JERSEY CITY, NJ – Jersey City’s efforts to develop forward thinking budgets will receive a boost thanks to the recent appointment of John Metro to the Committee on Governmental Budgeting & Fiscal Policy, a national think tank for emerging issues, concepts, and techniques in public finance.
Metro, who serves as the Jersey City’s Director of the Department of Finance, will work in conjunction with other government finance professionals from across the nation to advise and recommend policies in budgeting, management, and related public finance areas.
“This is a great opportunity to participate in developing fiscal policies and procedures, contributing to improved government, and to be able to bring these tools back to Jersey City to further our efforts for the benefit of Jersey City taxpayers,” Metro said of the appointment that was made in September and comes with a three-year term. “My goal, as is shared by the Administration, is to promote and facilitate positive change rather than merely codify the current accepted practice.”
The committee was formed by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) to serve as a forum for the exchange of information about techniques in public budgeting and management. GFOA Committees are empowered to initiate policy statements, best practices, and advisories. The appointed government finance professionals from across the country collaborate to provide fellow financiers with timely information, practical educational opportunities, high-quality professional publications, and the latest information on best practices.
“We have been making internal changes to streamline our budgetary system, and John has worked to create comprehensive fiscal management plans to better our financial policies and safeguards,” said Mayor Steven Fulop. “In recent months, we faced a crippling $70 million dollar budget gap due to the pandemic but were still able to achieve a balanced budget with no tax increases, as we have done for 6 of the last 7 years. These achievements ultimately affect our taxpayers’ pockets, and I believe this appointment will further those efforts.”
The Fulop Administration was also recognized by Moody’s Investors Service earlier this year when the rating agency gave Jersey City a “stable” credit rating at the same time many other cities received credit downgrades and negative reviews.