For
Immediate Release:
July 10, 2020
Freeholder
Director releases statement regarding changing the title of “Freeholder” in New
Jersey
FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone released
the following statement regarding the announcement that New Jersey will be
phasing out the title “Freeholder.”
“The announcement that the State has decided to change the title
of county freeholders, in the middle of a pandemic, is mind blowing. This is
not the time for grand standing and changing the title of elected officials is
not going to help anyone.
Not only will it not help, but changing the title right now
is actually going to cost our taxpayers money, when so many are already
struggling. We have businesses that cannot open, hundreds of businesses who are
closing permanently, and more than 1.3 million people on unemployment, not to
mention the thousands of residents who are being furloughed.
To change the title of a freeholder, thousands of taxpayer
dollars will need to be spent to update and change every sign, structure or
material that bears the title. This is something that is going to take an
incredible amount of time, effort and money to accomplish.
There are countless issues that the State should be
focusing on right now, including the complete mess we have had with the Motor Vehicle
Commissions reopening and getting our residents back to work.
Monmouth County has remained focused on the important
things—helping small businesses and residents who are out of work or in need of
social services and mental health services.
The County is partnering with the Grunin Foundation to
provide testing services to residents in more densely populated urban areas,
committing up to $250,000 of CARES Act funding.
They say actions speak louder than words and the actions of
the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have been and will continue to
be done in the best interest of our residents—no matter what we are called.”
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