The fledgling municipal court that merges Atlantic City and Pleasantville received a nearly $230,000 boost from the state this week.
The Atlantic City Joint Municipal Court began Jan. 1. The $ 229,950 will help with that implementation.
It was one of more than $3.4 million in grants awarded as part of the final round of the Local Efficiency Achievement Program, or LEAP, which is administered by the Department of Community Affair's Division of Local Government Services.
The grants provide financial assistance to local government entities, such as counties, municipalities, school districts, authorities and fire districts across the state to identify, study and implement shared services initiatives.
The program is aimed at encouraging towns to streamline their government services to increase efficiency and help save taxpayer dollars.
Former Harding Township Mayor Nicolas Platt and Jordan Glatt, who served as Summit's mayor, were appointed by Gov. Murphy in 2018 to serve as bipartisan Shared Services czars responsible for leading the state’s efforts.
“As former mayors, we are acutely aware of the delicate balance needed to meet residents’ needs and maintain a high-quality of life while reducing taxpayer costs,” the czars said. “We are encouraged by the positive feedback we receive from local officials, and more importantly, by seeing the great outcomes being achieved through shared service agreements across the state.”
DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn Suarez said the czars are there to "support local government leaders in exploring shared services opportunities that may reduce costs and improve deliverables to community residents. Our approach allows for data-driven decision-making, community engagement, and a solutions-focused perspective in managing challenges with expert guidance and grant funding.”
Atlantic County also received a $75,000 grant, which will pay for a county shared services coordinator who is tasked with identifying and advancing potential shared services within the county.
The county already is a pioneer in that regard.
The county Central Municipal Court was first of its kind when it was established in January 2022. It encompasses10 municipalities, including Egg Harbor, Galloway and Hamilton Townships, along with Linwood, Northfield and Ventnor.
That court already received a huge boost from LEAP.
The county Board of Commissioners held a special meeting July 10 to accept a $1 million grant meant to offset costs for the approximately 10,000 State Police cases it handles each year that originate in non-participating towns.
A bill sponsored by Sen. Vince Polistina amends the original legislation to have State Police summonses filed in the municipality where they originated beginning Aug. 1.
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