Golden, Peters, Arnone and DiMaso Announce Reelection Campaign

Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Before an enthusiastic crowd of over 600 Monmouth County supporters at the Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale, Sheriff (and County GOP Chairman) Shaun Golden announced that he, Freeholders Tom Arnone and Serena DiMaso, and Surrogate Rosemarie Peters are all running for reelection in November.

“We don’t need to make Monmouth County great again,” Golden declared with a reference to Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Monmouth County is great!”

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Monmouth County Issues Health Alerts

The Monmouth County Health Department announced today that it is monitoring the worldwide spread of the Zika virus and locally, an outbreak of gastrointestinal (GI) illinesses.

The department urges residents to stay home if ill and to be diligent about hand washing especially after using the bathroom and before eating.

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DiMaso takes leadership role in national non-partisan women legislators group

Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso delivered backpacks and school supplies to students at Red Bank Primary School, October 19, 2015 as part of a NFWL school readiness program. The backpacks were donated by Office Depot (photo by Monmouth County Department of Public Information).

“I am so proud to take a leadership role in an organization that helps to empower and inspire elected women to become thoughtful leaders who can shape America’s future,” said DiMaso. “I look forward to encouraging woman legislators in New Jersey and throughout the country to join NFWL to develop leadership skills and become more effective elected officials.”

Through annual educational and networking events, the National Foundation for Women Legislators supports elected women from all levels of governance. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, NFWL does not take ideological positions on public policy issues, but rather serves as a forum for women legislators to be empowered through information and experience.

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Will Freeholders Curley, Rich and Arnone turn their backs on the handicapped?

By Ernesto Cullari

In the pursuit of trimming Monmouth County’s bottom line Freeholders Tom Arnone, Gary Rich and John Curley, Curley who faces the voters in November, are about to turn their back on several handicapped and indigent patients living at the John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold, despite a viable, fiscally responsible and compassionate alternative being proposed by Freeholders Lillian Burry and Serena DiMaso. The Burry-DiMaso plan both trims the budget and saves the facility, which serves some of the county’s most needy families.

Life is wondrous, beautiful and vital, until it’s not. Many of us have watched a grandparent, so active and so engaged from the earliest moments of our youth, suddenly decline and descend into illness and death. It’s even harder when it’s a parent or a child. My dad recently fell ill. As I write this he lays in intensive care, holding on to his relatively young life via prayers and the constant attention of family and medical professionals. If he survives this dangerous chapter, he may have a lifetime of respiratory, physical and occupational therapy ahead of him. A wondrous beautiful life is all at once fragile and uncertain.

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DiMaso: Stender should resign

Monmouth County Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso

Monmouth County Deputy Freeholder Director Serena Dimaso today called upon the Democratic leadership of the State Legislature to force Assemblywoman  Linda Stender out of office.

According to numerous published reports, Stender and her husband Richard concocted a scheme to  have their vacation bungalow in Manasquan demolished  and replaced with a half million dollar 5 bedroom home with charitable and government funds dedicated to help Monmouth County residents who lost their homes and possessions to Superstorm Sandy rebuild.  The charity Coastal Habitat for Humanity claims the Stenders have not repaid the $11,000 the organization spent to demolish the bungalow, as they promised they would.

“SHAME ON HER,” exclaimed DisMaso, “There are thousands of people not back in their homes yet and hundreds of people working hard to find resources to take care of those people.  For an elected official to unscrupulously attempt to gain the system is a disgrace.”

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Monmouth GOP Honors Claire French

Monmouth County Clerk M. Clair French address the Monmouth GOP convention. Chairman Shaun Golden in background. photo by Art Gallagher

An impressive crowd of over 400 Monmouth Republican County Committee members gathered on Saturday morning to nominate their candidates for State Assembly, County Clerk and Freeholder.  The size of the crowd was impressive not only because of the weather but because the results of the convention were a foregone conclusion as there were no challengers to the incumbent Assembly Members, Freeholder or Governor Chris Christie’s nominee for County Clerk.

Free of any competitive tensions, the mood at Colts Neck High School was upbeat, friendly and proud among the grassroots leaders who came out for Chairman Shaun Golden first nominating convention.  Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso noted both the size and enthusiasm of the crowd. “This crowd is almost as large as last year’s convention when we had a competition for the freeholder nominations,” DiMaso said, “We’re in really great shape and that is a testament to Shaun’s leadership.”

