Sherrill releases platform targeting red tape, bureaucracy

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) on Thursday unveiled a set of proposals to streamline the state government’s operations and improve services for residents seeking permits, licenses, and appointments, should she be elected governor.

Through the “Save You Time & Money” agenda, Sherrill said she plans to eliminate the new business registration fee, cut business and professional license approval wait times by half, and reduce the wait time between booking an MVC appointment and the date of the appointment by 25%. At a press conference in West Orange, Sherrill didn’t say how much the agenda could cost, but said she has support from legislative leaders.

The congresswoman drove home the importance of accountability in implementing the proposed policies, saying she would be willing to replace department and agency leaders who don’t do their jobs effectively. She said maintaining that level of responsibility throughout the government could set her apart from Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration, as well as governors before him.

“Really driving that accountability in Trenton, I think that is different and new,” she told reporters.

Sherrill is the Democratic nominee for governor. She will face Republican former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli in November’s general election. Murphy, a Democrat, is term-limited.

Candidates in the state regularly argue they’ll streamline government operations. Former Gov. Chris Christie formed a Red Tape Review Commission, led by then-Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. While Gov. Phil Murphy let the commission lapse and vetoed a bill that would have made the commission permanent, he’s said this year that overruling some local zoning regulations could boost housing construction.

Sherrill’s plan includes a customer-service-focused approach to improving the outward-facing operations of state agencies; Ciattarelli has proposed a similar initiative. The congresswoman said cutting fees and decreasing wait times for business licenses will help small businesses get started in the state — she said many small businesses face years of the permitting process and insurmountable costs while waiting to get started.

“It’s just too difficult to navigate the permitting and regulatory environment that we have right now,” she said.

The congresswoman said she would increase the powers and, if needed, manpower at the New Jersey Business Action Center, as well as create a “cross-agency Fast-Track Team” to expedite project approvals.

The Democrat said she thinks New Jerseyans could begin to reap the benefits of the agenda relatively early under a Sherrill governorship.

“We have the ability to do this,” Sherrill said. “We just have to set higher standards, and then we also have to cut through some of the regulations.”

When asked if there were environmental, safety, or health regulations she wanted to strengthen or weaken, Sherrill said many believe there is a “false choice” between having good government or a good environment. She pointed to the Trump Administration’s termination of solar power grants, which state leaders worry will harm the introduction of clean energy onto the grid. Sherrill said the solar panels should already be up and running, and blamed a slow permitting process for the now-expected missed opportunity on solar.

“Now, these permitting problems are driving up carbon emissions because we’re not getting power into the grid,” she said.

The Ciattarelli campaign argued Sherrill is the “hand-picked candidate” of Murphy and Trenton Democrats and said she will not improve the environment for small businesses.

“If NJ wants to make things better for small business, they should elect two-time, successful small business owner Jack Ciattarelli, not a DC politician like Mikie Sherrill,” Ciattarelli campaign manager Eric Arpert said.

This article was updated to include comment from the Ciattarelli campaign.