Giacobbe delivered his fifth State of the City address on Wednesday night, in person with an audience at the Union County Performing Arts Center downtown. The State of the City can be viewed here in its entirety here.

The mayor started out his remarks thanking friends, family and city employees before moving on to a litany of accomplishments since the coronavirus pandemic was declared in 2020.

Giacobbe, who spoke for almost 40 minutes during his 3,943-word address, announced that the 2022 municipal portion of property taxes will have no increase in taxes for the second consecutive year. Municipal taxes are about one quarter of the overall tax bill. The mayor touched on redevelopment several times in the latter part of his remarks.

“Redevelopment will be guided by the recently introduced strategic vision plan for downtown and beyond,” said Giacobbe, who will seek re-election this fall.  One tangible area he pointed to will be the reconstruction of East Cherry Street with more than  $600,000 in state grant funding. That project is planned to include a pocket park on city-owned lots.  (You can read more about that project in previous posts.) “This streetscape project will increase the usability and safety of this gem of our downtown while retaining its charm.”

A Shade Tree Committee (STC) will be created to help guide a tree inventory, accounting for the size, species and condition of every tree on public property, which has been the subject of a local effort. The Department of Public Works will continue a tree pruning program started in 2020, he said.

Recommendations from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will help guide the administration and City Council in maintaining “the city’s physical character,” the mayor said. “As we progress into the future, we will not forget our past, especially the rich history that Rahway possesses and that is  reflected in many of our buildings, houses, and other features.”

First appointed as interim mayor in January 2018 following the resignation of Samson Steinman, Giacobbe won election to a full term later that year, which expires at the end of 2022. He will run for re-election to another four-year term with running mates, incumbent City Council members at-large Joanne Miles and Jeremy Mojica, and Jeffrey Brooks, who was appointed to an at-large seat in January following the resignation of James Baker. Baker last fall won election to the Union County Board of Commissioners.