Eric Jackson
With the regularly scheduled Trenton Municipal elections scheduled for May 2014, the Trenton Downtowner plans to provide information to the public about the mayoral candidates. We have invited the candidates to submit a 700-word piece introducing themselves to the voters. We asked each candidate to tell us about their family; when, where and why they decided to run for mayor of Trenton; and to list things they have accomplished that they think qualify them to be mayor. They were asked to provide concrete examples of achievements that demonstrate their ability to solve problems. Each candidate was also allowed up to an additional 125 words to rate the performance of current mayor, Tony F. Mack.
This month, we hear from Eric Jackson.
These are challenging days for the City of Trenton, and I believe now is the time to act in common cause to devise innovative solutions to the city’s most onerous issues: runaway crime, lack of private investment and an under performing public school system.
I am running for mayor so I can build an effective leadership team that is grounded in ethics, transparency, and a results-oriented action agenda; to create coalitions that can solve problems and heal divisions between our various communities.
I want to tell Trenton’s story of renewal, to be its principal advocate. But more importantly, I want to promote the city as a promising place to live and work, a business address that is worth a serious look by New Jersey’s business community and corporate America.
It is paramount that we construct a local government that not only understands the needs of entrepreneurs, but that can also speak the language of business and move at a speed that is necessary to achieve our shared economic goals. Establishing partnerships with New Jersey’s greater business community will create economic opportunities for residents and business owners.
Elevating municipal government’s service delivery, customer service and work quality are a few of my top administrative goals. City Hall belongs to the people of Trenton,and we must connect with them in a professional and respectful way.
Unfortunately, that has not been the strategy of Trenton’s current leadership. Mayor Tony F. Mack has failed to lead in so many ways, and the city has suffered greatly for it. Basic services, such as public safety and cleanliness, have not been given the necessary administrative attention. If I were to grade Mr. Mack’s performance, I would give him an F.
I am an accomplished executive, community leader and devoted public servant who believes that nurturing a culture of excellence, coalition building, communication and productivity is the key to organizational success, particularly in government. I earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
During the 17 years, beginning in 1994, that I was the City of Trenton’s public works director, I implemented a 15-year roadway pavement management system to improve the city’ worst streets. I enhanced services like snow removal using state-of-the-art technology, and reduced costs and increased efficiencies in the department amid ever-changing budgets.
From 1987 to 1994, I was Director of Operations and Personnel for the nonprofit Henry J. Austin Center, a Trenton-based primary health care provider, where I helped establish two satellite offices that greatly expanded the center’s service delivery capabilities to families in the Trenton area.
I come from a middle-class family. My mother, Gladys, worked in the retail industry and my father, Otto, for an oxygen supply company. They both taught me the importance of being ethical and straightforward in everything that I do. I have instilled that strong belief system in my son Adrian, a law school student.
In the months ahead, I will continue to reach out to Trentonians, listening to their concerns and sharing my ideas for renovating the city. My hope is that I can connect with you and win your support to take on the city’s top job in 2014.
Effective leadership is the first step in moving our beloved city forward.
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