Paff: Monmouth County Pays $20,000 To Settle Whistleblower Suit, Withdraws Firing And Allows Employee To resign.

Thanks to John Paff and his tireless advocacy for good and open government, it has come to light that Monmouth County recently settled a "Whistleblower" lawsuit involving one of it's employees, Jean Meroni, who accused her supervisor in Monmouth County's Transportation Division, Kathleen Lodato being "highly politically active" and had Meroni prepare Republican campaign material for
Republican Freeholder Candidate Gary Rich during office hours using County supplies.

After informing then Democratic  Freeholder Amy Mallett of the blatant electioneering that was taking place in the office Kathleen Meroni was harassed and eventual fired from her Operations Manager's position.

And yet the Republican controlled Board of Monmouth County Freeholders insist that an ‪‎Ethics Committee isn't needed...

 The following appears on John Paff's  NJ Civil Settlements blog

On November 29, 2014, the County of Monmouth agreed to pay $20,000 to its Transportation Division's former Operations Manager who sued the County for allegedly firing her after she complained that her supervisor was having her and another employee use County resources to campaign for a Republican Freeholder candidate.

The plaintiff, Jean A. Meroni, served the County's Transportation Division since 1997 and was the Program Coordinator for the Senior Citizen's Area Transportation [SCAT] Program. According to her complaint, Meroni's employment with the County was smooth until her supervisor, Henry Nicholson, was replaced by new Division Director Kathleen Lodato.

In her complaint, Meroni said that Lodato was "highly politically active" within the Republican Party. She allegedly had campaign literature in her office and "regularly dropp[ed] the names of Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, 'Tommy' (Republican Freeholder Tom Arnone) and 'Curley' (Republican Freeholder John Curley.)" Meroni alleged that Lodato "wrongfully and illegally required her assistance with political campaigning for the Republican Party during work hours." She claimed that on May 25, 2011, Lodato had her and another worker "photocopy Republican campaign literature for Republican Freeholder candidate Gary Rich on the County copier, as well as stuff envelopes for mailing."

Meroni said that she brought her complaints about Lodato to Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallet, who, at the time, was the sole Democrat on the Freeholder Board. She also discussed her complaints with Mallet's confidential aide, Keith Rella, and Human Resources Director Kevin Burke. County officials were allegedly concerned that Meroni's allegation would start a "political maelstrom." Meroni alleged that Monmouth County Special Counsel Steven W. Kleinman recommended that she "retract her allegations against Ms. Lodato" and eventually told her "that this was her 'last chance' to withdraw her claims." When she wouldn't retract her claim, Meroni said that County officials "joined Ms. Lodato's campaign of retaliation, seeking to conceal Ms. Lodato's wrongdoing and to focus the negative attention on [Meroni] instead."

Meroni claimed that she was thereafter was stripped of her job duties and was made the subject of "a bogus internal investigation" that clamed that she knew of and participated in a "sick-out" that occurred six months prior. She alleged that she was subjected to a hostile work environment and that Lodato even made her perform "housekeeping tasks, such as cleaning and vacuuming." On September 15, 2011, a "farcical" disciplinary hearing was held which resulted in her being fired. Her firing was sustained on appeal after a 15-day hearing before Administrative Law Judge John R. Futey. Meroni's appeal of her firing to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court was dismissed as part of the settlement.

In addition to the $20,000 payment, the County also agreed to allow Meroni to resign effective August 22, 2011 provided that she never again seeks future County employment. Any future prospective employers who inquire about Meroni's previous employment with the County will be told that she resigned.

The settlement agreement contains a confidentiality clause, which prevents the parties to the suit from publicly disclosing the settlement terms. Fortunately, however, these confidentiality clauses do not trump the public's right to obtain copies of settlement agreements that arise out of lawsuits in which a government agency or official is a defendant. Meroni and the County also agreed not to disparage or defame each other....

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John Paff is a renown advocate for open government and presently serves as Chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project as well as the NJLP's Preempted Ordinance Repeal Project.

APP LETTER: Elect Luttrell & Grillo Freeholders

Here's a letter to the editor that appeared in the Asbury Park Press the other day from a fiscally conservative Republican calling for the support of two Democrats running for the Monmouth County Freeholder positions:

I’m proud to be a consistent, fiscally conservative Republican. I work hard and feel that I know best how my money should be spent. That’s why this election, I will not be voting for the Republican incumbents running for freeholder. The reason is that they betrayed my trust.

Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich gave $1.2 million of our money to former Republican Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas as part of his “farmland deal.” Now Lucas is going to jail on 11 federal convictions.

A week ago, Rich said the freeholders deserve a raise. Fair enough, but that they should “get paid 5 times as much” is a bit much for me.

This is why I’m voting for two Democrats: Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo for freeholder this year. I’m happy to vote for two successful business owners. When you are responsible for the financial well-being of both your family and your employees, you can’t be anything but a fiscal watchdog.

I feel that Grillo and his runningmate will make sure our tax dollars are not wasted on sweetheart farm deals.

I’m voting for Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo for Monmouth County freeholder and county residents should too. On Nov. 4, let’s remind our elected officials that they work for us or they’re fired.

Joe Pepe
Asbury Park

APP Editorial: Freeholders bear some blame for Lucas fiasco

If you have been keeping tabs on the Andrew Lucas land deal, the Asbury Park Press published a very important editorial today, which blames Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, Deputy Freeholder Director Gary Rich and the all-Republican Freeholder Board for the land deal between Manalapan's Republican former Mayor, Andrew Lucas and Monmouth County. Last week Lucas was just found guilty on all 11 counts for illegally obtaining the property.

