Merry Christmas….Holiday Express and Bruce Springsteen, 1994

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Merry Christmas!

Courtesy of Teddy Bears by-the Shore

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Oceanport Is Advertising For A Borough Administrator

It seems that Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett will not be both the Borough Administrator and Borough Attorney in Oceanport after all.

The borough is advertising the borough administrator position on its website and on the League of Municipalities site.  Applications were due last week, but the ads are still running.

Click to read ad

The Borough Attorney, Bennett became the Acting Administrator in early November after the previous Acting Administrator, Phil Huhn, stepped down. Kimberly Jungfer resigned as Borough Administrator and Clerk to take the same job in neighboring Little Silver in June.

Bennett pitched the idea of being both the Borough Attorney and Administrator to Mayor Michael J. Mahon and the Council as a cost saving measure.

“It would be a win-win for everybody,” Bennett said, noting that the borough would save money in legal fees if he held both posts. He said he is not seeking pension credits or health benefits in the proposed position.

But questions about the inherent conflicts put the kibosh on the arrangement, even on a temporary basis.  Scott Arnette  was hired as Acting Borough Attorney for the month of December and Bennett continues as Acting Administrator for the remainder of 2013.

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Short Hills mall shooting: Essex sheriff says mall stopped using his officers for outside security 3 years ago

Short Hills mall shooting: Essex sheriff says mall stopped using his officers for outside security 3 years ago (via NJ.com)

In the wake of last week’s carjacking that left a Hoboken attorney dead outside The Mall at Short Hills, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said today that it’s time for New Jersey’s shopping complexes to beef up security in parking lots and other…

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Short Hills mall carjacking suspects had criminal records ranging from bank robbery to burglary

Short Hills mall carjacking suspects had criminal records ranging from bank robbery to burglary (via NJ.com)

NEWARK — When Basim Henry robbed a Union Township bank in November 2003, it was not hard to connect him to the crime. He had driven his white Pontiac to the bank on Morris Avenue, authorities said, and left it parked illegally on an adjacent side…

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BREAKING: Arrests made in connection with fatal carjacking outside Short Hills mall

BREAKING: Arrests made in connection with fatal carjacking outside Short Hills mall (via NJ.com)

MILLBURN — Four men have been arrested in the fatal shooting of a Hoboken lawyer during a carjacking outside the Mall at Short Hills on Sunday, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s office. A press conference has been scheduled for 9 a.m. this…

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Gramiccioni And Golden: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Monmouth County Police Departments have been given grants to target drunk or impaired drivers this holiday season as part of a statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative, warned Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni and Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative focuses on mobilizing police departments across the state during the holiday season in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk and impaired driving through concentrated enforcement activities. The 2012 holiday season “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative resulted in 1,555 Driving While Intoxicated arrests statewide, with 42 of those arrests taking place in Monmouth County, between December 7, 2012 and January 2, 2013.

“The statistics are sobering enough. The holidays are a time to create lasting memories with your family and friends, not destroy family and friends who will be forced to recall the horrific death of a loved one who wasn’t sober and got behind the wheel of a vehicle,” Gramiccioni said.

“No family should have to face the death of another family member during the holiday season, or any time of the year for that matter. The message is clear: ‘Don’t Drink and Drive’, so the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ initiative should simply resonate with anyone who operates any motor vehicle this holiday season,” said Golden.

For the cost of a dinner or another round, get a ride home.  You might be drunker than you think:

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Christie nominates Cliff Moore to the Monmouth County Tax Board

Cliff Moore

Governor Chris Christie has nominated Clifford J. Moore, III of Hazlet to the Monmouth County Board of Taxation.

If confirmed by the State Senate, Moore will replace Daniel M. Kelly of Little Silver on the board.  Kelly resigned last month due to professional commitments.

Moore is the president of the Keyport Bayfront Business Cooperative , past president of the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, and co-chair of the Hazlet Business Owners Association Economic Development Committee. Moore ran for Hazlet Township Committee, as a Democrat, last November.  He is an owner of seven business in Hazlet and Keyport.

The Monmouth County Board of Taxation is comprised of four Republicans and three Democrats. Moore is taking a Democratic seat. The party of the incumbent governor holds the majority.

Matthew S. Clark, the Monmouth County Tax Administrator, said that the commissioners have a “broader, taller responsibility” than they have had in years past, as Monmouth is the first county in New Jersey to implement the Assessment Demonstration Program signed into law by Governor Christie in March.   The Assessment Demonstration Program is “true property tax reform,” according to Clark, which includes online appeals and creates assessment precision.  The online appeals process is a shared service that the Tax Board is offering to other counties to generate revenue and reduce the tax burden on Monmouth County property owners.

The commissioners hear tax appeal cases, certify property tax rates, certify the county’s equalization table, oversee the administration of county tax assessments, and certify the annual added assessments from Monmouth’s municipalities.

Commissioners on the Tax Board earn a salary of $18,000 per year.  Clark did not know if new commissioners receive health benefits are part of their compensation.   The Governor’s press office as yet to respond to an inquiry regarding health benefits for tax commissioners.

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Christie Presser Live At 1PM (or there abouts)

Governor Chris Christie will be announcing some more personnel changes for his coming second term. The press conference is scheduled for 1PM and can be viewed live here:

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Highlands Council Votes To Give DeBlasio His 6th Government Job

The Highlands Borough Council passed a resolution last night, in a 3-2 vote, to appoint Patrick DeBlasio to be the borough’s Chief Financial Officer effective May 1, 2014. DeBlasio is the CFO of Carteret, North Plainfield, and Keansburg. He is the treasurer of the Carteret Board of Education and the tax collector in Highlands.

In Carteret, DeBlasio also serves as a member of the Parking Commission.

The 40,000 salary that comes with the appointment will bring his total compensation from his six jobs to $284,606. All of DeBlasio’s jobs provide a pension. The borough plans to hire him an assistant for an undetermined salary.

Governor Chris Christie earns $175,000, as do U.S. Senators and Members of Congress. State Cabinet Officers earn $141,000. Superior Court Judges earn $165,000

The borough did not advertise the position or explore a shared services agreement with another town, as Mayor Frank Nolan and Councilman Chris Francy advocated. Rather, they voted to hire DeBlasio on the recommendation of retiring CFO Stephen Pfeffer, according to Council President Rebecca Kane and Councilwoman Tara Ryan’s remarks explaining the hire when they moved and seconded the resolution.  Pfeffer earns $69,580 as CFO in Highlands and $157,738 as the CFO of Tinton Falls.

During the public portion of the council meeting, Kane said she would reevaluate the decision after one year. However Borough Attorney Bruce Padula said that the appointment is for a four year term.  DeBlasio would be tenured after the initial four years.  Kane’s term on the council expires in June, due to a referendum passed by Highlands voters in November making the borough’s election non-partisan.  She is expected to run for another term.

In his remarks opposing DeBlasio’s appointment, Nolan said, “We are often the laughing stock of Monmouth County. This is one of the reasons why.”

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