DiVincenzo Highlights COVID, Infrastructure In State Of County Speech

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. presented the 2022 State of the County Address on Monday, April 11. And as might be expected, the coronavirus pandemic led the discussion.

DiVincenzo also touched on several other non-pandemic issues during his speech at the Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove, including infrastructure, housing, finance and the county vocational school system.

• See related article: No Democrats Challenge DiVincenzo In Essex County Primary Election

COVID PANDEMIC

DiVincenzo praised the county’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, while also mourning more than 3,300 lives lost in Essex County.

“We were among the first to offer free testing and the first to open vaccination sites,” the county executive said in a video that preceded his speech. “Our sites have administered over 580,000 vaccine doses and over 320,000 tests, and our food distribution events gave over three million meals to those in need.”

In addition to its vaccination and testing centers and food distribution program, Essex County made over $30 million available to reimburse its 22 municipalities for pandemic related costs, such as overtime, PPE purchases and retrofitting. Another $20 million in grants was made available to help small businesses and non-profits meet payroll, pay rent and take care of expenses and we kept people in their homes with mortgage, rental and utility assistance.

“Not even the largest public health crisis we could ever imagine in our lifetime could keep us from showing the resiliency and connecting with our 22 municipalities to put the health of our families first,” DiVincenzo continued. “And now that the number of new cases continues to decline, I am glad that we are able to gather together again.”

DiVincenzo reminded those in attendance that Essex was among the hardest-hit counties in New Jersey, and has the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases and the most deaths. He asked for a moment of silence for the local residents who lost their lives because of the virus.

INFRASTRUCTURE

DiVincenzo said the county continued to push forward with a variety of infrastructure and public works projects throughout the pandemic.

“Even with all the instability facing our nation, state and county, we constructed a 150,000-square-foot, nationally recognized government structure,” he said. “The Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Building, the 22-foot MLK Statue and the bust of Congressman John Lewis are testaments to who we are and how we get it done.”

Other projects that were completed during the pandemic include the opening of new headquarters for the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits at 320-321 University Avenue in Newark, a 900-car employee parking deck and the reconfiguration of the entrances to the Jurors Parking Lot. There was also the renovation and expansion of the West Caldwell School of Technology, the opening of the new Feldman “Mootsie” Middleton building in Weequahic Park, the preservation of the Ballantine Gates in Branch Brook Park, new exhibits for the otters and bald eagles and a revamped station for the miniature train ride at Turtle Back Zoo, and the makeover of Hendricks Field Golf Course.

There are also plans to update the community centers in several county parks, DiVincenzo said. New buildings are planned for West Side Park, the Wally Choice Community Center in Glenfield Park and the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center in Branch Brook Park.

“Today, our parks system has blossomed to over 6,000 acres and remained an important resource for recreation, socialization and community building,” DiVincenzo said. “This was hugely underscored when our families sought relief from being locked down. And while we respect and preserve those elements of centuries past, we have modernized our open spaces so they are more inclusive and reflective of the communities they serve.”

HOUSING, SCHOOLS, BUDGET

DiVincenzo highlighted other local achievements involving housing, schools and finance.

One example DiVincenzo gave was the Coordinated Assessment System, which he called “one of the most unique prevention and rapid re-housing programs in the nation.” According to DiVincenzo, the program provides financial assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services with the intent to quickly transition participants to stable situations.

It has resulted in better data collection, a reduction in the street population and shorter times in programs, he said; of the over 360 people in the program, 98 percent remain in permanent housing.

• See related article: Essex County Still Has The Most Homeless People In New Jersey

Another area of success has been in the Schools of Technology District, DiVincenzo said.

“Our next generation of students are growing and thriving with an ever-evolving curriculum in new buildings,” DiVincenzo said. “In just six years, we will have rebuilt our entire vocational school system with state-of-the-art facilities.”

For example, the new Donald Payne School opened in 2017 and the renovated and expanded West Caldwell School of Technology welcomed its first students in 2021, he said.

“We are doing the same at Newark Tech, where a new addition and complete rehab will engage our students to explore innovation in education to meet tomorrow’s needs,” DiVincenzo said. “And these buildings come at little expense to Essex. Ninety percent of the cost is being reimbursed by the state leaving just about $24 million as the county’s share.”

DiVincenzo also highlighted the county’s Aaa bond rating, which he said paid off for the state’s largest city during its recent lead water crisis.

“When Newark was faced with its water crisis, we partnered with them and offered a $120 million low interest loan,” DiVincenzo said. “Instead of taking a decade to replace 23,000 lead service lines, the city was able to finish the work in just two and a half years. Together we addressed a major public health crisis and preserved our residents’ right for access to clean drinking water.”

• See related article: Lead Pipes And Newark: Kamala Harris Returns To NJ To Praise City

DiVincenzo also spotlighted the county’s latest budget, which was introduced earlier this year with a “zero-percent tax increase.”

• See related article: 'Zero Percent Property Tax Increase' In Essex County For 2022 Budget

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