County of Monmouth

For Immediate Release:

April 11, 2013

 

April is National County Government Month

Freeholders promote Food Drive and ‘Smart Justice’

FREEHOLD, NJ –Monmouth County is celebrating National County Government Month during the month of April and is highlighting county government programs and services to the public. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Smart Justice.”

 

“County government plays an significant role in the life of your family and community – keeping records,building and maintaining roads and providing a human services for those in need,” Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone said. “For a second year, the county is putting April’s county government month efforts into a countywide food drive in our offices and branch libraries.”

 

Non-perishable, protein-rich foods such as peanut butter, granola bars and tuna fish are examples of items suitable for donation in the Food Drive of Monmouth County that will benefit the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. 

 

The main collection points are 11 of the county library branches, including the Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury and the Library Headquarters in Manalapan. Collection bins are also at the Belford Ferry Terminal, Thompson Park Visitor Center in Lincroft, Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center in Howell, the County Hall of Records in Freehold Borough and the Agriculture and Human Services buildings in Freehold Township.

 

“As an incentive, the libraries are offering to erase fines for overdue materials in exchange for donations of food,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the county Library System. “Our hope is that library patrons return their overdue items and settle their late fees with contributions to the County’s food drive.”

 

Other National County Government Month events and activities in April include:

  • “My County” poster contest that invites the county’s fourth graders to help showcase what they like best about Monmouth County by creating posters that depict something special and unique to the county, including county government. The contest is sponsored by Sheriff Shaun Golden, County Clerk M. Claire French and Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters, who are all constitutional officers of the county. For more information, call732-577-6613.
  • The Recycling Division will conduct 45-minute backyard composting workshops to show how to reduce yard and household waste and improve your soil. Advance registration sessions are April 6 at 10 a.m. at the Millstone Community Center, April 14 at 10 a.m. at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown and April 20 at 10 a.m. at the Ocean Township Library.
  • The county Park System will celebrate Earth Day weekend on from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.on April 20 at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center in Howell and in many other county parks on April 21. For more information, log on to www.monmouthcountyparks.com.
  • The Health Department is also offering free rabies clinic on April 20 from 10 a.m. to noon in Marlboro.

“We urge residents to utilize the resources we provide to keep up with all Monmouth County government events and information,” Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso said. “The county’s website is the best 24-hour resource. Be sure to register for the County’s regular news updates and you can also connect to the County with Facebook and Twitter.”

 

Residents can sign up for a County e-news subscriptions and announcements on the County website at www.visitmonmouth.com.

 

Other information sources include:

  • Getting an info feed of tourism updates and news emergencies from Twitter at “MonmouthGovNJ”
  • Watching “Monmouth In Focus,” the county television show, on YouTube
  • Listening to audio recordings of Board of Chosen Freeholder meetings at www.visitmonmouth.com
  • Sending an email to contact@co.monmouth.nj.us
  • Calling the County’s Department of Public Information and Tourism at 732-431-7310.

“New Jersey’s 21 counties serve as a middle level of government between the state and federal governments and the municipalities,” Freeholder Gary J. Rich Jr. said. “Our responsibility is to provide regional services such as solid waste disposal and mosquito control, and maintain our long-standing responsibilities with the courts, roads, social services and the conduct of elections.”

 

“Monmouth County can be proud of the variety and high standard of services it provides to the community,” Freeholder John P. Curley said. “National County Government Month is a great opportunity to remind residents to take advantage of all the great County services. We are very proud of the important services and programs Monmouth County provides each day and especially the people who deliver them.”

 

The five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders gets its powers from the state Legislature. The Board sets policy and budget for county government operations. The freeholders meet on a regular basis, usually on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. A complete list of the freeholder meeting dates, times and locations is available on the county website at www.visitmonmouth.com.

 

In addition to the Board of Chosen Freeholders, residents elect three constitutional officers. One other constitutional officer, is that of the County Prosecutor, who is appointed by the governor. The County Prosecutor’s office oversees criminal investigations and prosecutions and educates the public about the criminal justice system, crime prevention and victims' rights.

 

“The theme of ‘Smart Justice’ this year is a goal that our office strives for every year,” said Christopher J. Gramiccioni, Acting County Prosecutor. “It is essential for our office to not only enforce justice, but also to educate the public about the criminal justice system.”

 

The other three positions are elected directly by County voters:

  • County Clerk M. Claire French’s office issues real property records, maintains the Open Public Records Search system, oversees the passport office and federal, state, county and local elections. The number for the County Clerk’s Office is 732-431-7324.
  • Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters’ office probates wills, qualifies administrators of estates, and files applications for guardianships and adoptions. The Surrogate’s number is 732-431-7330.
  • County Sheriff Shaun Golden’s office manages the 9-1-1 communications center, the County corrections facility, the law enforcement division and the Office of Emergency Management. The telephone number for the Sheriff’s Office is 732-431-7139.
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For the most current information about county programs, services and facts, log onto the official Monmouth County government website at www.visitmonmouth.com.

 

The Monmouth County Connection, which is a new office of the Monmouth County Clerk, offers a variety of services including passports, passport photos, free notary public, veterans’ IDs, election/voter information, senior and veterans’ services, public access computers and more. The County Connection is located at 3544 State Highway 66 in Neptune, adjacent to the Home Depot and across the street from Walmart.  For more information, contact the County Connection at 732-303-2828.

 

The County also maintains an information kiosk at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown where residents can pick up literature about county programs and services. The kiosk, located near the mall’s customer service desk, is a cooperative project with the Monmouth Mall management that began with the April 2007 celebration of county government.

 

A current list of county events, activities and meetings is always available on the county website at www.visitmonmouth.com. Also, regular updates are made to the county’s calendar of events as well as its tourism, health, library and parks calendars. Check back often for updated events, dates, times and locations of county activities.

 

Since 1991 the National Association of Counties (NACo) has encouraged counties across the country to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of counties.

 

NACo is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Of the 3,066 counties in the United States, Monmouth County is among only 39 to boast an AAA bond rating by all three major rating agencies. The county has maintained that unique financial position for each of the last 15 years and is the only county in New Jersey to have a AAA rating.

 

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