This is what Democratic candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo have been campaigning on for months, this editorial collaborates what they have been saying all along and is important for their campaign.  The good ol' boy network that has been running the County for years needs to be stopped and ethical behavior by those we elect needs to be reinstated.

From the APP:

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas was convicted last week of falsifying tax returns and fraudulently obtaining funds to purchase a piece of property that netted him nearly $1.2 million in farmland preservation taxpayer money. 

Andrew Lucas

The convictions, for wire fraud, loan application fraud, making false statements to the Internal Revenue Service, aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a grand jury investigation and falsification could land him in jail for decades when he is sentenced in January.

While officials at the county and local level were quick to distance themselves from Lucas, the whole fiasco could have been avoided if the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders had long ago barred elected and appointed officials from participating in the farmland preservation program. In classic “closing the barn door after the horses have left” fashion, the freeholders did not get around to that until April.

The farmland preservation funding Lucas received for his 97-acre Diamond Developers at Burke Farm sparked controversy as some politicians rightly insisted he should not have applied for the money while he was a sitting officeholder in Manalapan.

After purchasing the farm, Lucas applied for and received $694,800 from the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, $277,920 from Monmouth County’s open space fund, and $185,280 from Manalapan. Under the deal, Lucas was allowed to keep the farm but gave up any right to develop 96 of its 97 acres. While Lucas faces jail, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, who championed the deal from the beginning, now finds herself backpedaling at breakneck speed.

Burry said last week that the “guilty verdict against Andrew Lucas ... has nothing to do with the freeholders, the county or the farmland preservation program.” Lucas, she said, stands alone in that it was he who falsified the tax returns and fraudulently obtained funds to purchase the property.

Burry was not alone in acting as cheerleader for the deal. Manalapan Mayor Jordan Maskowitz and Committeewoman Susan Cohen also supported it from the beginning.
We are not buying Burry’s self-absolution....

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FROELICH: County purchasing still murky, post-Birdsall

Democratic Monmouth County Candidate for Freeholder, Brian Froelich, wrote an Op-Ed that appeared in the Asbury Park Press over the weekend.

While reading Froelich's Op-Ed, keep in mind (as a friend pointed out) that this is the same Freeholder Board that repealed strong county level pay-to-play restrictions because they were 'too confusing' and didn't complement weaker state level restrictions. Shortly thereafter there is the Brookdale College scandal and the Birdsall debacle, with Birdsall being a common element in both scandals. Time to bring ethics back into goverment and the political process in Monmouth County.

From the APP:

Each of the Monmouth County Republican freeholders received campaign contributions donated illegally by the Birdsall Engineering Group that were designed to influence the county purchasing process. But the freeholders and their administrators are in constant refrain that such corruption doesn’t really affect the purchasing process.

In harmonic chorus, Freeholder Thomas Arnone says the bidding and purchasing process is “independent from the freeholders,” County Counsel Andrea Bazer says the purchasing department and process is “above reproach,” and Purchasing Director Gerri Popkin says there is no tie-in between political fundraising and purchasing.

But Chris Christie’s comment when he was U.S. Attorney that political corruption in Monmouth County was both wide and deep may ring more true. Facts indicate that Monmouth County purchasing may be neither independent, beyond reproach or disconnected from political fundraising.

While Arnone (of Neptune City) declares independence, the Monmouth County Fair and Open Process resolution indicates that purchasing is not independent and that the freeholders have control and “sole discretion” over county purchasing processes.
For example, bids for some services (e.g., engineering) often are for one year but can be renewed annually for an additional two years without bidding. In fact, the New Jersey Institute of Government Attorneys stated “the definition of the ‘fair and open process’ is so ambiguous as to be meaningless.”

Meanwhile, numerous vendor complaints about county purchasing procedures indicate that the process may be well within the realm of reproach. For example, recently various vendors complained that the purchasing department was using distributor, rather than manufacturer, part numbers; was purchasing trucks that don’t meet U.S. emissions standards; was specifying 30-day delivery on custom trucks; and that they should hold important pre-bid meetings (a common industry practice).

At a recent meeting, a vendor complained about several problems he has had with purchasing, including the department not bidding certain items, mislabeling items, etc.
Other facts indicate that the connection between political fundraising and purchasing may be longstanding as well as deep. Popkin has been Monmouth County purchasing director for 26 years, with responsibility for purchasing $100 million in goods and services annually. She also is a longtime, active and important Republican political operative.
Popkin (also from Neptune City) was the Monmouth County Republican campaign coordinator (for 23 years), the Monmouth County GOP secretary, the Neptune City GOP municipal chairwoman, and is the current vice president of the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club.

Popkin even advertises that she holds some of these political positions as well as her purchasing position, thus making a direct and visual connection between purchasing and political fundraising. State ethics rules prohibit a state official from using his or her official title for the purpose of fundraising for, or promotion of, a private organization.
As a matter of minimum and sound business practice, Popkin should be rotated out of such a highly sensitive county purchasing position while maintaining such a high profile political position.

Monmouth Freeholders Want Christie To Pay For Special Elections Upfront

Even in the Republican stronghold of Monmouth County, where Governor Christie won with over 60% of the vote in 2009, members of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders think its a waste of money to hold a special election in October

Monmouth County Freeholders Gary Rich, John Curley and Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone, think it's a bad idea to waste of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to hold a special election in October to replace Frank Lautenberg, when we could just have an  election three weeks later and save New Jersey taxpayers $12 million (that is unless the state pays for it upfront and doesn't leave the county holding the bag).

From NJ.com:

Monmouth County officials are happy to hold a special election for U.S. Senator in October, but they would like the state to pay the costs up front.

