>APP Editorial: County counsel: He’s baaack!

>Today’s editorial in the Asbury Park Press hits the nail on the head. Why on earth would Lillian Burry, Rob Clifton, John Curley or the other guy, ever consent to bringing back Malcom Carton for any type of legal services after he was dismissed from his duties last year?

It seems as though the “good ol’ boys” are back in charge of Monmouth County and they must think residents/voters have forgotten all the nonsense of the past, after regaining control of the Freeholders Board.

Democrat Amy Mallet was the only member of the five-member Monmouth Couny freeholder board who had the good sense to vote against appointing Malcolm Carton — longtime county counsel — to handle the legal work for bail forfeitures for the county.

Mallet said she voted “no” because the resolution appointing Carton “lacked transparency.” Specifically, it said the law firm for which Carton works would provide the special counsel services. No mention was made of Carton. To find that out, the freeholders would have had to read the proposal from the law firm stating Carton would be assigned the work.

But there were much better reasons than that for steering clear of Carton, who was replaced as county counsel in 2009, then appointed as a special counsel in 2010, purportedly to allow him to complete unfinished cases and ease the transition for the new county counsel. All ties with Carton should have been severed then — permanently.

In case the current freeholders forgot, Carton was the last vestige of the good ol’ boy, all-Republican freeholder board that governed the county when corruption ran rampant. In early 2005, a federal corruption sting centered in Monmouth County netted the late Harry Larrison, then-director of the freeholders, and seven other county officials.

As county counsel, the legal fees Carton billed the county were nearly four times higher than what many other counties paid their chief counsel. In 2005, a Press comparison of county counsel fees showed Carton had billed about $400,000 a year since 1997. In 2005, the state’s most populous county — Essex — paid its chief counsel $105,000. Mercer and Bergen counties paid their top counsels about $108,000.

Carton raised tens of thousands of campaign dollars for county Republicans, and his strong party ties posed unhealthy conflicts of interest.

Given Carton’s history, it’s hard to believe that even the four Republican freeholders currently on the board wouldn’t want to turn the page on someone so strongly associated with one of the darkest chapters in the county’s political history.

>Freeholder Mallet Comments on Blog Posting, "…Limit Terms Of Volunteer Squashed By Opposition"

>Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallett just so happens to be a reader of this blog as well as personal friend. She sent me the following comment via email yesterday after reading Saturday’s post, Monmouth Freeholder Mallet’s Proposal To Limit Terms Of Volunteer Squashed By Opposition. After expressing her gratitude for the post she added:

…Their opposition to this is clearly an insult to the people of Monmouth County. The allegiance here is to the many personal and political ties with those on these boards. Checking attendance records and closer scrunity at reappointments is not adequate. Many have served for decades, and some are appointed based on political patronage. Regardless, turnover is healthy and practiced for a reason by many professional boards.

What also needs to be addressed is that these autonomous agencies have spending authority, and are responsible for millions of tax dollars. They make the decisions on hiring as we recently read about with the recent library hire, spending such as choice of vendors, policy as in the parks commission and the list goes on and on….

Thank you Freeholder Mallet for your kind words towards myself and the blog in your email response. You’re doing a great job representing the tax payers of Monmouth County by being a watchdog over those that would rather watch out for their political cronies rather than the tax payers they’re suppose to represent.

>Monmouth Freeholder Mallet’s Proposal To Limit Terms Of Volunteer Squashed By Opposition

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According to the Asbury Park Press, Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallet, the lone Democrat on the Freeholder Board, proposed a resolution at Thursday’s worship meeting that would have placed 10 -12 year term limits on those that serve voluntarily on various County boards, commissions and authorities. Her reasoning behind this resolution was to provide “fresh ideas” and eliminate complacency on boards that have fiduciary control over county programs and services, the APP reported.

Her proposal was voted by the four Republican members of the Freeholder board for various reason, none of which, in my opinion hold much salt.

