Duncan Harrison Announces Plan to Revitalize our Neighborhoods

TRENTON, NJ—Sitting Councilman and candidate for Mayor Duncan Harrison today announced his plan to revitalize Trenton’s neighborhoods. Harrison’s new Trenton revolution is founded on making government more transparent and answerable to the residents.

“Revitalizing neighborhoods and making sure that our city government is listening and responding to the problems that affect Trentonians will be the foundation of our new Trenton revolution,” Harrison said, “Revitalizing our communities will give Trentonians a newfound sense of pride in our city, create safe areas for our children, and bring in new businesses, better jobs, and more homeowners.

Harrison knows it is important that City Hall focus on issues some people consider small but that make the biggest difference in Trentonians’ day-to-day lives. Issues like filling pot holes, picking up litter, and revitalizing abandoned buildings are not flashy or glamorous, but they are the things that affect Trentonians every day. He also understands that after years of delays and letdowns Trentonians need to see real progress. That is why Harrison will create new systems for Trenton residents to communicate with City Hall and hold their leaders accountable to address the problems that affect their communities.

As Mayor, Harrison will focus on:

Revitalizing abandoned buildings and holding landlords accountable by working with the Housing and Economic Development department to secure grant funding for neighborhood improvement projects, creating a marketing package to attract colleges and corporations to Trenton, and enforcing a graduating fine system for landlords who put their tenants at risk by violating housing laws. One of Harrison’s proudest accomplishments as a Councilman was responding quickly to help a family that was at risk of losing their home because the building next door was collapsing. This experience showed Harrison how important it is to revitalize our neighborhoods to protect Trentonians, encourage home ownership, and spur entrepreneurship.

Cracking down on illegal dumping by installing cameras and increasing police patrols at dump sites, enforcing the harshest fines for illegal dumping, and creating an online reporting mechanism so Trentonians can easily report illegal dumping. Trenton is not a dump and cracking down on illegal dumping will build Trentonians’ pride in the city and show people outside of Trenton that they can no longer take advantage of the city without any repercussions.

Filling potholes and fixing broken sidewalks by securing grant and capital funding and creating a streamlined system for responding quickly when Trentonians report potholes. Trentonians deserve an attentive and responsive government, and fixing potholes and sidewalks will make the city’s streets safer and show that City Hall is making Trentonians’ concerns a top priority.

Reopening community library branches by partnering with library management, City Council, and the State to procure capital funding and state library bond funding. Harrison understands that revitalizing communities means ensuring all Trentonians—especially our students—have access to the resources they need to learn.

Focusing on our parks and playgrounds by working with volunteer organizations and community groups to pick up trash and prioritizing investment in repairing and improving playground equipment and expanding community gardens. Parks are the heart of a community, the place where children can play and learn; where families come together for barbecues, reunions, and pick-up games; and where communities connect.

Increasing transparency and accountability by creating an online system where residents can submit complaints and track City Hall’s response. Harrison knows City Hall has let Trentonians down, and he is committed to building a better city government that holds itself to a high standard and makes transparency and accountability a top priority.

In addition to these key priorities, Harrison also plans to

• Install five hundred additional trash cans to reduce litter,
• Partner with business owners to clean up storefronts downtown, and
• Educate renters about their rights.

Harrison is focused on making City Hall more open and responsive to Trentonians, and he has been knocking on doors, talking to families, and listening to Trentonians’ input for weeks. In addition to these conversations, Harrison has also organized community events and night walks in neighborhoods all over Trenton, where he has met diverse groups of Trentonians and learned about the problems they face.

This plan will build on these conversations and Harrison’s experience as the leader of UIH Family Partners and Councilman-at-Large. In his work with UIH, Harrison helps struggling families overcome the challenges they face to become engaged members of their communities. This has given him insight into the difficulties Trentonians face and has made him more committed to building a better government.

As a Councilman, Harrison installed 150 new trash cans along school routes to reduce litter, worked with businesses on façade improvement downtown, and advocated stronger penalties for illegal dumping. He also worked with leaders across departments, developing the relationships and in-depth understanding of City Hall leaders need to get things done.

“For too long, our leaders have ignored the small things that matter most. They have built stadiums and arenas, but they have failed to fill in potholes, get the litter off our streets, or enforce the law when landlords violate our housing codes,” Harrison stated, “It is time for a new generation of leaders who understand that building a better Trenton starts with guaranteeing every Trentonian’s right to safe, clean, and healthy neighborhoods and who know how to get the job done.”

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