“We budgeted for the November election and the primary, we did not budget for this election,” Freeholder Gary Rich said. “We are reaching out to the state and asking if they could to fund this up front.”

At their next meeting, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders will consider a resolution to request that the state pay for the Oct. 16 special election and the Aug. 13 party primaries.

At issue are two elections, a primary and a special election, to fill the seat vacated by the late Frank Lautenberg. Typically, counties budget to equip and staff polls each election year, and are later reimbursed by the state.

“With the special elections, the state is throwing the burden on the county, and I believe the county should be paid before them,” Freeholder John Curley said. “We’re struggling as a coastal county with all the problems from Sandy, now we’re left with towns that are devastated and the tax base is deficient.”

Because the special election wasn’t arranged until after Monmouth County passed its budget, it will have to do some re-arranging to finance the several-hundred-thousand dollar cost of two election days.

“The cost is going to be absorbed into the budget this year,” Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone said. “This would be a special emergency appropriation that would be raised through next year’s tax dollars. You receive money back from the state at the end of the year, so it would come back to neutral in the long run, but it would make it easier if we got it first.”

Statewide, the special election has a $12 million estimated cost.

Curley said it would be better if the senatorial election was moved back to the general election, saving all agencies money.... Continue reading

Monmouth County Dems Release Statement Following Former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham Guilty Plea In Court Today

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monmouth County Democratic Organization
Tuesday, July 24th 2012

The following is a statement from Chairman Vin Gopal on behalf of the Monmouth County Democratic Organization regarding today’s guilty plea:

“Earlier today, Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham pled guilty of stealing tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money. The web of corruption surrounding this case is just another example of Monmouth County Republican cronies profiting at the taxpayers’ expense.”

“Mr. Burnham, along with Brookdale Community College’s then Board President William Birsdall and Brookdale’s Board Attorney John Cantalupo were all close allies and major political supporters of the Republican Party establishment here in Monmouth County. Mr. Cantalupo served as Freeholder Lillian Burry’s close confidant and official Campaign Treasurer in her 2005 and 2008 Freeholder campaigns. In this same time period, Mr. Cantalupo negotiated the terms of Peter Burnham’s lavish Brookdale contracts. This represents a clear conflict of interest, given that Mr. Cantalupo was Freeholder Burry’s right hand man. Perhaps this is why Freeholder Burry sat silently on the sidelines as the truth about Mr. Burnhams theft was being exposed.”

“As a result of the Republican-controlled Freeholder Board’s lack of oversight, student tuition increased at Brookdale Community College while their college president profited immensely. This is what happens when a chief advisor for the Republican Freeholders is negotiating salary contracts on behalf of a College President that is funded by these same Republican Freeholders. It is time for Monmouth County taxpayers to unite against the Good Ol’ Boys Network here in Monmouth County”

APP Editorial: Shameful start out of the box

Here is an editorial that the Asbury Park Press has gotten right and if you read the comment posted by readers afterwards, they all seem to agree:

The new 5-0 Republican majority on the Monmouth County freeholder board got off to a disgraceful start this week: Its first order of business was rescinding its tough 2008 pay-to-play campaign finance restrictions. Welcome back to the world of one-party rule.

The old ground rules, passed in response to Operation Bid Rig, a sting targeting money laundering and political corruption that led to the arrests of 13 politicians in the county in 2005, was a huge step in putting an end to the sort of legal bribery that allowed graft to flow freely.

The freeholders now seem to believe that graft and corruption are a thing of the past. Either that or they want to cement their one-party grip on the board, briefly lost the past few years, by ensuring campaign contributors are aptly rewarded when it comes time to handing out contracts.

Under the previous rules, individual contributions were capped at $300, while a firm’s contribution was limited to $2,600. Candidates could not accept a contribution from another county’s political party in excess of $2,600 per election.

Now that those rules have been rescinded, the board will be guided by the state’s lenient “fair and open” bidding process for counties and municipalities, which state Comptroller Matthew Boxer has said is anything but.

In a commentary in the Press last year, Boxer wrote, “The pay-to-play law presents few, if any, real obstacles to local government entities seeking to reward politically favored vendors with public contracts ... a series of fatal flaws have essentially rendered the pay-to-play law meaningless at the local government level.”

What reason did the freeholders offer for changing their minds? Freeholder Lillian Burry, who voted for the tougher pay-to-play regulations in 2008, said they made sense then: “It appeared at the time to be a very necessary thing for us to do,” Burry said.

But now? Burry says the 2008 rules may be “too harsh” and proved “very confusing to the professionals.”

The freeholders apparently would have us believe that the people who want to do business with Monmouth County were absolutely flummoxed by the 2008 county standard, and could not fathom the differences between the county’s rules and the “fair and open” process.

If the freeholders adequately educated potential contract bidders to those differences and they still couldn’t get it, those aren’t the sort of people the county should be hiring in the first place.

What is clear is the freeholders’ action was shameless. They should reinstate the tougher pay-to-play rules. If they don’t, citizens should express their disgust at the polls.

Monmouth Freeholders adopt weak State pay-to-play rules, abandon stronger County rules in place since 2008

Fortunately, former Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallet is still on the job as a outspoken member of the public. The Middletown Patch reported on 1/31/12 that this year’s all-GOP Freeholder Board voted unanimously last week to loosen the County’s pay-to-play rules, and Amy was there to call them on it!

In a vote on Jan. 26th, the Board chose to abandon the tougher County pay-to-play rules for the lax State ones. The reason given by the Board is that contractors were confused by the County rules. However, many other municipalities and counties have the stronger pay-to-play rules in place, so contractors doing business in other towns would already be familiar with them.