Why should members that have sat on boards or commissions for up to 33 years be “grandfathered” and allowed to sit upwards to another 12 year before having to leave, as Freeholder John Curley argued when he opposed the measure?

I think Mallet is on target here and her measure should be debated, refined and eventually implemented to one degree or another. It makes sense, but of course, because it makes sense it has no chance of being passed by the Republican dominated Freeholder Board.

Here is a snippet of the APP’s article:

A resolution that would have created term limits for volunteers who serve on Monmouth County’s autonomous boards and commissions was squashed by the freeholder board’s Republican majority.

Freeholder Amy Mallet, the lone Democrat, posted a resolution for consideration at Thursday’s workshop that would prohibit volunteers from serving more than 10 or 12 years at a time, depending on the length of their term. She argued that a rotating membership is critical to provide “fresh ideas” and eliminate complacency on boards that have fiduciary control over county programs and services.

“This is a good start to making the necessary systemic changes,” Mallet said, adding that she drafted the resolution in response to the recent Brookdale Community College scandal over the former president’s generous benefits package and a criminal investigation into spending irregularities within the president’s office.

But the four Republicans argued that good volunteers would be thrown out with the bad.

“I am completely opposed to this resolution,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said. “It’s an insult to the people who give their time and talent and are not compensated for it.”

Freeholder John Curley had expressed support for term limits before the meeting and even conceded Thursday there was public support for the measure. But he said he couldn’t vote for the resolution because the lack of a grandfather clause for sitting members nearing their limit was “too harsh.”

Freeholder Director Robert Clifton said he would have preferred each board member start from zero when they come up for re-appointment, but Mallet said that’s too long to wait for change. She insisted Friday that she will work with the Republicans on a compromise version but wasn’t immediately sure where she would bend.

Clifton stressed that what needs to be changed is how the freeholder board decides who should serve in these critical roles. Essentially, no more rubber stamping appointments.

The freeholders, he said, need to be more vigilant in scrutinizing each appointment. That means reviewing the meeting minutes, attendance records, interviewing candidates and getting recommendations from respective staff members and board chairmen.

But shouldn’t they have been doing that all along?

“There’s no excuse,” Clifton said Friday. “We are where we are, and we need to step it up. It’s more work for the freeholders, but that’s what we were elected to do.”…

You can read more >>> Here

>Wow Big News; Monmouth County Freeholders Reduce Proposed 2011 Budget by $3.7M

>Hey have you heard, the Monmouth County Freeholders have produced a new proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 that has reduced the previously proposed budget by $3.7 million?

I guess we’re all suppose to be happy with this latest budget proposal because it reflects a decrease of $1.1 million from last year’s adopted county budget.

That would be big new to me if the amount to be raised by taxes wasn’t increased by $6.8 million (or 2.26%) to fund the nearly 1/2 billion dollar budget.

I find it very hard to believe that out of a proposed budget of $492 million, the Freeholders can only find cuts that amount to less than 1% of this budget.

If you ask me, if the members of the Monmouth County Freeholder’s Board can point fingers at those who run Brookdale Community College to ferret out wasteful spending after the Burnham debacle, then they should be able to find wasteful spending with in their own departments that would lead to less spending and lower amount of tax dollars needed to be raised through taxation.

I wonder if the Bayshore or other Monmouth County Tea Party organizations have an opinion of their own on this?

I’m just saying….

>Jersey Scandal – Could Another Operation Bid Rig Be Far Behind In Monmouth County?

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Monmouth County Saves Green by Going Green; Freeholder Mallet Spearheads The Initiative On Behalf Monmouth County

Monmouth County Democrats’s Notes facebook page

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders has partnered with a solar power developer to install solar panels at five county locations that will allow the county to reap the environmental and economic benefits of clean energy technology.

“With this agreement, Monmouth County positions itself as a leader in New Jersey for sustainable energy production,” said Freeholder Amy A. Mallet, who spearheaded the initiative on behalf of the county. “The stars are aligned so that the county is getting new roofs, we’re saving $3 million, we’re creating jobs and it’s all being done at no cost to the taxpayers.”

