Trenton’s government runs on paper. It doesn’t have to.

Last week’s investigation at City Hall is a reminder of something Trenton residents already know from experience: too much of how this city runs still depends on paper, phone calls, and someone remembering to follow up. A permit application, a property purchase request, a basic map- all of it should be something a resident can submit, pay for, and track online, the same way you’d track a package. Updating our technology creates a record that exists whether or not anyone remembers to keep one, which protects both residents and the employees doing their work honestly.

Look at Trenton’s own website, and the gaps are specific. Property tax and water bills run through one vendor, BS&A Online. Some construction permitting runs through a separate platform, GovPilot. The application to purchase city-owned property is a form residents fill out and submit for staff review, with no way to track its status online. Basic GIS and zoning data isn’t published at all. The city’s own FAQ tells residents that custom map requests can’t be accommodated and directs them to file a formal public records request just to get one. Four different systems, none connected to each other, and the most basic property data locked behind a records request.

Jersey City has already built the alternative. Its online permitting portal gives residents one account for zoning determinations, planning board applications, historic preservation review, construction permits and inspections, landlord registration, and business licenses. Submit it, pay for it, track it, all from the same login.

Part of the reason why I’m running for Trenton City Council is to use my background in technology. I’ve previously worked for companies like LinkedIn, Amazon, and TikTok, and currently work at Google, to help residents simplify these systems.

Trenton doesn’t need to start from nothing. We already pay for parts of this, but what’s missing is connecting those parts into one system residents can actually use, and publishing the property and mapping data the city already has. These are technology decisions within our budget, and this is the kind of infrastructure Trenton can build starting now.

Joel Griffith is a candidate for Trenton City Council At-Large.