Bob Walsh: 1958-2020, Rest in Peace

Bob Walsh, a former mayor and councilman of Howell Township, passed away this morning after a valiant battle with brain cancer.  He was 61 years old.

Walsh was a passionate public servant, a loyal friend and a fierce adversary.   He will be deeply missed by his loving family and many friends.  His impact on Howell and Monmouth County will be felt for years to come.

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Howell Democrats Endorse Independent For Township Council

Howell Democrat candidate for Council, John Bonevich, right, with Gov Murphy and Mayor Berger, endorsed his Independent opponent, Michael Bernstein

There are three seats on the Howell Township Council on the ballot in November.  The Howell Democrats have three candidates, as do the Howell Republicans.

An Independent candidate, Michael Bernstein, submitted nominating petitions for his candidacy to Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon last Monday morning.

John McCabe, the Chairman of the Howell Democrats, John Bonevich, one of the Democrat candidates for Township Council and Amy Sara Cores, the Democrat candidate for State Senate in the 30th legislative district last year, signed Bernstein’s nominating petition. Five members of the Howell Democrat County Committee signed Bernstein’s petition.  13 people who signed Bernstein’s petitions also signed the petitions for the Democrats candidates.

Howell’s Republican candidates for council, Tommy Russo, Pamela Richmond and Robert Walsh said that the Democrats are colluding with Bernstein and that the Independent should be knocked off the ballot, in a formal challenge file with Hanlon yesterday. 

Hanlon has till Wednesday to rule on the challenge.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Curley will not have Republican support for reelection next year

John P. Curley’s harassment of Monmouth County employees which resulted in his censure and reprimand by his fellow Freeholder last week, has put the County GOP in the position of choosing two new freeholder candidates in 2018.

In a letter sent yesterday to GOP leaders and elected officials, Chairman Shaun Golden made it clear that Curley will not have the Party’s support for reelection in 2018: Read the rest of this entry »

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Howell elected officials endorse Golden for Monmouth GOP Chairman

Sheriff Shaun Golden

Sheriff  Shaun Golden now has the public support of the Republican elected official in Monmouth County two largest municipalities in his bid to replace John Bennett as Monmouth County’s Republican Chairman.

Howell Mayor William Grotto, Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro and Council Members Bob Walsh, Pauline Smith and Edward Guz, the entire governing body, all signed an Open Letter endorsing Golden and urging County Committee members to elect the Sheriff as Chairman at the GOP convention on June 10.

Howell Township’s Mayor William Gotto and Council are writing to you with our utmost  support and endorsement of Shaun Golden for Chairman of the Monmouth County  Republican Organization. We have worked closely with Shaun over the past five years as Sheriff of Monmouth County and he has demonstrated the devotion, resiliency and confidence the Republican Party needs to overcome the challenges we face ahead.

Shaun has proven his ability to work collaboratively with others, exploring new and innovative ways to communicate with citizens and voters. He is an effective, efficient
leader who can inspire, unify and motivate everyone around him.

Shaun is a proven fundraiser, having raised substantial dollars for campaigns as well as charitable organizations throughout the County and State. Shaun has provided
tremendous leadership to our municipalities, not only working with towns to rebuild after super storm Sandy, but also helping municipal candidates with financial and personal support. Shaun leads with the dedication, charisma and conviction that can move the masses.

Shaun’s proven leadership and vision will ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of our organization. We, the Monmouth Republicans, have much to be proud of and thankful for. We owe a great deal of gratitude to so many past Chairman and Chairwoman who have led this organization on a mission we all believe in and each time
leaving it a little better for the next Chairperson. We believe the best days still lie ahead and look forward to a greater future under Shaun’s leadership.
We ask each of you to please join us in voting for Shaun Golden on Tuesday, June 10th for Monmouth County Republican Chairmen an and make the Monmouth County Republican Party even better than it is today.

“I am honored and humbled by the support of my hometown’s elected officials,” Golden said in a phone interview with MMM, “Chairs and county committee members from throughout the county, large towns and small, are responding positively to my vision for our Party and for even better government for Monmouth County and its municipalities. The response makes me very excited for our future.”

Walsh told MMM that the letter was sent to us for publication and would be mailed to the Republican Municipal Chairs next week. A copy of the letter can be viewed here.

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Burry and Rich Are Renominated by Monmouth GOP

Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich took a first ballot victory over Howell Councilman Bob Walsh at the Monmouth GOP Convention this morning.

The unofficial results are:

Gary Rich 294

Lillian Burry 227

Bob Walsh 199

In the race for the U.S. Senate nomination, there was no first ballot winner. Murray Sabrin and Rich Pezzullo qualified for a second ballot which is now being taken.

The first ballot Senate numbers were are follows:

Rich Pezzullo  164

Murray Sabrin 105

Brian Goldberg 72

Robert Tukevage 44

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Monmouth Freeholders Introduce Budget With No Tax Increase For 4th Consecutive Year

Spending is reduced to 2008 Level

Freeholder Gary Rich, Liaison to the County Finance Department

The all Republican Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders introduced their budget for the coming year on Thursday evening at the Eastern Branch of the County Library system in Shrewsbury.  The $480.9 million budget is $100,000 lower than the current year’s spending and, for the fourth consecutive year includes no tax increase on Monmouth County property owners.

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal did not issue a statement congratulating the freeholders. When last we heard from Gopal, he was threatening legal action against the owner and publisher of this site for ridiculing his false statements about Republicans.

