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Maria Darminio

Candidate Darminio has an agenda that is primarily focused on economic development and safe streets. She feels that by increasing revenue for the city through means such as permitting the sale of retail cannabis, making sure the Nabb Ave extension is completed, and improving the education of the workforce, many of the city's issues will be addressed. More development would mean more jobs in the city. More jobs means more money is spent downtown, which would also increase revenue. With more revenue the city can pay city employees, including police, competitive wages. She also wants to help clean up the streets, both in terms crime and homelessness. She knows that some of those problems are state-level issues, so she plans on working with state legislators to solve problems like dangerous off-road vehicles and motorcycles. Click the red x at the top of this box and then scroll down down for more in-depth information and sources.

Maria Darminio

Running for:
Millville City Commissioner
Incumbent
Challenger

Websites

This election is on November 5th, 2024

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individual agenda

  • Economic Development - Wants to continue to pursue economic development in the city because it helps raise tax revenue, creates jobs so people have more money to spend, and when that money is spent in downtown it will continue to increase revenue. The increased revenue will also allow for the city to pay competitive wages for city employees, which will both attract and retain high quality employees. One suggestion to raise revenue is to allow the sale of retail cannabis, which is thoroughly detailed below. Another is to help make sure the Nabb Ave extension, a project aimed at making more efficient routes from Route 55 to the Airport Industrial Park, is completed. Thirdly, she suggests improving education in Millville so that when businesses look into investing in the area, they will feel assured the labor force is technically and intellectually skilled.
    View Full Statement We must, at the present time, continue to concentrate on economic development. There are two main ways to raise revenue in a city. Increase taxes and increase business and commercial ratables. As businesses are built, revenue increases due to taxes on the increased ratable (whatever the business builds). In this way revenue is increased without raising taxes on residents.(No increase in property taxes with an increase in revenue). Economic development also increases opportunity for job growth. When elected, I will continue to pursue responsible development. This will provide job opportunities for all of our residents. As job growth occurs, opportunities are created for a viable downtown. People must have money to support the downtown and have the desire to visit the downtown for local business to thrive. This additional revenue is required to acquire the best employees we can and retain all of our skilled employees throughout all departments. As a side note, I recently attended a very successful car show, on High Street. Our public employees did a fabulous job with this event. (As they do with many others) This also ties in to the use of Urban Enterprise Funds for successful economic development. While there are constraints on what UEZ funds may be used for, continuing use of UEZ funds for events and improving our parks and downtown areas are necessary to attract people to those areas, which make for a successful downtown and a thriving city.

    The Nabb Avenue Extension is critical to responsible development in the Airport Industrial Zone. It must be completed, I will work with our elected county, state, and federal officials to get this project completed. It not only decreases the distance and time for companies to get to transportation routes (route 55), it will also reroute truck traffic away from Cedarville Road and downtown.

    Education as an attraction for economic development: Businesses looking to relocate to Millville are looking for a technically and intellectually skilled workforce. Fortunately at the college level we have several colleges located nearby, including Rowan, Stockton and Rutgers to draw from.


  • Safe Streets - Wants to make sure laws change at the state level in a way which would enable police officers to more effectively fight crime. Also wants to help clean up the streets by helping out the homeless people that are already here while making sure not to attract more.
    View Full Statement As a city we must work with state officials, legislators and the governor, to change laws that make it nearly impossible for police to do their jobs properly. As citizens we must elect people on the state level that are willing to change state law that lets criminals operate without punishment. This includes repealing bail reform and prosecuting all crimes. As well as allowing the police to actually catch and charge the irresponsible riders of motorcycles and four wheelers that plague our streets. Perhaps most importantly in this respect we must pay our police officers a wage that recruits and retains the best officers possible. We have many fine and experienced officers that we absolutely need. Our public parks and streets are often sites of disorderly behavior. There are steps we can take to limit this behavior. Buck Park and Glasstown Plaza have been traditional places that the homeless inhabit. Many people that are homeless have mental health issues and/or drug issues. The state of NJ has closed mental health facilities and there are insufficient facilities to deal with these issues. There are many programs offered to assist the homeless, including code blue and Trinity Hope Center. We must help those that we can help, while being extremely cautious about attracting more homeless from other cities. We are a small city with limited resources. For our part in helping the homeless, we must concentrate on those that are here, without attracting more. Economic development is again key. We must help businesses so that job opportunities exist for those that want them, we must get the word to the homeless about help that is available without advertising it in other communities. We must relocate the homeless from our city parks and our streets so that law abiding citizens can enjoy our streets and parks without unreasonable fear.


Campaign Literature

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Issues and Policy Stances

  • Issue Clarity and Engagement - Wants to ensure true, thorough transparency with the public. She also encourages the public to stay engaged year-round, not just at election time.
    View Full Statemment Transparency and community involvement are key. Transparency must be true transparency, honesty from government officials. Playing to the crowd is unacceptable. For example, my stance on retail cannabis is clear and stated publicly. Stating the plusses and minuses without actually saying where you stand is avoidance. Telling one group where you stand and intentionally not telling another is deception. This type of behavior leads to mistrust of officials and erodes public confidence. The public should engage with their elected officials, at public meetings and public functions when possible. Not just at election time. Additionally courtesy and respect should be given by both the public officials and the citizens. Logic and reasoning must be used when making decisions. A politician should not make decisions or statements based upon fear, particularly of a small vocal group. Remember “courage is not the absence of fear.”


  • Cannabis Revenue - Wants to permit the sale of retail cannabis, as this would open new businesses in the city and generate tax revenue in the city. This would be in addition to the grow facility that is already present.
    View Full Response

    Cannabis as a source of revenue. I have thought thru this and have publicly made my position known. Our city currently has one operating cannabis grow facility. I believe we should permit the sale of retail cannabis. I have arrived at this conclusion in a logical manner. Here are my thoughts: 1. Cannabis is now a legal substance in NJ 2. Cannabis is readily available both illegally and legally, in neighboring cities. 3. Illegal cannabis may contain, and often does contain other very harmful substances 4. The odor of cannabis is highly offensive to many people. Regardless the odor is present around town in many areas. 5. There are no doubt negative effects of cannabis. (smoking it cannot possibly be good for your lungs and increased THC levels available thru engineered products can certainly have negative effects on the brain, among others) With all these factors to consider, the question becomes two fold. One, does not allowing the retail sale of cannabis change any of the negative factors effecting Millville. The answer is no. Second, can some good come from the retail sale of cannabis. The answer is yes. Responsible use of the increase in revenue thru the cannabis tax can result in good things for the city, offsetting cost that would normally come from tax increases.



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