TRENTON – The Murphy Administration and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) today (June 30) announced the award of 24 Local Efficiency Achievement Program (LEAP) grants this year to local governmental entities across New Jersey.
These grants, totaling $4.681 million ($150,000 of which went to Dennis Township Board of Education), will help local governments pursue shared services initiatives to reduce taxpayer costs and enhance services. The grant awards will support the County Coordinator Fellowship program underway in several New Jersey counties while encouraging the design and implementation of a variety of shared services activities, including public safety, emergency dispatch, sanitation, public works, sewerage and wastewater services, and school feasibility studies.
“Shared services are a great solution for municipalities, enabling them to provide important services while also alleviating the financial burden on local taxpayers,” said Governor Murphy. “These grants exemplify our Administration’s continuous commitment to making New Jersey a more affordable state for our residents, and I look forward to more programs from DCA in the future that support our communities.”
“I am pleased to see how successful the LEAP program has been for municipalities,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “More and more local entities are realizing how beneficial shared services can be and how, by working collaboratively to pursue shared services, they can operate more efficiently and ensure better delivery of services for their residents.”
The LEAP program is comprised of three grant opportunities:
· Challenge Grants, which promote innovation and collaboration on more expansive projects that produce shared services of notable significance.
· Implementation Grants, which assist in covering costs associated with the implementation of shared services and school feasibility studies, and
· County Coordinator Fellowship Grants, which support the position of a full-time or part-time County Shared Service Coordinator to identify and advance potential shared services within a county.
“Shared Services have reduced operational costs while simultaneously providing operational efficiencies and better services in local governments across the state,” said DLGS Director Jacquelyn Suárez. “In partnership with the Governor’s Shared Service Czars, we have helped execute over 2,200 shared services agreements with over $110 million in cost savings and enhanced services. Some of the largest cost savings have occurred in the sharing of correctional facilities, municipal courts, and police dispatch.”
The following local government entities will be awarded 2023 LEAP grants:
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In 2018, Governor Murphy appointed two former mayors, Nicolas Platt and Jordan Glatt, to serve as Shared Services Czars. They work closely with DLGS, which established the Local Assistance Bureau (LAB) that provides technical assistance for each step of the shared services process from identification through implementation. The LAB team is comprised of municipal professionals who possess expertise and accumulated knowledge, skill sets, and insights to bring an inventive and professional outlook to the field of municipal shared services.
“We are very pleased to see the positive impact this is having on so many municipalities throughout New Jersey,” said Mayor Platt.
“This program is closely following the Governor’s original vision five years ago when he placed shared services at the top of this agenda as a way to address our state’s crippling property tax burden,” added Mayor Glatt.
Local governments interested in learning more about shared services can send an email to localassistance@dca.nj.gov or visit www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dlgs/programs/lab.html.
DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, disaster recovery and mitigation, building safety, community planning and development, fire safety, historic preservation, and information privacy.
For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/.