The 15-year Power Purchase Agreements authorized by state law allow the county to contract with a solar energy firm to install and maintain the system. Under the contract, the county will provide the sites and will agree to purchase the electricity generated. Dobco Inc. of Wayne will install, maintain and accept electricity production responsibilities over the 15-year life of the contract.

Solar companies are able to sell power at a discounted rate as a result of regulatory and tax incentives which are currently available in order to buoy alternative energy projects.

The Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously approved a resolution to enter into a solar power partnership with Dobco at its May 27 meeting.

“Unlike recently implemented solar programs in other counties, Monmouth County will not incur debt to finance or provide guarantee for any part of the project,” Mallet said.

The solar photo-voltaic (PV) systems will be installed at five county locations that are among the highest consumers of electricity. PV systems use canopy and roof mounted solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity. All but the Human Services Complex in Freehold Township will be getting new roofs. At Human Services, solar panels will be installed in the rear parking lot.

All five locations combined will generate about 1.5 megawatts of electricity. They are:

· Hall of Records in Freehold;

· County Courthouse in Freehold;

· John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold Township;

· Human Services Complex in Freehold Township, and

· Library Headquarters in Manalapan.

The county is expected to save $144,000 dollars in fiscal year 2011 and $2.5 million over the course of the 15-year agreement. Adding the $600,000 value of the new roofs brings the total value to more than $3 million.

The county’s solar initiative comes less than two years after the Board of Chosen Freeholders created a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committee, which conducted an energy audit of county buildings that indicated where the PV systems should be installed. Freeholder John D’Amico credited the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Committee with paving the way for the county’s solar projects.

“This is an innovative program, and it puts Monmouth County on the forefront in taking advantage of energy credits that New Jersey permits,” said D’Amico, who has advocated for federal legislation to supply funding for energy reduction projects. “New Jersey is second to California in solar energy.”

With this contract, Monmouth County becomes a state leader in its efforts to create clean, renewable, sustainable energy, Mallet said.

“The catastrophe which is occurring in the Gulf of Mexico is undeniable proof that we need to find real alternatives to the industrialization of our precious natural resources,” Mallet said. “Clean and renewable energy is the direction we all need to take. This bold effort demonstrates that Monmouth County is serious about seeking alternative fuel sources and protecting the environment.”

By completing these PV projects, the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will be equivalent to:

· 1,286 metric tons of coal per year;

· 246 passenger vehicles per year;

· 144,655 gallons of gasoline per year;

· 2,991 barrels of oil per year;

· annual electricity usage of 167 homes per year, or

· 32,976 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

The county is in the planning stages now for additional phases of implementation at other county facilities and properties.

“This is an excellent beginning,” Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said.

Ethics Board Can Head Off Another Operation Bid Rig

The following commenatry appeared int he Asbury Park Press yesterday. It was written by Arthur Z. Kamin of Fair Haven who is an independent journalist and who has written about Monmouth County politics before.

In his commentary he states that the idea for the newly created Monmouth County Ethics Board is a good one that is long over due and that and ethic board could prevent another Operation Bid Rig from happening again in Monmouth County:

Now that the election is over, the five-member Monmouth County Board of Freeholders — in a split vote along political lines — finally adopted a strong ethics structure to give the county the watchdog agency it needs to help ensure honest government. The long-overdue action came Tuesday night. Three Democrats voted for the resolution. The Republicans opposed it.

The two GOP freeholders had been battling efforts by the Democrats to establish an ethics board that would promulgate and administer a county ethics code. The recommendation for the board and code originated with a blue-ribbon ethics review committee appointed by the freeholders.

Freeholder Robert D. Clifton was the biggest stumbling block, arguing that the ethics board would be too powerful and too costly to run. Freeholder Lillian G. Burry picked up the chant, claiming it would create another level of government that the county can’t afford.

