Tea Parties To Impact Freeholder Race

The Monmouth County area Tea Parties are coming together to in order to make their presence felt in the upcoming county committee election to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

The Bayshore Tea Party Group, the Jersey Shore Tea Party Patriots and the East Jersey Tea Party will hold a joint meeting to endorse a Freeholder candidate on January 10th, 2012, 7PM at the West Park Recreation Center in Oakhusrt, Ocean Township.   The Monmouth and Colts Neck Tea Parties have also been invited to participate.

Bob Gordon, co-founder of the Bayshore Tea Party Group, says that between the groups there are 25 county committee members eligible to vote on January 14th when the county committee convenes to elect Clifton’s successor.  They are potentially a significant voting block.

The Tea Parties extended invitations this afternoon to each of the declared candidates to speak at the January 10th meeting.   Following the candidates presentations and a Q and A, a secret ballot will be taken.  The winner of the groups’ endorsement will be announced upon the tabulation of the ballots.

Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green have accepted.  Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso is juggling a scheduling conflict.  Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle has yet to respond, according to Barbara Gonzalez, the another co-founder of BTPG.

Gonzalez said she checked the calendars on the Monmouth County GOP Website and the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club’s site before scheduling the event, in order to avoid a conflict.

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Ryan Green Is Running For Freeholder

Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green told MMM that he is a candidate to fill Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton’s Freeholder seat when the Monmouth County Republican Committee holds its election on January 14th.

“I’m throwing my hat into the ring and we’ll see what happens,” said Green, “I think I have a lot I can contribute on the county level.”   He said he was running on his record as an elected official in Manalapan since 2005, on both the school board and the township committee.  ” We haven’t raised taxes in Manalapan over the last two years, a fact that I am very proud of.”

Green said his Freeholder candidacy won’t impact the incoming Manalapan Township Committee’s plan to elect him Mayor in January.  “I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched.  Manalapan’s reorganization is before the Title 19 convention.  I have a great deal of respect for all of my opponents in the Freeholder race.”

Title 19 is the New Jersey statute that governs elections. It requires that vacancies for Freeholder be filled via a county committee election.

Green was encouraged by the positive feedback he received at a recent meeting of the Western Monmouth Republican Chairmen.  However, the only chairman’s endorsement he is counting on is that of Manalapan’s Steve McEnry.

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Conte Reportedly Withdraws From Freeholder Race

Wall Township Mayor Anne Marie Conte will not be a candidate for Freeholder when the Monmouth County Republican Committee meets on January 14 to elect a successor to Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton, according to Monmouth Republican Affiliated Club President and Wayne’s World Reporter Wayne Pomanowski.

Pomanowski said that Conte called him to asked that her photo and bio be removed from the Affiliated’s website.   Reportedly Conte was stung by criticism from Wall Township residents, including an OpEd piece by 2010 Monmouth Democratic Sheriff candidate Eric Brophy published on the Wall Patch, that she was seeking higher office so soon after being reelected to the Township Committee.

Conte was not available for comment. 

Pomanowski also said that Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green is definitely a candidate and that Hazlet Mayor Scott Aagre is close to entering the race.  Green’s bio and photo are on the Affiliated site.

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Kingmaker without a portfolio

A strong argument could be made that the path to becoming a Monmouth County Freeholder goes through Red Bank realtor Jim Giannell’s office. 

Since 2005 when he backed Colts Neck Mayor Lillian Burry, Giannell has picked every non-incumbent Freeholder nominee except two.   One exception was Marlboro Councilman Jeff Cantor who replaced Freeholder Anna Little, a Giannell pick, on the ticket in 2007.  Cantor lost a close election to Democrat John D’Amico and then left the Republican party for Jon Hornick’s Democratic organization in Marlboro.  The other exception is John Curley.  Curley was Giannell’s pick over Serena DiMaso in 2008.  Curley narrowly lost to Amy Mallet in the Obama landslide.  In 2009 Giannell backed Kim Spatola, a former Atlantic Highlands councilwoman over Curley.  Curley prevailed at Joe Oxley’s first candidate selection screening and went on to defeat Sean Byrnes of Middletown in the 2009 Christie landslide in Monmouth. 

With the election of Gary Rich earlier this month, 3.5, counting Curley, of five Freeholders owe their offices to Jim Giannell.  If the former Red Bank municipal chairman’s pick in the current race to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton, Howell Mayor Bob Walsh, is elected on January 14, Giannell will have picked all five members of the board.

While the Freeholders may owe their careers to Giannell, there is little, if any, evidence that he is a boss, in the classic New Jersey sense of the word.  Once they take office, the Freeholders go their own way.  Burry is supporting Anne Marie Conte over Walsh in the current race.  Curley and Tom Arnone are staying out of the race for now. 

