, which was originally funded with $20 million from the FY2023 budget. In March, to fulfill a robust pipeline of eligible applications, the NJEDA Board approved the increase of the program’s available funding to $33.75 million.

The MVP offers vouchers valued at 30 to 50 percent of the cost of eligible equipment, in- cluding installation, up to a maximum award amount of $250,000. The program focuses on manufacturers within targeted industries that will use purchased equipment to integrate innovative technologies, processes, and materials to improve the efficiency and productivity of their manufacturing business. Both for-profit and not-for-profit companies are eligible for vouchers.

In line with Governor Murphy’s vision to create the most diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem in the nation, the New Jersey MVP offers stackable bonuses for certified woman-, minority-, or veteran-owned businesses. The stackable bonuses are also available for businesses in Opportunity Zones, businesses purchasing equipment within New Jersey, manufacturers that have a collective bargaining agreement, and small companies with less than 100 full-time equivalent employees.