NEWSLETTER — April 16, 2021 — NEW Defending Democracy Event (4/22): All About Town Councils

DAYS UNTIL
OUR NEXT DEFENDING
DEMOCRACY PANEL: 6
Register here

 

 

How many times have you seen neighbors riling themselves up, grabbing pitchforks and torches to storm the council meeting at Town Hall … only to find out later that the town council had nothing to do with the issue they were all so enraged about?

 

How often have you heard about some grossly inflated line-item in your town budget … but not till after the public comment period was long past, the matter decided, and your tax bill even more jaw-dropping?

How many campaign leaflets have been tucked in your door handle with high-falutin’ slogans and beaming xeroxed faces of council candidates, and how many times have you thought, That guy!?”

It’s time for all of that to change. Town Councils are a fundamental building block of our municipal governments. They have tremendous power over how our towns function, over the bills we pay, and over the character of our towns. 

Isn’t it time we all understood how they worked? Isn’t it time we started to make our voices heard on a municipal level, both as constituents and as candidates and elected officials?

NJ 11th for Change is pleased to announce its latest Defending Democracy panel discussion: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Town Councils (But Were Afraid to Ask)," a Zoom event scheduled for Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 7:30pm.

Moderator Julie Burstein

Peabody Award-winning journalist Julie Burstein will be talking with town council members from Essex, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex Counties about their experiences running for office and serving their communities. Topics will include:

  • variations in how different municipalities structure their local councils
  • what is and is not under a town council's jurisdiction
  • what goes on behind the scenes
  • how townspeople can stay informed about upcoming council decisions
  • how constituents can communicate effectively with council members to make change
  • what YOU should be doing NOW if you are considering running for council someday

Panelists include:


Please join us for this eye-opening civics lesson about a little-understood, often confusing, but very important aspect of our local government.

Space is limited! Reserve your spot here to get the Zoom link!

Do you want to see more educational events like this that empower the constituents of New Jersey's CD-11? Please consider making a donation today!
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Your contributions make our work possible! In 2020, donations allowed us to make almost 160,000 voter contacts in New Jersey's 11th congressional district; our efforts were a big part of making 11 towns flip from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020, including some historically deep-red municipalities. Even Morris County turned blue!

Your generous donation goes towards our data analysis and voter-file access, text banking expenses, support for our events, printing, and much more. It allows us to continue our work building a government that is transparent, responsive and accountable. Please visit our "DONATE" link and pledge any amount. Every contribution helps as we charge ahead into 2021 and beyond!

 

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NJ 11th for Change is a 501(c)(4) unaffiliated organization dedicated to advocating for all people of New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. We foster an engaged and informed community with the power to shape our political representation so that it is transparent, responsive and accountable—and so that it reflects the values of fairness, compassion, inclusivity and a decent quality of life.