Monmouth County Leaders Condemn Local Hate Speech

The Republican leaders of Monmouth County Government issued the following statement regarding the anti-Semitic and racist flyers posted in Asbury Park last weekend, as reported by The Asbury Park Press:

“It has come to our attention that racist, anti-Semitic, and hateful flyers were recently posted in the City of Asbury Park. Racism, anti-Semitism, bigotry, discrimination, or any type of hate have no place in Monmouth County, New Jersey.  Such conduct and speech is not consistent with our culture. We are a diverse county with people of all races and religions living together in harmony. These flyers do not reflect the reality of our communities.

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Monmouth Freeholders Budget Below 2006 Spending Levels

Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have introduced a budget for 2017 that is $24.6 million lower than the 2016 budget and $11.8 million lower than 2006 spending.

The $445,250,000.00 spending plan will be the subject of public hearings on Thursday, March 9 at the Freeholders’ meeting to be held at the Monmouth County Library on Symmes Drive in Manalapan and on Thursday March 23 at the Monmouth County Library Eastern Branch at 1001 Rt. 35 North in Shrewsbury.  Both meetings are scheduled for 5 p.m.

The County’s property tax levy is budgeted to be $302,475,000, the same amount it has been for 6 of the last 7 years.

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Gary Rich will not run for reelection as Monmouth County Freeholder

Gary Rich

Monmouth County Freeholder Gary Rich announced today that he will not seek a third term on the Board.

Rich released the following statement to MMM:

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Freeholders Give Combat Wounded Vets Special Parking Privileges

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Gary Rich, Lillian Burry, Director Tom Arnone, Deputy Director Serena DiMaso and John Curly, commemorate the installation of a Wounded Warrior parking spot at the Hall of Records.

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders has followed the lead of Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso in making the lives of combat wounded war veterans a little easier.

Under a new program announced yesterday, the Freeholders are designating special parking spaces at county facilities for use by Purple Heart Medal recipients.

“We all recognize the tremendous sacrifices our military personnel have made to secure the freedoms we enjoy every day,” said DiMaso. “Regretfully, many of these men and women have returned home with physical and emotional injuries that will follow them the rest of their lives. A designated parking space is a simple way to say thank you.”

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FEMA will contribute $2 million, 90% of cost to repair County Bridge in Middletown

Funding approved for replacement of bridge over Pews Creek

Middletown Committeman Tony Fiore, Congressman Chris Smith and Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray inspect the Bay Ave Bridge on the second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2014.  MMM file photo

MIDDLETOWN, NJ – Monmouth County was informed that it would be receiving a $2 million reimbursement from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the replacement of Bray Avenue Bridge (MT-2) over Pews Creek in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.

The $2,006,208 allocation represents a 90 percent reimbursement for the rebuilding of the bridge that has been closed since the tidal surge created by Superstorm Sandy overtopped the bridge and advanced the deteriorating condition of the bridge significantly.

“Residents and commuters in the Port Monmouth area will be glad to hear this news,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone. “With the financing in place, the County’s Public Works and Engineering staff can now shift gears and move the Bray Avenue Bridge replacement project forward.”

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Historic Glimmer Glass Bridge connecting Brielle and Manasquan reopens 80 days ahead of schedule

Pictured left to right: Kevin Harms, Rob Harms and Jeff Brantly (all from Harms Construction Company, Inc.), Manasquan Mayor George Dempsey, Dan Healey (from Harms Construction Company, Inc.), Assemblyman David P. Rible, Manasquan Councilman Jeff Lee (in sunglasses), Freeholder Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., Manasquan Councilman Gregg Olivera (partially obscured), Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Manasquan Councilman Owen McCarthy, County Public Works Director John W. Tobia and County Engineer Joseph Ettore.

MANASQUAN, NJ- The Glimmer Glass Bridge, which had been closed since last August due to significant damage to the bridge deck and immediate safety concerns was re-opened this afternoon, 80 days ahead of schedule.  Repairs to the bridge performed by George Harms Construction Co. of Farmingdale were expected to be completed on May 29 as the summer tourist season kicks off.