The budget plan reflects a continuing effort by the freeholder board to reduce County spending while dealing with increased costs and reduced revenue.

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Burry and Curley tangle at Freeholders’ meeting

Freeholders John Curley and Lillian Burry

The ongoing feud between Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Freeholder John Curley , both Republicans, became public again Thursday afternoon at the beginning of the board’s work session meeting at the Hall of Records in Freeholder.

Click here to listen to Curley’s remarks and the ensuing exchange between him and Burry.  Curley’s remarks start at the 1:27 mark of the audio.  The exchange concludes at the 5:24 mark.

Curley announced that he had proposed a resolution that would have called on the State Legislature to prohibit elected or appointed officials, on any level, from participating  in New Jersey’s Farm Land Preservation Program.   He likened such participation to Wall Street insider trading.  Curley said that Freeholder Tom Arnone, a Republican,  was his second for the resolution and that Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, a Republican, was going to sponsor such legislation.  Curley said he was disappointed that “the freeholders” pulled his resolution from the work session agenda.

Burry said that Curley’s remarks were inappropriate in that that he did not go through “the chair” or follow proper procedures.  She said the resolution was going to be discussed in Executive Session and had been put off because it needed to be tweaked and properly vetted.

Listen to the exchange.    It’s much more colorful than summarized above.

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Monmouth Democrats Are Off And Running

Monmouth GOP has its pants on the ground

Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo. Photo via facebook

Their nominating convention is not until March 22 at the IBEW Local 400 union hall in Wall Township, but Monmouth County Democratic freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo are off and running full speed ahead.

Luttrell, the Holmdel attorney who came in last against Freeholders Tom Arnone and Serena DiMaso, as well as his running mate Brian Froelich, after being endorsed by the Asbury Park Press last year, announced he was running again almost immediately after his sad showing.

Grillo is the former Executive Director of the Monmouth Democrats and the municipal chairman of the Asbury Park Democrats. Like Luttrell, he has never held elected office. Grillo was briefly a candidate for the Asbury Park City Council last year, withdrawing from the race prior to the filing deadline. Since leaving his position as ED of the Monmouth Dems, Grillo has worked for his family’s tile company in Howell.

Grillo stepped up his game over the weekend with a fundraising email blast that announced his candidacy.  He raised $6,200 online through Sunday. A Democrat who does not want to be known for talking to a Republican leaning site told MMM that Grillo has raised over $20,000 for his campaign including checks collected offline. His stated goal is to raise $50,000 by the June 3rd primary.

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Bob Walsh: “The Monmouth GOP’s Brand Is Tarnished”

Howell Councilman Bob Walsh, second from left, and Freeholder Gary Rich, right, are set to compete for a 2014 GOP nomination. Andrew Lucas, left, then a Manalapan Committeeman and Wall Township Committeeman George Newberry, between Walsh and Rich. Photo from 2011 Freeholder nomination race.

Howell Councilman Bob Walsh, a candidate for one of two available nominations for freeholder at the Monmouth Republican Convention on March 22, said that the Monmouth Republican Party’s brand has been tarnished by the Burke Farm deal with Andrew Lucas and by the Brookdale Community College scandal that resulted in former Brookdale President’s Peter Burnham’s conviction for official misconduct and theft.

Incumbent freeholders, Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich are seeking to be nominated for reelection at the convention.

Speaking on the record, Walsh said that many “neutral people, people who know nothing” that he encounters think that the Lucas farm deal and the Brookdale scandal are examples of Republican corruption.  Walsh said that he talks to these people and tries to correct their perception, “but it is out there and a lot of people think that way, it’s a common thread.”

Walsh was very careful not to speak negatively about Burry and Rich specifically while discussing his own candidacy.  “I don’t consider that I am challenging them,” he said, “I am seeking an office according to the rules.  No one is elected forever.  People complain and complain about government, yet keep electing the same people.  That’s what’s wrong with this country.”

“People say that government should be run as a business.  I have a very good record in business, as a licensed banker,  and a very good record as mayor of Howell that I am proud of.  I think I am an asset and will be an asset to the freeholder board. I have energy, passion and the flexibility to do the job.”

While not specifically accusing anyone of complacency, Walsh said that his candidacy and his service, if elected, would be a battle against complacency in county government.

“Complacency has no place if public service,” he said, “I am very pleased with some of the things I see happening since I started running.” He declined to elaborate.

Walsh said he expected that this November’s election will be more contentious that usual.

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Bayshore Tea Party Group Boasts of 1000 Members, Staunch Backers of Anna Little

Bayshore Tea Party Group member Frank Gonzalez, husband of the group’s co-founder, Barbara, installs homemade lawn signs on Rt 35 in Middletown during the 2013 Monmouth County Republican primary campaign

Bayshore Tea Party Group co-founder Barbara Gonzalez told HuffPost that her group has nearly 1000 members and that they are staunch supporters of former Highlands Mayor Anna Little’s quest to unseat Congressman Frank Pallone, in an article posted last evening.

“If you don’t get someone in who is totally willing to fight the establishment, it will never change,” Gonzalez told HuffPost.

Little lost to Pallone in 2010 and 2012 with BTPG’s support, but Gonzalez thinks it will be different this year.

Gonzalez said her membership roll has grown by “a couple of dozen new members” since earlier this month when the Bridgegate controversy broke.

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