Ziad Shehady's Remarks at Reorganization Meeting

Good evening! 

On behalf of the , I thank you all for coming to the Springfield annual organization meeting.  Your support is humbling and encouraging.  I would not be here today without the help and effort of countless residents who I am grateful to call my friends. I am happy to work together with all of you for the benefit of our community. 

I would also like to thank the veterans, all volunteers and all municipal employees in attendance this evening.  And a special thank you Judge Jon Rosenbluth for administering the Oath of Office as well as my sincere thanks to our special guests. 

Finally, I want to thank Jerry Fernandez and Marc Krauss for their faith and confidence in me.  I am excited to be part of the Township Committee again with you and together with Committeemen Rich Huber and David Amlen, I am confident 2012 will be a productive year.  It is an honor and a privilege to serve Springfield as its Mayor. 

In keeping with my campaign promise to restore open government and effective representation, I would like to take this opportunity to make a few announcements. 

I am designating the Township Committee meeting next week on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m., as a “Goal Setting Meeting” for members of the Township Committee to present their priorities, initiatives and goals, for the Township Administrator to present his goals, for Department Heads to present their departmental goals, and to give the public an opportunity to offer their input and feedback. 

It is no secret that much progress was halted in 2011. The Township Committee was able to do nearly twice as much with smaller government.  In an effort to streamline government, our schedule will return to two public sessions per month – we will meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month at 7 p.m.  It is clear that there is a lot of work ahead of us but I take this job very seriously and I promise to work tirelessly for you. 

I am hopeful that this governing body will make a greater effort to communicate with the public through the use of the Township website and the local television station.  We also have several infrastructure improvements and projects that require our attention including road work, traffic and safety, flood mitigation, electric grid maintenance and, of course, the athletic turf field. I am looking forward to picking up where we left off in 2010 by continuing to work on the Springfield Downtown through the Business Improvement District and reactivating the volunteer Springfield Improvement Team. 

I am reviving a tradition I started in 2009 by scheduling Open Office hours so that I can meet with residents when it is convenient for them.  My first as Mayor will be this Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. followed by Monday, January 16th at 9 a.m. and Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. 

I would also like to extend an invitation to an observance in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. here in town hall. 

Thank you all, once again, for attending.  Best wishes to everyone for a healthy, prosperous andhappy new year.  God bless Springfield and God bless America.