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DiMaso: Don’t be fooled by silly season rhetoric

By Freeholder Serena DiMaso

This year’s election season doesn’t carry with it the big ticket names for President or even Governor, but in Monmouth County and Holmdel it certainly does.  Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich have worked diligently for the residents of our county.  In Holmdel, our Mayor Pat Impreveduto and Committeeman Greg Buontempo mirror that work ethic and continue to deliver the best quality of life for our beautiful community.

Any one who knows me, knows how often I tell the story of why I chose Holmdel and Monmouth County. BUT,  in case you haven’t heard, here’s the short version, we wanted a place we could raise our children and they could raise their children. We wanted a community that boasted the best school systems, park systems and quality of life in all of New Jersey.  We found it.  It’s all right here in Holmdel Township, Monmouth County. Why?  Because of the leadership of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders and the Holmdel Township Committee.

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ObamaCare puts Monmouth County’s nursing homes in peril

UPDATE: August, 27, Curley pulls nursing home sale resolution

Freeholder John Curley called this morning to say that he has pulled his resolution to sell the Monmouth County owned nursing homes from this week’s agenda. County CFO Craig Marshall is on vacation.  Curley wants Marshall available to address all of the financial concerns regarding the proposed sale. Curley expects to reintroduce the resolution in September.

Reductions in Medicaid payments for long term care under the Affordable Care Act have led to increasing deficits at Monmouth County’s two government owned nursing homes.

The John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold and the Geraldine L. Thompson Care Center in Wall are owned and operated by Monmouth County’s government. Property tax payers have been subsidizing the long term care of the elderly, disabled and infirm residing in these facilities for decades.  From 2007 through 2013 the cumulative deficit funded by Monmouth property tax payers was about $40 million.  Despite cost cutting measures and union givebacks, the combined deficit this year is on track to exceed $13 million plus the cost of repairs and capital improvements required to keep the facilities in compliance with state and federal regulations, due to cutbacks in the amount that Medicaid pays for patient care under ObamaCare.  98% of the patients at Montgomery and Thompson are insured by Medicaid.

Freeholder John Curley has been pushing his colleagues on the all Republican Board of Chosen Freeholders to sell the nursing homes for years.  Every time the issue gets traction or public attention, patients in wheelchairs  and staff members of the nursing facilities show up at Freeholder meetings and plead with the Freeholders not to sell the facilities.  The patients’ stories are heart wrenching. The declarations of love for their patients by the staff members are moving.

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Monmouth County Debt Rated AAA for the 16th consecutive year

Freeholder Deputy Director Gary Rich and Freeholder Director Lillian Burry at the Italian American Festival in Ocean Township last week.

Monmouth County has received a new AAA bond rating from all three major rating agencies for the 16th consecutive year, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

“This is the 16^th straight year the County has been awarded AAA status from Fitch, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., liaison to the County’s Finance Department. “Monmouth County continues to be top-rated in how it manages taxpayer money.”

The three rating agencies rated the upcoming Monmouth County Improvement Authority’s (MCIA) governmental refunding bond series and reaffirmed the ratings of the County’s outstanding debt.

“Monmouth County continues its demonstration of sound, fiscal management. The County has been careful in its spending and continues to maintain low debt levels,” said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry. “As a result, we are able to have greater flexibility in delivering quality services to our residents. It shows how well the County is managing its resources and planning for the future.”

Monmouth County is the only county in New Jersey and one of less than three dozen counties in the nation that can claim to have received the highest score from all three rating agencies.  The AAA rating is higher than that of the State of New Jersey and the United States of America.

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Monmouth County to auction surplus helicopter

The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders will be holding on online auction for a surplus helicopter from the Mosquito Commission from May 17 at 9am through June 17 at 6pm.

The well maintained 1980 Bell 206B III Jet Ranger has only 2560 flight hours.

The helicopter may be inspected by appointment only, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (EDT) from Monday, May 19, 2014 through Monday, June 16, 2014, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and (Memorial Day) Monday, May 26, 2014. Potential bidders may contact the Monmouth County Division of Fleet Services at 732-431-7830 or its representatives, Dennis Szostek at extension 4891 or Paul Grosselfinger at extension 7165, with any questions or to make an appointment to inspect the Helicopter.  Inspections will take place at the Monmouth County Mosquito Commission, 1901 Wayside Road, in Tinton Falls.

“The sale of this helicopter is a rare and exciting opportunity for the County and potential buyers,” Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr. said. “The County’s online auctions provide a great benefit in terms of revenue and make it easier for bidders as they can monitor the sale though their computers. Another benefit is that we get many more bidders, including some in other states.”

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