Golden, Arnone and DiMaso Annnounce Re-election Bid

Former Congressional candidate is seeking Democratic nomination for Freeholder.  Democrats still looking to fill their Monmouth County slate

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso announced yesterday that they are seeking the Republican nomination for their offices and re-election as a team.  There is no known opposition to the incumbents for the GOP nomination.  The party will award the organization’s “line” for the June primary at its nomination convention on March 23.

In a joint statement the team cited the county’s reduced spending, its response to Superstorm Sandy, and the positive business climate as the accomplishments of their first terms.  Golden and Arnone are completing their first full term in office.  DiMaso was elected by the Republican County Commitee in January of 2012 to fill Assemblyman Rob Clifton’s seat when Clifton moved to the Assembly. She was elected by the voters last November to complete the term.

“Despite the unexpected weather events of the last year and an economy which continues to struggle, we are proud that Monmouth County government, under Republican leadership, has continued to deliver services to residents in a cost-efficient manner. We are honored to serve the people of Monmouth County and look forward to running a strong, united campaign to ask for the opportunity to continue that service.”

Arnone, a former Neptune City Mayor, has been a vocal proponent of the “Grow Monmouth” initiative, an economic development program designed to create jobs by help businesses with finance, regulatory and networking issues.

“I’ve spent the better part of two years criss-crossing the county talking to business groups and local governments about Grow Monmouth and the results have been excellent,” said Arnone. “With the economy doing so poorly, I really felt the county could be of assistance to businesses and now with the effects of Superstorm Sandy still affecting business owners, I look forward to expanding that assistance so we can get businesses and people back to work as soon as possible.”

DiMaso, a former Holmdel Mayor, was proud of the budget discipline the Freeholders have shown over the last several years in the wake of the continuing sluggish economy.

“When I was chosen to replace Freeholder Clifton, I wanted to focus primarily on the budget,” said DiMaso. “Many people are still hurting in this economy and it’s our responsibility not to add to their burden with tax increases due to irresponsible spending. I’m proud of the fact that we were able to cut the budget last year, even with the storm related expenses, and will probably be able to cut it again slightly this year, without sacrificing services. I am committed to finding creative, cost effective solutions for the taxpayers of Monmouth County.”

Golden is the chief executive of a 609 member, $67 million agency which consists of three divisions: law enforcement, communications (including emergency management) and corrections. A Howell resident, Golden said the shared services program which allows municipalities to use the county for 9-1-1 and dispatching services has been a major success.

“By using our resources, town can really save on the cost of dispatch and 9-1-1 services, savings which can be passed along to taxpayers,” said Golden. “We’re very happy with the program and I know the towns are as well.”

Golden also said he was proud of his department’s response to the storms which have rocked Monmouth County over the last two years.

“As bad as the storms were, I think our preparation and response were exceptional and helped avoid even worse consequences,” said Golden. “We took the lessons learned from Tropical Storm Irene and applied them to Superstorm Sandy, which enabled us to better allocate resources and respond quicker to emergencies. We will continue that preparation and training to keep Monmouth residents safe the next time we have a weather emergency.”

The Monmouth County Democrats are still looking for candidates to take on the GOP incumbents.

Spring Lake business executive Brian Froelich is seeking a Democratic nomination for Freeholder, according to Chairman Vin Gopal.  Froelich lost his bid to unseat Congressman Chris Smith in the 4th Congressional District last year.  Party Executive Director Joe Grillo said a screening committee is interviewing “some interesting” potential candidates who he wouldn’t name. The party has a “soft” deadline of February 18th for candidates to apply to be considered at the Party’s February 23rd nominating convention, according the Grillo.

Posted: February 8th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2013 Election, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth GOP | Tags: Brian Froelich, Chris Smith, Joe Grillo, Monmouth Democrats, Monmouth Republican Committee, Rob Clifton, Serena DiMaso, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Tom Arnone, Vin Gopal | 3 Comments »

• Tweet

---