BASIC SERVICES & INFRASTRUCTURE
Before we can talk about grand visions for Trenton's future, we need to get the basics right. And right now, the city is failing at the most fundamental responsibilities of government.
Drive down any street in Trenton and you'll hit potholes—some the size of craters. Garbage piles up for weeks with no collection. When residents submit requests for basic services, it takes weeks to get a response, if they get one at all. Processes for inspections, permits, and economic development are constantly delayed. The city can't even follow its own procurement protocols.
This isn't acceptable. A city that can't fill potholes, pick up garbage, and respond to its residents in a timely manner has no business talking about economic development or attracting investment. You have to crawl before you can walk.
The Plan
Fix Our Streets
• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of road conditions citywide
• Develop a prioritized repair schedule based on safety and traffic volume
• Allocate adequate funding and personnel to address the backlog
• Implement preventive maintenance to stop small problems from becoming big ones
Get Garbage Under Control
• Ensure consistent, reliable collection schedules
• Address the garbage piling up throughout the city with no real plan
• Hold the Department of Public Works accountable for performance
• Explore partnerships or improvements to increase efficiency
Make City Government Responsive
• Implement systems to track and respond to resident requests within reasonable timeframes
• Provide regular updates to residents on the status of their requests
• Hold department heads accountable for response times and service quality
• Make it easy for residents to report problems and get help
Streamline Inspections and Permitting
• Cut through bureaucratic red tape that delays economic development
• Ensure inspections happen promptly and fairly
• Make the process transparent and predictable for businesses and residents
• Stop using delays as excuses for why nothing gets done
Follow Proper Procurement Processes
• End the no-bid contracts that waste taxpayer money and breed corruption
• Ensure competitive bidding and transparency in all city contracts
• Hold contractors accountable for delivering what they promise
• Stop enriching connected insiders while the city gets nothing in return
Invest in City Employees
• Ensure departments have adequate staffing and resources
• Provide training and support for employees to do their jobs effectively
• Create a culture of accountability and service
• Recognize and reward good performance
Why This Matters
These aren't glamorous issues. They won't make headlines. But they affect every single Trentonian every single day. When you can't drive down your street without damaging your car, when garbage sits in front of your house for weeks, when the city ignores your calls for help—that's a failure of basic governance.
Rolando knows that leadership means sweating the details. It means making sure the fundamentals work before you promise the moon. A city that can't handle the basics will never achieve anything greater.
Let’s go from Trenton to Triumph!!!