Arnone Report: Monmouth County Spending $43.8 million less than in 2010

By Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Freeholder Director

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Happy Spring!

Last week the 2019 Monmouth County budget was approved during the March 18^th meeting of the Board of Chosen Freeholders. The adopted budget is $449.6 million, for comparison, in 2010 the County Budget peaked at $493.4 million, before its steady descent to $449.6 million in 2019, a decrease of $43.8 million.

In 2010 the County spent $173.6 million on salaries and wages, and in 2018 the county spent $166.8 million.  That amounts to a $6.8 million reduction in payroll spending while providing salary increases to our employees in each of those years, and maintaining services. This can be credited to an aggressive approach to vacancies and the provision of services including job consolidation, shared services, and outsourcing.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

The Arnone Report: Impressive Accomplishments and Ambitious Plans

By Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Happy New Year Everyone. I am extremely pleased to have been selected as Freeholder Director for 2016.  It is an honor once again to represent the board in this capacity.  Last week at our annual county re-organization meeting I had an opportunity to briefly review my department’s accomplishments; ones that I believe have provided significant income to our county as well as savings to the taxpayers.

First I would like to thank my family for their support along the way as well as my, fellow Freeholders for their continued dedication to our county. In addition, I would like to wish all our Mayors best of luck as we begin the New Year.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Oceanport Councilman Resigns To Take County Job

William Johnson, right and Oceanport Councilman Joe Irace. Photo credit: Rhoda Chodosh

William Johnson resigned his seat on the Oceanport Borough Council on November 1, due to his recent employment by Monmouth County.  Johnson’s resignation was first reported by LittleSilver-Oceanport Patch.

Johnson is the Monmouth County Recycling Coordinator, working out of the County Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls.  Prior to his employment by the county, Johnson was a loan officer at Colonial American Bank.

Municipal elected officials from Monmouth County towns are banned from employment with the county due to a Resolution proposed by Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, then a Freeholder, in 2005.  The resolution was passed unanimously by the all Republican Freeholder Board in April of 2005 in the wake of the Operation Bid Rig raid that February wherein numerous county employees and municipal elected officials were arrested on corruption charges.

Employees who held elective office at the time the resolution was passed were grandfathered.  County Administrator Teri O’Connor said this morning “there might be a few” employees still grandfathered and holding elected office, but she wasn’t aware of any.

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone said that Johnson applied for the job through a posting on the County’s website, and that the appointment was not a matter of political patronage.

• Tweet