fbpx

Belmar’s absentee mayor wants to be a freeholder

dirty_doherty-gone_missingBelmar Mayor Matt Doherty has taken a page out of Governor Chris Christie’s book by neglecting the job he was elected to while running for higher office.

The Asbury Park Press is reporting that Doherty has missed most of the Belmar governing body’s meetings since he became a Democrat nominee for Freeholder in June. The amount of meetings he has missed this year, 8, is more than double all of his absences in the previous five years combined.

Just like Christie said he could govern New Jersey via smart phone from New Hampshire and Iowa, Doherty says his absenteeism is no big deal.

“A council meeting is maybe two hours a month. I spend well over 20 hours a week being the mayor of Belmar. So for two hours a month if I’m not available, that has zero impact on the ability to perform my function as the mayor of the town,” Doherty told The Press.

Since June Doherty has attended only two Belmar council meetings, one of which he left early.

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso suggest that this is just another example of why Doherty is not prepared to be a freeholder.

“For Mayor Doherty to suggest that public meetings do not matter is a disgrace,” said Freeholder Director Tom Arnone. “In an open and transparent form of government, our public meetings are the place were elected officials are held accountable with the public, where we hear and address their concerns.   As a former Mayor of Neptune City and now a Freeholder, Doherty’s claim that he is doing a good job despite his absenteeism is shocking to me.”

“Belmar voters sent Doherty a huge reprimand when by a 3-1 margin when they rejected the special treatment he wanted with the pay to play law,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, the former mayor of Holmdel. “In addition to neglecting his responsibilities in Belmar, the mayor has not attended a Freeholder meeting since he became a candidate.  Belmar voters don’t want a backroom mayor and Monmouth County voters deserve to have freeholders who have time to do the job.”

More from my site

Posted: October 21st, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: 2016 Elections, Matt Doherty, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

3 Comments on “Belmar’s absentee mayor wants to be a freeholder”

  1. Wondering said at 12:39 pm on October 23rd, 2016:

    if their internal polling shows another loss, since the big negative ad buy we heard was coming has not yet materialized..

  2. The Mad Cow said at 3:51 pm on October 23rd, 2016:

    That milk carton is very funny.

  3. Jimmy Jones said at 1:00 am on October 25th, 2016:

    Doherty has tried every trick in the book to get his way in Belmar – on the backs of the taxpayers.

    He has been chalanged at every turn and has lost every single time in court.

    He has a blatant disregard of the law and of the taxpayers.

    Send this guy a message an trounce him.
    The people of Belmar will do the same when his term is up.