Stuff to know about Freeholders Arnone and DiMaso
By Tom DeSeno
Sen Jennifer Beck, her husband Dan Shields and Freeholders Serena DiMaso and Tom Arnone @ Highlands Mayor Frank Nolan’s Rally @Bahr’s Landing. November 3.
The Freeholder Board runs the county government. It’s always been puzzling why political parties are so entrenched in the process of selecting candidates, because the job of Freeholder has so little to do with the center-right and center-left political ideologies that the parties have come to represent.
The Freeholder board transcends the purely political because the issues they deal with don’t lend themselves to the various divisive topics that get folks to arguing. The reality of being Freeholder is this – delivering quality government services at the least possible price.
With that understanding, let’s take a look at two of the candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder.
TOM ARNONE
Growing up in Neptune City as the son of a plumber and homemaker, Tom Arnone is the type of public servant you seek if you are looking for someone who worked his way through the American dream and started at the local levels of politics.
Tom raised his own family on the landscaping business he successfully created and ran for two decades, while involving himself in his community as a soccer and basketball coach.
When public duty called he answered by winning elections on the Neptune City governing body, were he served for 7 years. He then won the seat of Mayor of Neptune City which he held for an additional 8 years. While serving has Mayor he had the honor of being selected as Vice President and President of the NJ Conference of Mayors.
As Mayor, he dug himself into this idea of bringing the public quality service for cheaper prices.
Tom Arnone was behind initiatives in Neptune City to consolidate services with not only the County but also with surrounding municipalities. He merged the Neptune City courts with Avon and merged police dispatch with Neptune Township, later merging it with the County.
He later brought the idea of cost savings for the taxpayer to his work as Freeholder, where he currently serves as the Freeholder director.
Tom Arnone has helped Monmouth County have the #1 shared services program in New Jersey. These shared services initiatives have saved Monmouth taxpayers $4 million.
As Freeholder he has been responsible for the “Grow Monmouth” initiative, which is a program that helps new businesses cut through the red tape of opening. That program recently assisted Sloan Kettering, which will open in Middletown and bring 240 jobs.
After Hurricane Sandy, Freeholder Arnone worked with Monmouth’s $33 Billion tourism industry get Monmouth back on its feet by expanding the work of the tourism department.
For his efforts he has won the Southern Monmouth Camber of Commerce Silver Gull Award and the Northern Monmouth County Circle of Excellence Award.
SERENA DiMASO
If you call for an ambulance in Holmdel Township, your first responder may be Freeholder Serena DiMaso. She has been involved with First Aid for years and went on 322 calls last year alone.
Serena started her political career in the rough and tumble of the school PTO (that’s not snark – ever been to a PTO meeting?).
This mother of 4 has spent much time in the service of others. She was on the Holmdel Township governing body including a 5 year term as Mayor of Holmdel.
Serena eagerly undertook measures in the spirit of best services for the lowest price in Holmdel. She shared services in Holmdel with the Hazlet Construction Office. She moved the Board of Health services to Monmouth County saving her town $100,000.00, and managed to keep her budgets flat in a town with tumultuous tax revenues due to the status of huge office parks that fluctuate tax revenue greatly.
In her short time at the County, Freeholder DiMaso has continued her drive toward better but less expensive constituent services. She helped merge Monmouth’s Schools Superintendent with that of Ocean County and soon will have a similar arrangement with Middlesex County. Services at the Reclamation Center have expanded and private businesses are benefitting there too.
Freeholder DiMaso counts as a success the treatment plant for leachate (basically garbage juice that runs out of trucks). What to do with it all is a problem for the county government and Serena helped save the county $2.5 million yearly by investing in a plant that others can now use as well. She counts these successes despite having just joined the Freeholder Board last year!
If you are looking for a reason to put party politics aside and invest your vote in people with a tradition of selflessly serving their community while engaging in better government at cheaper costs, then look to Freeholders Tom Arnone and Serena DiMaso.
More from my site
Leadership We Can Depend On
Lillian Burry says John Curley threatened her
Monmouth County Freeholders Adopt Budget With Zero Tax Increase
ObamaCare puts Monmouth County’s nursing homes in peril
Freeholders Signal Flat Taxes During Monmouth County Reorganization
Democratic Freeholder Candidate Sues Monmouth County Over Lucas Farm Deal
The Impression I Get
Lunging Larry Luttrell to seek Democrat nomination for Monmouth County Freeholder
DiMaso: Stender should resign
Golden, Arnone and DiMaso Annnounce Re-election Bid
“…It’s always been puzzling why political parties are so entrenched in the process of selecting candidates, because the job of Freeholder has so little to do with the center-right and center-left political ideologies that the parties have come to represent…”
Tom, the above quote is from your opening paragraph. While I somewhat agree with you, I have heard for years, that politicians run for office to get themselves a job; their friends a job; and their family members a job. Of course that comes with other perks such as life insurance, medical benefits, dental benefits and prescription benefits.
Being a politician,–even if it’s a member of a local BOE, gives one control, or some sort of say with a budget. Sometimes back door under-handed dealing has to occur to get things done.
Look at Monmouth County: Didn’t Lillian Burry’s campaign manager get appointed to the Brookdale CC Board?
Didn’t Donovan from the Sheriff’s Department get his son appointed as a Prosecutor’s investigator with only a couple of years as a patrolman?
Isn’t Mr. Bennett’s daughter the chief of staff for the sheriff??
How many other friends and relatives of Freeholder’s– past and present– owe their livelyhoods to Freeholders?
Tom, I certainly believe a Freeholder has it perks–it most certainly alleviates unemployment or underemployment in certain households.
The Freeholder Board is the financing mechanism for all the agencies mentioned here and then some. There’re literally a hundred departments and agencies that the Freeholder Board administers.
I guess Joe “can-of-beer” has no chance of employment or advancement with the county, unless he/she knows someone.
I am confused. Is your biggest concern getting a job? Then clearly you don’t actually pay taxes in this county.
My concerns are the cost of living in this county, quality of life, you know the things that make it possible for those of us who pay taxes to continue to live here.
The Freeholder Director and Deputy Director and the Sheriff have done an excellent job along with the Freeholder Board in keeping expenses down, especially in light of Sandy.
Notice you didn’t mention that anyone was unqualified for their job, you just seem p…ed of that you didn’t get one. Grow up. Its not all about you Sage there are actually other people in the County that matter.
Both Of Them.
And to “just my opinion” if you think that filling jobs for friends, is their only effort as Freeholders, I think you should actually go talk and listen to them.
You’ll come away with a different opinion.
Jim Granelli
the current President: “elections have consequences”.. This means, whomever wins gets to reward loyal, qualified people they trust,to fill some of the necessary jobs that do all the services the public uses and demands for their dollars- and they demand more and more all the time.. Also, many workers are civil service, and did NOT “know someone,” many have worked for both parties, all their careers, for decades.. Most are NOT “connected” people you seem to hate so much- it is fact.. It’s a balancing act for the electeds to provide all the services / amenities, and keep taxes reasonable- and, btw, name me a winning party that did not/ does not hire their own they are comfortable with, where they can! ..Additionally, the county has around 60 departments boards and agencies, not 100, and, over several years, mostly through attrition, there are some 300-400 less county workers today, than in past years- you still do get a lot for your money in this county, that’s why tons of people keep moving down here! So,why not stop over- generalizing and criticizing what you really seem to know little about? ..
Jim S’s political opinions were always driven by who gave him a job and, more often, who didn’t
And lets not forget the others who got jobs; who they knew, and what they had to do to get those jobs, lol. I guess that’s why it’s called “politics.”