The Board’s decision opens the door to rewarding politically connected persons and businesses with County contracts. The move weakens competition and may have the direct effect of increasing property taxes in line with higher contract costs. It’s hard to imagine why any ethical publicly-minded governmental body would do such a thing, unless for personal benefit. It appears the Board members have chosen to grant themselves the latitude to direct contracts at will to ensure their pockets will be lined at election time.

State Comptroller Matthew Boxer said himself that the State pay-to-play law does nothing to prevent the practice by local governments. In September 2011, he released a 20-page report “blasting the law for being toothless” as NJ.com put it.

The effectiveness of Christie’s Tool Kit at holding down property taxes would be vastly improved if it closed the loopholes in the State’s pay-to-play law. But until that happens, it is incumbent upon local governments to do what’s right by having strong pay-to-play rules of their own.

Public advocacy group The Citizens Campaign is calling for the public to attend the Monmouth County Freeholder meeting on Feb. 9th, when the Board will be asked to reinstate the stronger pay-to-play policy. For details, check out their facebook page and if you can, make plans to attend.

Amy Mallet Reflects Back On Her Time As Monmouth County Freeholder

The following letter was received from Freeholder Amy Mallet

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”- Former President Teddy Roosevelt

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve the people of Monmouth County for the past three years. I am proud of my accomplishments which began with promises I made three years ago.

Monmouth County is now a major developer of clean, renewable solar energy at no additional cost to taxpayers. This effort provides environmental and economic benefits now and in the future. User-friendly computers offer the public a chance to learn about our solar savings in real time at four county locations. This initiative has served as a model for other solar projects that are being planned and developed throughout Monmouth County.

A key element in Government must be transparency. I proposed using digital technology so that everyone in the public can hear unedited proceedings of our meetings. Today it is simple from any computer via www.visitmonmouth.com. The home page has a button “Listen to Freeholder Meetings”. This is transparency, but only a start.

Our Legal Department was restructured due to past instances of excessive billing. We hired an in-house counsel to serve in a full-time capacity. This brings accountability and efficiency to our legal matters and has saved over 1.3 million dollars in just over two years.

I lead the expansion of the Veterans Interment office to include professional Veterans Services. Through the passion, diligence and long hours of our trained Veterans Service Officers and Veteran volunteers, this office is busy helping veterans in Monmouth County every day.

A comprehensive Aging Advisory Board brings energy and ideas to helping our seniors. We introduced the free Wellness Discount Program for all residents which offers discounts on prescription medication and other health products and services. Through the Office on Aging, we also established the first caregiver respite program in our county.

I called for changes at Brookdale Community College in order to take it in a better direction. This call came after researching and questioning budgets, meeting minutes, policies and procedures. We need to do what is in the best interest of our students, while providing a premier learning environment, quality education and facilities to our college.

The backbone of county government is our staff, taking us through the day-to-day operations. Many are on the front line directly helping residents care for their health and well-being, improving the safety of our roads and bridges, maintaining our justice system, imprisoning criminals at the jails, disposing and recycling our waste, staffing our libraries, parks and many functions residents do not see.

As liaison to Human Services during my tenure, it is my hope that my successor has the passion to serve as a voice in helping our neighbors who are most vulnerable. This requires an understanding of the needs of those who are less fortunate. They are our neighbors, friends, families and constituents. These individuals and families may be homeless, unemployed, hungry, home-bound, emotionally or developmentally disabled, handicapped, seniors, caregivers, troubled youth, drug and alcohol dependents, returning veterans and so many more. Our staff tends to these needs with a case load which has been growing weekly during these difficult economic times. While the demand for services is that much greater, they have still been able to hold the line on their budgets.

I must point out the areas where I believe there is more to accomplish:

Boards and Commissions which are autonomous require Term Limits. Many residents don’t realize that these entities control spending of millions of tax dollars and influence policy. The makeup of the boards should also be diverse. Turnover would make for a healthier environment. Lack of turnover is contrary to the oversight expected from residents.

Continued consolidation of duplicative functions.

Transparency needs much more work. Meeting Minutes of all autonomous boards and commissions need to be online. I already made this request twice. The website is only as good as the information contained within it. In addition, we should list all employees and new hires online (name, position, department, salary, start date)

Ethics reforms are needed. The Democratic majority instituted an Ethics Board in 2009 which was reversed by the Republicans at their first opportunity. This voluntary board would have been quite busy given the questionable situations which have arisen. Government should not be left to police itself, and history tells us there is too much at stake here to be ignored.

Advertising Panels on our bus fleet will serve many purposes including a new revenue stream. My suggestion is that we start by cross-promoting our Care Centers to bring awareness and fill additional beds which will be a revenue source. After testing the program, we can promote this program to outside entities for advertising revenue.

In the words of John Quincy Adams “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” I hope that my leadership will inspire more residents to ask questions, get involved and exercise their right to vote. Let’s never forget that this is a government “of” the people, “by” the people and “for” the people. Anything short of this is unconstitutional.

Amy Handlin Gets Tony Palughi Loyalty Award

This scathing letter that doesn't pull any of its punches against Republican Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, appears online at the Atlantic Highlands Herald.

The letter was written by the former Republican Chairman of Freehold Township Romeo Cascaes and gives some very strong reasons why she shouldn't be supported by fellow Republicans in a reelection bid for her 13th District Assembly seat tomorrow.

Dear Editor,

I would like to nominate Amy Handlin for the Tony Palughi Loyalty Award. She has certainly earned it.

The Tony Palughi Loyalty Award, which I just created, should be awarded to the person who has consistently spit upon those most responsible for their own success.

