New Bill Threatens Public Control of Trenton’s Drinking Water

Committee to vote on regionalization bill that undermines local authority

On Thursday, the Assembly’s Telecommunications and Utilities Committee will vote on a bill (A4243/S2831) to create a Mercer Regional Water Services Commission.

Food & Water Watch Senior Organizer and Policy Advocate Lena Smith issued the following statement in opposition to the bill.

“This bill threatens Trenton’s right to control their water system. It would undermine Mayor Reed Gusciora’s commitment to keep the city’s drinking water system under public control, as well as the decision Trenton voters made eight years ago to reject privatization.

“The problems faced by Trenton Water Works are the result of policies implemented by the state. Trenton was placed under a consent order and onerous memorandum of understanding for state aid by the Christie administration. Through these vehicles, the state has imposed a wage and benefit freeze for Trenton’s workforce and has required that the Department of Community Affairs to approve all new hires. In effect, the state has blocked and delayed crucial new hires that are essential to bolster Trenton Water Works. The current problems are a direct result of actions taken by Governor Christie, who removed local sovereignty from the residents of Trenton in his failed bid to privatize their drinking water.

“This bill would continue that unfortunate cycle, by removing the rights of Trenton City Council and the city’s residents to control their water system and creating another layer of state interference.

“Mayor Gusciora has been a consistent champion of clean drinking water, and his administration is taking steps to improve operations and quality. We are confident that his leadership in Trenton will lead to a high-quality publicly-owned water utility.

“Instead of advancing this misguided bill, we urge the state’s legislative leadership and the Murphy administration to take actions that will actually solve the Christie-created crisis: Lift the hostile provisions in the MOU and return local sovereignty to the city of Trenton.”

###