“Reopening the Glimmer Glass Bridge is a welcome relief to the nearby residents and the communities of Manasquan and Brielle,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. “We appreciate all the work done by George Harms Construction to complete this deck replacement project 80 days ahead of schedule.”

“Harms Construction began work in October and worked weekends and overtime to complete the project well ahead of schedule,” said Freeholder Director Gary J. Rich, Sr. “With this being one of the coldest winters in recent memory, this was no small task.”

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A Different Brand of Politics

By Gary Rich, Monmouth County Deputy Freeholder Director

Art Gallagher thinks I’m a winner. Well, sort of. And while I appreciate the (backhanded) compliment, I’d like to pose a few items of food for thought.

Maybe, just maybe, voters really are tired of the game playing and posturing that exists in much of politics. (I think voters across the county sent that message pretty loud and clear with their votes this Tuesday.)

Maybe all they really want is for us to get back to the business of working on the issues that affect them.

Maybe they don’t care how many hands we have shaken or how many babies have been kissed. Maybe they see through that.

Maybe that’s why—despite suffering “from a perception within the Party’s leadership that [I have] skated by on the backs of others” (a perception that Art clearly seems all too eager to perpetuate)—I have now TWICE been the top vote-getter in each of my races for County Freeholder. (FOUR TIMES if you add my convention victory in March and June’s Primary Election.)

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Turnout will be the key in Monmouth elections

Gary Rich and Lillian Burry

The U.S. Senate race on top of the ballot between Senator Cory Booker and GOP nominee Jeff Bell has generated no excitement and little media attention.

The congressional races in CD 4 and CD 6 are not competitive.

The action, and the money, in the 2014 election cycle in Monmouth County has been in the Freeholder race where Democrats statewide have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a foothold in the county.

Republican incumbents Lillian Burry and Gary Rich have been fighting off a spirited and well funded challenge from Democrats Larry Luttrell and Giuseppe “Joe’ Grillo. When all the money is counted, the Democrats will probably have outspent the Republicans by more than 2-1.

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Tinton Falls Leaders Endorse Burry and Rich for Freeholder

Tinton Falls Mayor Gerry Turning, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Tinton Falls Council President Gary Baldwin

Tinton Falls Mayor Gerry Turning and Council President Gary Baldwin threw their support behind Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich in the Freeholder’s bid for reelection next Tuesday.

“Monmouth County has been Tinton Falls partner in controlling the cost of government and in revitalizing our economy in the wake of the great recession and the closure of Fort Monmouth.  Lillian and Gary has been right there in the lead,” Turning said. “I have worked with Lillian at Fort Monmouth and with Gary on solutions for the homeless. They are great people who are tremendously committed with a great work ethic.  I find them very committed and deserving of reelection.”

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Lying Larry Luttrell Blames Lillian Burry For Operation Bid Rig

Democratic Freeholder Candidates recount their arrests, Threaten Blogger

By Art Gallagher

Democratic Freeholder Candidates Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo and Lawrence Luttrell talked about their arrests at the Lincroft Village Green candidates forum

Monmouth County Democratic Freeholder Candidate Lawrence W. Luttrell continued his assault on Freeholder Director Lillian Burry’s character tonight at a candidates forum in Middletown.

“There have been 10 indictments since Lillian Burry has been in office,” Luttrell declared at a League of Women Voters moderated debate sponsored by the Lincroft Village Green Association at the Lincroft Elementary School.  “Monmouth County has a corruption problem, ” he said.

Luttrell rattled off 10 names, starting with former Freeholder Harry Larrison and six other Operation Bid Rig defendants who were arrested in February of 2005.

“Those people were gone before I got there,” Burry angrily shot back at Luttrell.

Burry was first elected to the Freeholder Board in November of 2005, nine months after the Operation Bid Rig arrests.

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