For Immediate Release:

April 8, 2015

Food drive all month long

April is National County Government Month

Freeholders promote Food Drive and recycling

“New Jersey’s 21 counties serve as a middle level of government between the state and federal governments and the municipalities,” Freeholder Director 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.”

“One of the most important services that the County provides is waste management through our Reclamation Center,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso. “This April, the County will focus on educating our residents about the importance of recycling and all of the resources that are available to help them recycle, such as backyard composting workshops and paper shredding events.”

Recycling aluminum, glass and plastic bottles (#1 and #2) is critical to extend the life of the County landfill. Removing these items from the waste stream will help to save space at the landfill and extend its usable life.

The County has once again partnered with the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties to sponsor a month-long food drive.

“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 John P. Curley said. “For a fourth 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 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 on April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Manasquan Recreation Annex and April 18 at 10 a.m. at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown.
• The County Park System will celebrate Earth Day weekend on from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 26 on April 26, where you will find outdoor activities at several park locations. For more information, log on to www.monmouthcountyparks.com.
• The Health Department is also offering a free eye screening clinic on April 13 from 2 to 6 p.m. in Freehold, a free rabies clinic on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Keansburg and several Healthy Home classes. For more information about the Health Department’s programs this month, log on to www.visitmonmouth.com.

“We urge residents to utilize the resources we provide to keep up with all Monmouth County government events and information,” Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone 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.”

A “County Fact of the Day” is posted to Facebook, Twitter and www.visitmonmouth.com every day for the entire month of April.

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.

“Monmouth County can be proud of the variety and high standard of services it provides to the community,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry 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 are served by four constitutional officers; three of whom are elected, the fourth is the county Prosecutor, who is appointed by the governor.

Acting County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni’s office oversees criminal investigations and prosecutions and educates the public about the criminal justice system, crime prevention and victims' rights.

The other three constitutional positions are elected directly by County voters:

• 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.
• Acting County Clerk Christine Hanlon’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.

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 satellite 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.

County continues to hold a AAA bond rating from all three major bond-rating agencies, a fete only a 33 counties nationwide have achieved. The financial strength of the County allows municipalities, school board and other government agencies to borrow money through the Monmouth County Improvement Authority at the lowest possible interest rate.

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