As you know, some years back Tony Palugi got himself into a peck of trouble with the feds, then turned on Harry Larrison by incriminating him in order to receive a lighter sentence. Harry had been like a father to the bum.

Now, once again, Ambitious Amy throws Harry Larrison under the bus, when in fact she should thankfully pray for him and for all Harry did to further her career in politics (Harry would affectionately call Amy, “The Gentle Lady”).

First, he supported Amy in her initial quest for the nomination. Without his support she would never have advanced up the political ladder. Moreover, when Amy rankled many Republicans who had worked hard for her elections over the years, it was Harry Larrison who, on at least two occasions, saved Amy from being dumped from the ticket. When most Republicans abandoned her, it was Harry Larrison who asked me to help her raise funds for her empty war chest, produce campaign materials and other such necessities of a successful re-election effort. I assure you Harry did a lot more than I did on Amy’s behalf.

I knew Harry Larrison for 40 years. I never once detected a crooked bone in his body. He loved Monmouth County and worked very hard for it. He was a visionary who looked beyond the problems of the moment to plan for a Monmouth County “for our children’s children.” No one, dead or alive, has done more for this county than Freeholder Director Harry Larrison, Jr.
Now, on the eve of her latest re-election campaign Amy comes out with a new book about her years on the Board of Chosen Freeholders – calling it “Crony Capitalism.”

She was a member of the Board for 16 years; why has she waited so long to “expose” this nasty system. Where was she for 16 years? She had 16 opportunities to vote against Harry Larrison as Director of the Board, the leader and head crony; 16 opportunities to speak out and do something.

She did nothing!

Instead, for 16 years she was an integral part of it - she was a Principal Crony - and helped perpetuate its existence, if in fact it did exist at all, other than in her mind.

When Tony Palughi was appointed Bridge Superintendent, did Freeholder Handlin rise in protest? No! She did nothing! In fact, she willingly accepted Tony’s help in all of her re-election campaigns without so much as a whimper.

So now, Amy Handlin authors a book about the bad Republican freeholders just before her two Republican running mates are vying to retain their well-deserved seats on the Board. The timing of the release of her book is intended to help Handlin get re-elected but it sure won’t help her fellow Republican freeholder candidates.

As always, Amy Handlin thinks only of Amy Handlin.

Amy Handlin is a self-absorbed, self-righteous human being who doesn’t deserve the loyalty of Republicans nor the electorate.

Romeo Cascaes
Former Republican Chairman
Freehold Township

Asbury Park Press Endorses Amy Mallet for Freeholder

The Asbury Park Press today endorsed Amy Mallet's re-election bid for Monmouth County Freeholder. Here is some of what the APP had to say:

"...As with any elected body, bipartisan representation tends to keep both parties on their best behavior.

The long stretch of 5-0 GOP domination in the late 1990s and most of the following decade proved unhealthy for the county’s political culture.

For that reason and more, we support the candidacies of incumbent Amy Mallet, the lone Democrat on the board...

Mallet, 55, who is seeking her second term, has been the strongest voice ... for open government and fiscal restraint. Mallet also established the Monmouth County Veterans Service Office and was responsible for the largest solar project in the county....

...Mallet’s allegations that Burry provided patronage work to friends and allies, and was casual about hiring procedures, have merit.Burry also supported, unlike Mallet, signing off on the questionable deal that would pay Manalapan’s Republican mayor, Andrew Lucas, $1.15 million to preserve his farm in Manalapan.

The deal has been put on hold by the State Agriculture Development Committee, pending a ruling from the State Ethics Commission...."

Unfortunately for Mallet's running mate, Bill Shea, the APP chose not to endorse him as well. It seems that the APP has once again decided that it would be better to "bullet" their endorsement than take a definitive stand that would provide much needed support of Freeholder Mallet while she sits on the dais in Freehold.

Shea is a bright and energenic guy that wouldn't be intimidated by others on the board and he would provide the much need 2nd vote that would allow many items to be discussed or brought to a vote.

Middletown Issues State Of Emergency in Wake of Hurricane Irene; Evacuation Of The Bayshore Is Urged

As posted on the Middletown Township website

Middletown has issued a state of emergency as of 10:00AM Friday the 26th of August for Middletown Township following Gov. Chris Christie’s and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholder’s declaration of a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Irene.

Right now, residents living in coastal and low-lying areas are urged to evacuate voluntarily, especially those who have experienced flooding before.

Evacuation Routes

Weather Updates - www.noaawatch.gov

Additional Hurricane Information.

Monmouth County has established Red Cross shelters in Holmdel High School, 36 Crawford’s Corner Rd., Holmdel, and Wall High School, 1630 18th Avenue, Wall. The shelters will open at 5 p.m. today. Please note pets are not allowed in the shelters.

Directions to Holmdel High School
Get Google Directions to Holdmel HS
Wall High School Directions

Middletown Township will provide information updates as they become available via

Telephone using the Reverse 911 system,
Middletown Emergency Radio Station 1620 AM
The township website at www.middletownnj.org,
The township’s television station viewable on Comcast Channel 20 and Verizon Fios Channel 26, and E-mail and cell phone text message.

Residents must be registered with the Township Citizen Communications System to receive e-mail updates and cell phone text messages. Residents can register for alerts and updates at https://middletownnj.my.gov-i.com/signup Registration is not required to receive Reverse 911 phone messages.

Gov. Christie warned potential visitors not to come to the shore this weekend, and he urged residents and visitors along the shore to leave tonight.

A state of emergency will allow the Office of Emergency Management to mobilize all county resources and direct them where they are needed to protect life and property. These actions can include ordering mandatory evacuations and controlling traffic on all roadways.

