I wanted to bring to your attention a significant development at Trenton Water Works that deserves public scrutiny.
Trenton City Council has proposed yet another “independent assessment” of the water utility — a move that effectively delays any decision on the regionalization study requested by DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette.
Council is asking the Administration to hire a consultant to revisit the same topics already covered in three comprehensive reports:
DEP’s Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) Capacity Review,DEP’s 360-Degree Review by Black & Veatch, andThe City’s own Picco Report on Staffing and Budget authored by former DEP Assistant Commissioner Steven J. Picco.
Each of these reports already examines — in depth — asset valuation, bonding capacity, financial position, capital planning, operational capacity, and governance options.
The findings are clear: Trenton Water Works’ problems are systemic and cannot be solved within the City’s current structure.
Rather than act on those findings, Council is now opting for another round of “study.”
It’s a transparent effort to stall both the DEP’s regionalization proposal and any real accountability for the system’s failures.
I’ve written about this in more detail here: Another Study, Another Delay.
Adding to the concern, the City Clerk’s docket for Tuesday’s Council meeting — where this resolution is expected to appear — has been delayed well past its usual publication schedule.
That delay doesn’t just reduce the time residents have to mobilize; it also limits how long the media has to report on what’s coming before the vote.
This meeting could be the last meaningful opportunity for the 225,000 Trenton Water Works customers — the majority of whom live outside the City — to demand clarity and action.
Yet by compressing the timeline for notice and discussion, Council has effectively muted both the public and the press.
Given the stakes, I hope your outlet will consider covering this development and pressing Council leadership for an explanation.
A pattern is emerging in which every new “study” substitutes for a decision, and every delay further erodes public confidence in the City’s stewardship of this regional water system.
Marc Leckington
Leckington is a Trenton resident and the publisher of From The Mains of Trenton.