What they did not say is that many Republicans still don’t like to bring up the touchy subject of county ethics because it dredges up memories of the Operation Bid Rig scandal four years ago when more than two dozen Monmouth County and other officials were arrested in an FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office corruption sweep.

That sweep also netted the late longtime former Republican Freeholder Director Harry Larrison Jr. The freeholder board was all Republican at the time and county government was loaded with patronage, cronyism and favoritism.

It was a shameful period in county history. And Monmouth County still bears the scars of those terrible days. The county, as a result of that nightmare, is still referred to statewide as “Hudson County with lawns.”

To prevent another Operation Bid Rig from happening and to establish an ethics agency with teeth, the county appointed a first-rate ethics review committee that carefully examined existing policies, procedures and an employee manual. It concluded: “The existing structure is in need of revision.”

Thus, the freeholder majority was wise to approve the recommendations of the ethics review committee, including the creation of a six-member nonpartisan, independent ethics board that would serve without compensation. Monmouth County residents should be served well by this arrangement.

Continue reading >>> Here

The Overlooked Story of The Week In Monmouth County: Freeholders Create Ethics Board

With all the of the attention being given to Governor-Elect Chris Christie this past week, it is no wonder that one of the biggest stories coming out of Monmouth County last week was the creation of an Ethics Board by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The Democratic majority voted to create this watchdog panel over Republican opposition, who thought that it was not necessary.

The creation of this ethics panel fulfills a pledge by the democrats to bring responsible and honest government back to Monmouth County four years after Operation Bid Rid rocked the foundation of the County.

Republican opposition to the ethics board is astounding considering that Operation Bid Rig happened under their watch and along with about two dozen county officials that were arrested, long time Freeholder Director and “Godfather” of the Monmouth County GOP Harry Larrison Jr., was also indicted for corruption. At the time the Freeholder Board was governed by all Republicans and the county government was comprised of people who owed their positions to patronage, cronyism and favoritism.

So it is no wonder that Republicans Rob Clifton and Lillian Burry, think that the idea of an ethic board is a bad one. They say that it would be too costly and have too much power over county operations that would be better left to the County Prosecutor or State Attorney General, preferring instead to leave the ethics policing to the Freeholders themselves.

Just as astonishing is the fact that the Asbury Park Press is not totally on board with the idea of an ethics board being created.

After all, it’s not like they did such a bad job watching over themselves before, do ya think?

The ethics board is a good idea, one that should have happened a couple of years ago but the County GOP was and still is against the idea, that someone else will be watching over there shoulder.

It will be interesting to see come January if the newly formed, GOP controlled, Freeholder Board will rescind the resolution that created the Ethics Board. It wouldn’t suprise me in the least if they did.

in Middletown Vote Sean Brynes and Patrick Short For Integrity, Ingenuity, Responsibility and Commitment

Election day in Middletown is tomorrow, just like it is throughout the state. Middletown residents have a great opportunity to elect two well qualified, upstanding individuals and fellow Middletowner into office tomorrow, those individuals are Sean Byrnes and Patrick Short.

Each have served Middletown well over the past two and a half years and it is time for their good work to continue. In Byrnes’s case that means electing him the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, where he can continue to work for more open and transparent government and keep a watchful eye over county finances just as he has done here in Middletown.

In the case of Patrick Short, no one could have more integrity,ingenuity,responsibility or commitment than he.

Patrick Short hasn’t made any friends down at Town Hall and that is a good thing! He has always looked out for the residents interests and never his own or party’s. He lead the fight to have resolutions and ordinances posted on the township website prior to public meeting, he fought to eliminated health benefits for part-time elected and appointed officials in Middletown and he has lead the fight in the alleviation of the flooding problem in the Port Monmouth section of town. And it should be noted that Short does not collect a salary, health benefits or is entered into the pension system, he is not compensated in any way for his service. Short very well may be the only elected official in the state that can boast of such a claim!