Irene is expected to arrive Saturday night and continue with high winds and rain throughout the day on Sunday. The governor said he is considering ordering a mandatory evacuation, and the county will follow suit if and when that decision is made.

For everyone else, it is important to prepare for the storm before it hits.

Middletown Emergency Management Coordinator Charles W. Rogers strongly suggests that residents assemble a kit of emergency supplies, creating an emergency plan and tuning into local radio and television for current information.

Recommended items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

· Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
· Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
· Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
· Flashlight and extra batteries
· First aid kit
· Whistle to signal for help
· Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
· Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
· Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
· Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
· Local maps
· Cell phone with chargers

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
· Prescription medications and glasses
· Infant formula and diapers
· Pet food and extra water for your pet
· Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
· Cash or traveler's checks and change
· Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
· Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
· Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
· Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
· Fire Extinguisher
· Matches in a waterproof container
· Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
· Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
· Paper and pencil
· Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Plan – create an emergency plan – Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan a way to contact one another, such as enlisting the help of a third party in another state as a contact, and review what you will do in different situations.

Stay informed – Listen to local radio and television for information on storms and other emergencies

Board Appointments Lead to Term Limits Debate Among Freeholders; Freeholder Amy Mallet voted against the reappointment of a Board of Health member.

Written by Jacklyn Corley, Manalapan Patch-

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders appointed members to county boards during Thursday’s regular meeting in Freehold.

On the Mental Health Board, Helene Kalkay, of Holmdel, and Sally Pari, of Morganville, were reappointed to three-year terms; David Stout, of Wall, was reappointed to a one-year term; and Ian Nussbaum, of Little Silver, was appointed to a two-year term.

On the Board of Health, June Counterman, of Roosevelt, and Judy Thorpe, of Freehold, were reappointed to three-year terms.

Freeholder Amy Mallet, who has advocated term limits for county boards, voted against Counterman’s reappointment.

“My concern is the consecutive numbers of years served, and in this situation it’s since 1978. Someone can serve for as long as 10, 12 years, but after that I’d like to see more rotation,” Mallet said.

She noted that her vote was not a reflection of Counterman’s work, which she characterized as excellent, but was merely consistent with her position on term limits.

Freehold Lillian Burry said the county’s Board of Health was in dire need of members and has difficulty reaching a quorum to hold meetings. The board currently has a vacancy for a term that ended June 30.

“Here we’re proposing to take a very dedicated, hardworking member and saying ‘Thank you for your service. We’re going to give you the golden handshake, but we don’t need your services anymore.’ And now we’re down another person on the Board of Health. It just defies logic,” Burry said.

All other appointments were approved unanimously.

Read more....Here

Atlantic Highlands Library Is Monmouth County's Newest Branch

I found the following press release from Monmouth County somewhat interesting since Middletown's Township Committee threatened to turn over the operation of the Middletown Library to the county earlier this year if it did not receive adequate reserved funds handed over to it, so that the funds could be applied this years Township budget.

While the circumstances behind Atlantic Highlands transferring its' library over to the county was no less controversy, you didn't have the public grandstanding and threats by it's town council Like you did in Middletown that sparked such public outrage amounts library supporters.

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ - Monmouth County will officially welcome the Atlantic Highlands Library as the Library System’s on May 1, marking the addition of the 13th branch to the largest circulating library system in the state.

“It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Atlantic Highlands as our newest branch in the Monmouth County Library System,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Library Commission. “Atlantic Highlands is home to my daughter and grandchildren, and I know first-hand what a wonderful community it is. A library branch there only makes it more special.”

The Atlantic Highlands Borough Council last year voted to join the county library as a branch, and the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders confirmed the action in a vote in December.

“We are so pleased that the people of Atlantic Highlands have chosen to expand our long association by becoming a branch of the library,” said Renee B. Swartz, Monmouth County Library Commission chairwoman. “We will always be mindful of the faith you have demonstrated in our institution and honored that you entrusted the operation of the Atlantic Highlands Library to the library commission.”

Beginning May 1, the library at 48 Avenue C will offer new expanded hours:

Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays - 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fridays - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

During the past few months, work has been ongoing to make the borough library’s computer system and catalog compatible with the county system. The library is currently located on Avenue C while its new home is under construction as part of the renovations at the borough hall on First Avenue. The renovation project expected to be completed later this year.

The county library headquarters is located in Manalapan. Libraries with branch status in the county system include the Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury, Allentown, Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Hazlet, Holmdel, Howell, Marlboro, Ocean Township, Oceanport, Wall and West Long Branch.

Sign The Petition Calling For Term Limits For Members of Monmouth County Boards and Commissions

A petition in support of establishing term limits for members of Monmouth County’s independent Boards and Commissions as proposed by Freeholder Amy Mallet is making the rounds.

Establishing term limits is an idea long over due, for the life of me I don't understand how Freeholder Mallett's colleagues on the Board of Chosen Freeholders can be opposed to implementing them after what has gone on around the County over the past several years.

It shouldn't matter if board or commission members serve voluntarily or not, no one should sit on a board for nearly 50 years like some will be doing once their current terms expire. It leads to graft, corruption and complacency.

The petition states:

That the recent events at Brookdale Community College, which revealed a disturbing lack of financial oversight, occurred during the tenure of a Chair and Vice Chair of that Board of Trustees who have enjoyed terms of 23 and 16 years, respectively.The fifty-six (56) volunteer members of our county's seven (7) Boards recommend policy, oversee budgets, make purchasing decisions, become involved with contracting and hiring, and generally oversee the operation of programs and services that spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. They are not elected and most residents have little understanding of, or access to, how they carry out their responsibilities. The Board of Freeholders appoints Board members and frequently allows them to serve for decades.

