New Jersey mayors are defending their upcoming jaunts to Hawaii — which are paid in part by taxpayers — saying the trip and accompanying mayors’ conference is worth the investment.

At least eight mayors from the Garden State are slated to attend the US Conference of Mayors in Honolulu at the end of June. For four days they will attend policy meetings -- but also enjoy hors d’oeuvres on a rooftop and attend a Willie K. concert. Several of the mayors this week defended the decision to attend the annual conference, which has been held in cities across the country.

Piscataway spokesperson Gene Wilk said the conference has given Mayor Brian Wahler a national voice on big policy matters.

Wahler serves as the Chair of the Conference’s membership committee, Wilk said. It’s lead to opportunities, like Wahler’s recent testimony on Capitol Hill to the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee where he advocated for federal support to municipalities for clean energy and brownfields redevelopment, Wilk said.

Plus Wahler’s networking at the conference events helped convince large companies to relocate to the township, which was a big win for the local economy and job-seekers, Wilk said.

This year, Wahler will chair two seminars and speak at a third, as well as sponsor two resolutions, that if passed, may help sway federal policymakers, Wilk said. One of them is connected to the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act, which would exempt incentives given to volunteer firefighters from being taxed by the federal government — an important issue to Piscataway’s volunteer firefighters and rescue squad members, Wilk said.

It does have a price tag for taxpayers, though.

“Conference registration ($950), airfare, and partial lodging will be borne by the township while some lodging and meals will be paid by him,” Wilk said of Wahler’s upcoming trip to Hawaii.

Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage is a trustee with the Conference and his city is paying the $950 conference registration fee and for $700 flights, but not Bollwage’s hotel, Public Information Officer Kelly Martins said.

“The organization was helpful in the mayor working with the Clinton Administration in getting a $30 million Hope VI grant, which removed and rebuilt new public housing,” Martins said. “Mayor Bollwage met with the Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, during the Obama Administration, which resulted in a $1.2 million Energy Block Grant.”

First-term Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe said the taxpayers are paying for the conference registration fee but nothing else.

“No taxpayer or grant dollars will be spent on airfare, accommodations, meals, or other expenses,” he said, adding he is hoping to network at the event.

Plainfield -- which is sending a seven-member delegation to the conference -- previously defended its decision, saying the conference in the past helped get the city a $50,000 grant, among other perks.

The town of Kearny is only paying the registration fee for its mayor, and Fanwood’s mayor is going on the NJ League of Municipality’s dime. (The League’s budget is partially made up of taxpayer money).

Mayors from Pleasantville and Irvington Township have not responded to requests for comment on the trip.

Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom . Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips .

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