Both men have served our country well, Byrnes as a member of the US Coast Guard for 22 years retiring with the rank Commander and Short, who as a West Point graduated, served in the US Army retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

Both their backgrounds in management have proven invaluable in keeping taxes down, neither have ever voted for a tax increase while their Republican colleagues have increased taxes by 16% over the last 4 years.

Because of their opposition to township bonding over the past two years Middletown’s debt peaked at $85 million and is now on a downward slope of approx. $65 million.

This fact alone warrents your vote, I know it does mine. So when you enter that voting booth tomorrow remember what Sean Byrnes and Patrick Short have ment to our commuintiy over the past three years and vote for them: Byrnes for Freeholder and Short for Township Committee.

Asbury Park Press Endorses Byrnes For Monmouth County Freeholder

In this morning’s editorial section of the Asbury Park Press, the paper has given it’s endorsement for Monmoith County Freeholder to Middletown Committeeman Sean F. Byrnes.

In so doing, the APP states that “Byrnes’ passion for cutting government spending and increasing transparency separate him from the field.”… “Byrnes does not appear to be beholden to his party’s political bosses. In fact, he has been critical of some of the patronage appointments and contracts handed out with little or no oversight during the past year.” and added “…Byrnes is exceptional, the best choice in a field …”

Here’s the full endorsment:

Byrnes best bet for freeholder

Monmouth County voters are fortunate to have three well-qualified, civic-minded candidates to choose from in this year’s election for an open seat on the Board of Freeholders. But Democrat Sean Byrnes’ passion for cutting government spending and increasing transparency separate him from the field.

Control of the freeholder board, now in the hands of the Democrats after decades of all-Republican membership, is again on the line in this election. Curley raised concerns that a Democratic majority on the board would enable the state party leadership to gain control over jobs and contracts in Monmouth County.

But Byrnes does not appear to be beholden to his party’s political bosses. In fact, he has been critical of some of the patronage appointments and contracts handed out with little or no oversight during the past year. Byrnes said he was pleased with the current freeholder board’s decisions to have in-house legal and engineering services and “doing away with a system that allowed handouts.”

In Red Bank, Curley successfully fought machine politics and helped keep a helipad, a patronage-job visitors center and a solid waste station from being built in the borough.

Rosenthal, a retired financial analyst with Merrill Lynch, has been active with several volunteer programs and is passionate about helping people in need, especially during these tough economic times. He says his presence on the freeholder board would make it truly bipartisan, and he promised greater oversight in the budget process.

Curley and Rosenthal both have strong credentials. But Byrnes is exceptional, the best choice in a field of three worthy candidates.

Byrnes, Republican John Curley and Independent Stan Rosenthal are seeking the seat being vacated by Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow, who opted not to seek re-election this year, citing health reasons. Curley, vice president of an auto dealership and a former Red Bank councilman, was narrowly defeated by Democrat Amy Mallet in last year’s election.

Byrnes, an attorney and Middletown township committeeman, is bright, articulate and has an uncommon grasp of issues affecting Monmouth County residents.

His review of the county budget has enabled him to pinpoint departments “ripe for cutting,” and he has identified specific positions within departments that have more personnel than needed to function well. He says he will push for across-the-board 10 percent budget cuts, as well as directing some department heads to find further cuts.

A proponent of openness in government, Byrnes said he would make sure all county budget data and other information of interest to residents would be posted online. He lamented the apathy he has seen about county government, and said having more information easily available would encourage residents to get involved and provide input on ways to make government more efficient and responsive.

Byrnes’ extensive volunteer and professional background have given him hands-on budget and management experience that would serve him well on the freeholder board.

A private-practice attorney with no public contracts, Byrnes has served on the Red Bank Board of Education and the boards of directors for the Community YMCA, the Parker Clinic and the Charter School. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, he served in the Coast Guard for 22 years before recently retiring as a commander.