This petition advocates for the rotation of these important Board members. Term limits are set policy for many professional and business boards. Shorter terms promote more objectivity, creativity and accountability while lessening the chances of complacency. Freeholder Amy Mallet has proposed a Resolution to be voted on by her fellow Freeholders that would establish such term limits. By signing this Petition you are expressing your support for this Resolution which limits Board members to terms that do not exceed 10-12 consecutive years. You will also be taking a significant step toward increasing the accountability of these Boards and the likelihood that their members will carry out their duties in the best interests of the citizens of Monmouth County.

To sign the petition click >>> Here

Letting The "Sunshine" In Monmouth

By Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallet

Common sense tells us that government is more responsive and ethical when its actions are open to public scrutiny. As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis famously said, “Sunlight is the best of disinfectants.” Woodrow Wilson, who appointed Brandeis to the Supreme Court, wrote about the need to shed light on the government. He said, “Light is the only thing that can sweeten our political atmosphere.”

As far back as the 1890s several states were already experimenting with disclosure rules to combat corruption in campaign finance. This is not a new conversation. Modern times change the delivery, but history provides us with perspective, and sometimes even inspiration.

The digital age allows more opportunities to let the sun in than ever before. We are living in unique times where technology creates new, exciting opportunities to widen access between the public and government. New tools such as imaging, scanning, the Internet, mass storage capacity and millions of hand-held devices have the potential to give people better insight into governmental decision-making, budgeting and spending.

This progress allows for two-way communication. For example, through the county Web site, individuals can send an e-mail with concerns or comments on a particular issue. The success of our political system requires that citizens be involved.

Human nature is such that elected officials who see no public interest in their activities are more likely to stray from the core interests of their constituents. At its worst, circumstances where elected officials face an apathetic public provide a breeding ground for corruption and abuse. Citizens need to care about how we govern, understand how government works and be aware of the issues we are addressing. They also need the tools to hold elected officials accountable for their actions.

Since taking office, I have advocated for certain changes geared toward a more transparent, accessible government:

In 2009, the Board of Chosen Freeholders supplemented online meeting agendas with the resolutions that were up for consideration by the board. This allowed the public to see more than just titles of these items.

Also in 2009, Monmouth County embraced social media and developed Facebook and Twitter sites.

In 2010, Monmouth County also began posting its proposed budget online. In the past it was posted only after it had been adopted.

Also in 2010, at my request and at little expense to the taxpayers, our Clerk of the Board moved from an antiquated tape system of recording minutes to digital recording technology. I would like to say this brought us into the 21st century, but it is more accurate to say it brought us out of the 1980s. This simple improvement has now allowed staff to more accurately transcribe the minutes, freed up space that had previously been used to store cassette tapes and gave the freeholders and staff immediate access to the important discussions that take place.
I am proud that as a result of moving to digital recordings of freeholder meetings, full audio of regular and workshop meetings are now available on the county Web site,http://www.visitmonmouth.comThis allows residents who are unable to attend meetings to hear the discussions that took place and stay more engaged in issues that are relevant to their lives.

The benefits of this technology go beyond convenience. We find ourselves in troubled times where citizens and the governments that serve them confront dire financial challenges. Municipal, county and state governments must be held to the highest standards of efficiency and productivity. The best means of reaching that goal is to pull back the curtain. In addition to posting meeting minutes and the budget we should post expenditures and employment and other contracts.

Despite these technological advances, I recommend that residents attend the meetings. They are generally held at the Hall of Records, 1 East Main St. in Freehold, with workshops at 2 p.m. and regular meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. There are exceptions when the board takes the meetings on the road. A full and detailed schedule of meetings, as well as a wealth of other information, can be found on the county Web site.

Moving forward in this fashion would be a marked departure from the way many of our local public bodies have approached accessibility. But as technology advances excuses for failing to make this type of information available will evaporate.

Public officials need to be imaginative and efficient in organizing and making these documents available to the public. They should be encouraged in the knowledge that their efforts to promote government transparency fulfill the intent of those who founded our great country and ensures that the power entrusted to elected officials will not be abused.

APP Editorial: County counsel: He's baaack!

Today's editorial in the Asbury Park Press hits the nail on the head. Why on earth would Lillian Burry, Rob Clifton, John Curley or the other guy, ever consent to bringing back Malcom Carton for any type of legal services after he was dismissed from his duties last year?

It seems as though the "good ol' boys" are back in charge of Monmouth County and they must think residents/voters have forgotten all the nonsense of the past, after regaining control of the Freeholders Board.

Democrat Amy Mallet was the only member of the five-member Monmouth Couny freeholder board who had the good sense to vote against appointing Malcolm Carton — longtime county counsel — to handle the legal work for bail forfeitures for the county.

Mallet said she voted "no" because the resolution appointing Carton "lacked transparency." Specifically, it said the law firm for which Carton works would provide the special counsel services. No mention was made of Carton. To find that out, the freeholders would have had to read the proposal from the law firm stating Carton would be assigned the work.

But there were much better reasons than that for steering clear of Carton, who was replaced as county counsel in 2009, then appointed as a special counsel in 2010, purportedly to allow him to complete unfinished cases and ease the transition for the new county counsel. All ties with Carton should have been severed then — permanently.

In case the current freeholders forgot, Carton was the last vestige of the good ol' boy, all-Republican freeholder board that governed the county when corruption ran rampant. In early 2005, a federal corruption sting centered in Monmouth County netted the late Harry Larrison, then-director of the freeholders, and seven other county officials.

