Mirabella: Looking Forward to 2010

This letter was written by Alexander Mirabella, chairmain, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. It has not been edited.

This year has been a challenging one for the Union County community, and as it draws to a close I would like to say that it has been a privilege and honor to serve as Chairman of the Freeholder Board.  Though the global economic downturn hit our area hard, we regrouped, gathered our resources, and helped our neighbors in need of support.

Last fall we began working with nonprofit, business and community partners to set up the Foreclosure Task Force.  It was up and running at the start of this year, with a helpline that enables homeowners and tenants facing foreclosure to get free, reliable guidance.

Union County also received crucial assistance from President Obama's stimulus plan.  Through our administrative framework, the stimulus has brought us millions of dollars in federal aid for community development, infrastructure and energy efficiency projects, all of which help create jobs.  The stimulus also provided funds to expand our nutrition programs for seniors with more meals and new locations.

Our One-Stop Career Centers kicked into high gear to help displaced workers get their unemployment benefits, while continuing to provide free services that connect people with employers.  To cite one outstanding example, we helped Elizabethtown Gas staff a new local call center, filling more than 50 new jobs that used to be overseas.

Thanks to financing arranged by the Union County Improvement Authority, career education continued to grow in 2009 with the opening of the new Elizabeth I. Kellogg Union County College building in downtown Elizabeth.  It is the new home of the Trinitas School of Nursing along with other programs that develop a globally competitive workforce.

Throughout, we have done our best to do more with less, so that we can all continue to enjoy a good quality of life.  Our popular free outdoor music and film festivals, family fun events at the Trailside Center, and the inauguration of a new archery range, boat launch, and pedal boat concession are just some of the highlights.  We also continued to preserve irreplaceable open space from development, including a rare urban farm and several important parcels that buffer and expand existing parks.

Looking ahead to next year, we will be working even harder to keep Union County moving forward.  In that spirit I wish the entire community a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a happy and healthy New Year, too.