Ross Licitra, Executive Director of Monmouth County SPCA and a candidate for freeholder, Freeholder Lillian Burry, Congressman Chris Smith and Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon celebrate the ground breaking of the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Village in Tinton Falls, a Soldier On project.
Local leaders and supporters of the Veterans community gathered in Tinton Falls on Saturday for the ceremonial ground breaking of a Gordan H. Mansfield Veterans Community. The $23 million, four story community with 70 one bedroom apartments is a project of Soldier On and WinnDevelopment to be built on a 12.6 acre site on Essex Road that was donated by Seabrook Village.
Freeholder Lillian Burry celebrating Veteran’s Day last month at the Monmouth County Library Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury
Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry has not decided whether or not she will seek a 6th term on the County’s governing body.
First elected in the wake of U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s Operation Bid Rig II in 2005, Burry has been a leader in the transformation of Monmouth County government and the Monmouth GOP from a corrupt swamp to a beacon of good government. In 2005 , the Asbury Park Press had an ongoing investigative series, Club Monmouth, into the wasteful patronage of Monmouth County government. This year, the APP editorial board said, “It isn’t easy finding major weaknesses in the way the county has been run in recent years. Spending has been kept in check and the county has maintained a triple-A bond rating. It takes shared services between towns seriously and it has made concerted efforts to improve the climate for small businesses. The county also has one of the finest park systems in the state.” Lillian Burry has been a huge contributor to the reforms which warranted those accolades from a critical source.
Barbara Mitchell of Middletown nominated Lillian for the Honor.
ATLANTIC CITY_ Freeholder Director Lillian Burry was honored as a Woman of Distinction by the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs at its 123rd annual convention at the Golden Nugget Monday night, the first Monmouth County Freeholder to ever be accorded the honor.
In accepting the honor, Burry joined the ranks of such luminaries as Deborah Tobias Poritz, the first woman to be both Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court and state Attorney General, Virginia Bauer, former state Secretary of Commerce, and Dr. Formica Palma, the first woman president of the Medical Society of New Jersey and the Academy of Medicine of New Jersey.
Burry was nominated by Barbara B. Mitchell of Middletown, a long time active member of the Federation and the Women’s Club of Middletown.
Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian Burry is running for a fifth term on the board.
Burry is completing her perhaps most accomplished term on the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Her work was instrumental in the acquisition of Fort Monmouth from the federal government.
While working through her decision to seek reelection or enjoy a well earned retirement, the Director told MMM that she loves doing the job, but did not relish another campaign or possible nominating convention challenge. She told MMM yesterday that Freeholder Gary Rich’s decision not to seek reelection was the deciding factor in her choice to soldier on. “I feel strongly about the need for continuity on the Board,” Burry said. “With Gary stepping down and with Serena (DiMaso) likely moving on to the the State Assembly in January, there could have been three new freeholders next year.”
Freeholder Lillian G. Burry will be named Director of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholder when the Board holds its annual reorganization meeting on January 5 at 4 p.m. at Biotechnology High School, 5000 Kozloski Rd. in Freehold Township.
Freeholder John P. Curly will be named Deputy Director.
The five member Freeholder Board chooses their Director and Deputy Director annually for a one year term. The Director presides over Board meetings and signs contracts for the county.
Freeholders Tom Arnone and Lillian Burry complete the purchase of Ft. Monmouth with Noreen Dresser, Chief of Real Estate, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, NY Distirct
Anyone living in Monmouth County is likely to be aware of the many good things County government provides including our roads, parks and library system. One of the most important and valuable things the County provides, however, is known to relatively few residents. That’s the role the County plays in enhancing the financial resources of others and it’s a role that’s played quietly, sometimes indirectly, and always with unwavering expertise.
Sometimes it takes the form of a direct payment, providing the County share of the price for preserving farmland that brings far larger amounts of state dollars to a deal. At other times it’s providing a mix of funding and in-kind staff resources as a match for Green Acres dollars used to acquire or develop additional open space or some other worthy grant funded project. And sometimes it’s taking advantage of the AAA bond rating of the County – a rating held by fewer than two dozen of the more than three thousand American counties – to help others borrow money through the Monmouth County Improvement Authority (MCIA) at interest rates that can save significant amounts of dollars in interest payments over the life of a loan.
Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Freeholder Lillian Burry announced a boost to the Agribusiness sector of Monmouth County’s economy last week with the launch of a marketing campaign for farm products grown in the county.
Monmouth County farms and related business can sign up to use the new “Grown in Monmouth” logo which is the first part of county wide marketing strategy funded under a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant the county received last year to evaluate current trends and future opportunities to expand the local farming industry, and to develop a marketing strategy to promote and market agricultural products.
The question of new casinos will be on the November ballot, and I believe it’s a good idea, but only if done the right way. Like any business, the casino industry needs to build on existing resources and use potential synergies to its advantage. This means taking advantage of existing betting sites. I’m talking about the racetracks – the Meadowlands, Monmouth Park and Freehold Raceway. These tracks strike the perfect balance between the desires to expand gambling and keep it contained. The tracks are experienced in handling gambling and have everything from the technology to parking in place. These are the only places where we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and there’s more to it than that.
Between 50 and 100 Monmouth County homeless military veterans will have homes, security and futures to look forward to thanks to the tenacity of Freeholder Lillian Burry, Congressman Chris Smith and Soldier On, a non-profit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness.
Since 1994, Soldier On has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and supportive services. In 2010, Soldier On opened the first Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, a permanent housing cooperative that provides formerly homeless veterans with safe, sustainable, affordable housing – transitioning them from homelessness to home ownership. This housing model will be replicated nationally as Soldier On continues to change the end of the story for homeless veterans throughout the country.
Freeholder John Curley, Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso, Freeholder Lillian Burry and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone
The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders agreed to back up the acquisition of the 560 acres at Fort Monmouth that is not already controlled by the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) with a $35 million bond guarantee. The Freeholders voted 4-1, with John Curley opposing the guarantee, at their meeting last night which was held in Ocean Township.
The Freeholders’ action enables the Monmouth County Improvement Authority to guarantee bonds issued by FMERA. With the AAA bond rating of MCIA, the bonds will have the lowest interest rate available in the market. FMERA will use the proceeds to purchase the land, valued at $90 million, from the Department of the Army for roughly $35 million. The bonds will be secured by the land.