As county counsel, the legal fees Carton billed the county were nearly four times higher than what many other counties paid their chief counsel. In 2005, a Press comparison of county counsel fees showed Carton had billed about $400,000 a year since 1997. In 2005, the state's most populous county — Essex — paid its chief counsel $105,000. Mercer and Bergen counties paid their top counsels about $108,000.

Carton raised tens of thousands of campaign dollars for county Republicans, and his strong party ties posed unhealthy conflicts of interest.

Given Carton's history, it's hard to believe that even the four Republican freeholders currently on the board wouldn't want to turn the page on someone so strongly associated with one of the darkest chapters in the county's political history.

Freeholder Mallet Comments on Blog Posting, "...Limit Terms Of Volunteer Squashed By Opposition"

Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallett just so happens to be a reader of this blog as well as personal friend. She sent me the following comment via email yesterday after reading Saturday's post, Monmouth Freeholder Mallet's Proposal To Limit Terms Of Volunteer Squashed By Opposition. After expressing her gratitude for the post she added:

...Their opposition to this is clearly an insult to the people of Monmouth County. The allegiance here is to the many personal and political ties with those on these boards. Checking attendance records and closer scrunity at reappointments is not adequate. Many have served for decades, and some are appointed based on political patronage. Regardless, turnover is healthy and practiced for a reason by many professional boards.

What also needs to be addressed is that these autonomous agencies have spending authority, and are responsible for millions of tax dollars. They make the decisions on hiring as we recently read about with the recent library hire, spending such as choice of vendors, policy as in the parks commission and the list goes on and on....

Thank you Freeholder Mallet for your kind words towards myself and the blog in your email response. You're doing a great job representing the tax payers of Monmouth County by being a watchdog over those that would rather watch out for their political cronies rather than the tax payers they're suppose to represent.

Monmouth Freeholder Mallet's Proposal To Limit Terms Of Volunteer Squashed By Opposition

According to the Asbury Park Press, Monmouth County Freeholder Amy Mallet, the lone Democrat on the Freeholder Board, proposed a resolution at Thursday's worship meeting that would have placed 10 -12 year term limits on those that serve voluntarily on various County boards, commissions and authorities. Her reasoning behind this resolution was to provide "fresh ideas" and eliminate complacency on boards that have fiduciary control over county programs and services, the APP reported.

Her proposal was voted by the four Republican members of the Freeholder board for various reason, none of which, in my opinion hold much salt.

Why should members that have sat on boards or commissions for up to 33 years be "grandfathered" and allowed to sit upwards to another 12 year before having to leave, as Freeholder John Curley argued when he opposed the measure?

I think Mallet is on target here and her measure should be debated, refined and eventually implemented to one degree or another. It makes sense, but of course, because it makes sense it has no chance of being passed by the Republican dominated Freeholder Board.

Here is a snippet of the APP's article:

A resolution that would have created term limits for volunteers who serve on Monmouth County's autonomous boards and commissions was squashed by the freeholder board's Republican majority.

Freeholder Amy Mallet, the lone Democrat, posted a resolution for consideration at Thursday's workshop that would prohibit volunteers from serving more than 10 or 12 years at a time, depending on the length of their term. She argued that a rotating membership is critical to provide "fresh ideas" and eliminate complacency on boards that have fiduciary control over county programs and services.

"This is a good start to making the necessary systemic changes," Mallet said, adding that she drafted the resolution in response to the recent Brookdale Community College scandal over the former president's generous benefits package and a criminal investigation into spending irregularities within the president's office.

But the four Republicans argued that good volunteers would be thrown out with the bad.

"I am completely opposed to this resolution," Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said. "It's an insult to the people who give their time and talent and are not compensated for it."

Freeholder John Curley had expressed support for term limits before the meeting and even conceded Thursday there was public support for the measure. But he said he couldn't vote for the resolution because the lack of a grandfather clause for sitting members nearing their limit was "too harsh."

Freeholder Director Robert Clifton said he would have preferred each board member start from zero when they come up for re-appointment, but Mallet said that's too long to wait for change. She insisted Friday that she will work with the Republicans on a compromise version but wasn't immediately sure where she would bend.

Clifton stressed that what needs to be changed is how the freeholder board decides who should serve in these critical roles. Essentially, no more rubber stamping appointments.

The freeholders, he said, need to be more vigilant in scrutinizing each appointment. That means reviewing the meeting minutes, attendance records, interviewing candidates and getting recommendations from respective staff members and board chairmen.

But shouldn't they have been doing that all along?

"There's no excuse," Clifton said Friday. "We are where we are, and we need to step it up. It's more work for the freeholders, but that's what we were elected to do."...

You can read more >>> Here

Wow Big News; Monmouth County Freeholders Reduce Proposed 2011 Budget by $3.7M

Hey have you heard, the Monmouth County Freeholders have produced a new proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 that has reduced the previously proposed budget by $3.7 million?

I guess we're all suppose to be happy with this latest budget proposal because it reflects a decrease of $1.1 million from last year's adopted county budget.

That would be big new to me if the amount to be raised by taxes wasn't increased by $6.8 million (or 2.26%) to fund the nearly 1/2 billion dollar budget.

I find it very hard to believe that out of a proposed budget of $492 million, the Freeholders can only find cuts that amount to less than 1% of this budget.

If you ask me, if the members of the Monmouth County Freeholder's Board can point fingers at those who run Brookdale Community College to ferret out wasteful spending after the Burnham debacle, then they should be able to find wasteful spending with in their own departments that would lead to less spending and lower amount of tax dollars needed to be raised through taxation.

I wonder if the Bayshore or other Monmouth County Tea Party organizations have an opinion of their own on this?

I'm just saying....