Gov. Phil Murphy (D) was in Bayonne alongside Mayor Jimmy Davis to announce a $1 million grant for the construction of a 1,200 foot waterfront path near the Newark Bay.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9_kKtllG6g[/fve]
One half of the $1 million grant is the result of a lawsuit settlement against oil giant Exxon, who was accused of polluting the Passaic River over many years.
During the press conference, the governor said that the state and local communities need to be working together to facilitate similar types of projects more often.
“If you’re the Peninsula City, you better darned take advantage of your water and waterfront. I personally think this is a game changer for Bayonne,” Murphy said.
“It’s going to be another reason to get people to come to here, to come to Hudson County, to come to New Jersey whether to walk along the promenade, or buy a home and everything in between.”
With the Bayonne municipal elections just around the corner, many expected Murphy may throw a curveball and endorse the incumbent: however, the governor said the grant and the election had nothing to do with one another.
“Today is about good government, no politics today,” Murphy stated.
Davis added that he’s glad that New Jersey has a governor now that is willing to work with municipalities around the state.
“This money from the state for this project shows the governor’s involvement with local affairs. If we can have a governor that works with mayors and work as a unified body, then we can get a lot done for our communities,” said Davis.
“At the end of the day it’s all about the people who live here, and what we can do for them.”
Also in attendance at the event were state Senator Sandra Cunningham, Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, Assemblyman Nick Chiaravalloti (all D-31), Council President Sharon Nadrowski, 1st Ward Councilman Tom Cotter, 2nd Ward Councilman Sal Gullace and Councilman-at-Large Juan Perez.
The full presser, which streamed live on our Facebook page, can be seen below:
 was in Bayonne alongside Mayor Jimmy Davis to announce a $1 million grant for the construction of a 1,200 foot waterfront path near the Newark Bay.){kind=link}