Here is a list of Giannell’s picks for non-incumbent Freeholders since 2005:

2005: Lillian Burry.  Burry ran with incumbent Bill Barham.  Barham was elected at a Republican convention earlier in 2005 to replace long time Freeholder Director Harry Larrison.  Even in the wake of the Operation Bid Rig scandal which tarnished the Republican brand, Barham and Burry defeated Democrats Barbara McMorrow and Rebecca Aaronson and Independent Brian Unger.  The Republican victory was in large measure do to the Asbury Park Press’s call for voters to bullet vote for Unger.  Back then the APP’s endorsement still had influence.  Unger garnered over 18,000 votes.  Burry’s margin of victory over McMorrow was only 1,792 votes. 

2006:  Anna Little and Andrew Lucas.  Little was elected, by one vote, over Howell Mayor Joe DiBella at a convention to replace Amy Handlin who had been elected to the Assembly.  Giannell managed Little’s campaign and her floor fight at the convention. A month later at a contentious multiple ballot nominating convention, Giannell and candidate Terrence Wall threw their support to Lucas in an anti-establishment move against DiBella and then Chairman Fred Neimann.   Little went on to win the rest of Handlin’s unexpired term in the general election.  Lucas lost to Barbara McMorrow. 

2007: Giannell did not have a candidate.  Little, his successful pick in 2006, spent a contentious year battling with Chairman Puharic and Freeholder Director Barham. Little declined to seek the nomination rather than submit to Puharic’s rules for screening and the convention.  Cantor was selected to join incumbent Rob Clifton on the ticket.  Clifton won.  Cantor lost to Democrat John D’Amico.

2008: John Curley was Giannell’s pick over Serena DiMaso who had the backing of Chairman Adam Puharic.  Burry was Curley’s running mate.  In a photo finish election dominated by Obamamania, Burry prevailed and Curley lost to Amy Mallet on the count of provisional ballots.  Democrats took control of the Freeholder Board for the first time in 20 years.

2009: Giannell backed Chairman Joe Oxley in supporting Atlantic Highlands former Councilwoman Kim Spatola over Curley.  McMorrow was up for reelection and was considered a lock to be reelected.  Nominating a woman, given the pro woman gender gap demonstrated by Burry and Mallet’s 2008 victories was considered the only hope of defeating McMorrow.    Just before the nominating meetings for both parties, McMorrow announced she would not seek another term.  Curley won a roll call vote at Oxley’s first screening selection.  The Democrats scrambled to find a candidate to replace McMorrow, settling on Byrnes from Middletown over Mike Beson of Neptune Township.  Curley defeated Byrnes and Republicans won back control of the Board.

2010:  Giannell’s pick, Tom Arnone, narrowly defeated former Middltown Committeeman Tom Wilkens and Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich.  Arnone and incumbent Rob Clifton went on to defeat D’Amico and Spring Lake Councilwoman Janice Venables.

2011: Giannell backed Rich over Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, who had Burry’s support, Walsh, and Wall Township Committeeman George Newberry.  Rich won the nomination with 25 votes in the screening committee. Lucas has 23 votes and Newberry 22.  Walsh withdrew before the polling.   Rich and incumbent Burry went on the defeat Mallet and newcomer William Shea earlier this month.

2012?  Monmouth County Republicans have not had a nominating convention of all county committee members since 2008.  It remains to be seen if Giannell can pull off another close race.   Don’t bet the house against Bob Walsh.

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John Curley Will Be Monmouth County Freeholder Director

Tom Arnone Will Be Deputy Director

Freeholder John Curley will be elected Director of the Board by his colleagues when the Monmouth County Board of Freeholder reorganizes in January, MMM has learned.  Freeholder Tom Arone will be elected Deputy Director.

Curley said he will use the opportunity to continue his work to reduce the size and cost of county government.  He said he was concerned about the amount of surplus used to hold the line on property taxes in the current fiscal year.  He sees savings coming from using more part time employees and outsourcing government functions where possible.  Curley said he hopes the county is able to sell the nursing homes it owns.

Arone sees the continued expansion of shared services as an opportunity to reduce costs for municipal governments while enhancing revenue for the county.

Freeholder Lillian Burry who has served two terms as director and broke the glass ceiling when she become the first female director said Curley would do a good job in the post.  Burry was elected to her third term on the Freeholder Board earlier this month. She said her focus will be on the projects she has been working on, notably, the redevelopment of Fort Monmouth and the park system.

Curley, Arone and Burry are each taking a strong interest in the race to fill Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton’s seat on the board.   The new Freeholder will be running with Curley in the 2012 general election and with Arone and Sheriff Shaun Golden in the 2013 election, assuming a 2012 victory.

Neither Curley or Arnone expressed a preference for any of the announced candidates, noting that the field may not be set.

Burry recruited Wall Township Mayor Anne Marie Conte into the race and is supporting her for the post. 

Curley said he expected a strong challenge from the Monmouth County Democrats in 2012, mentioning Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and Freeholder Amy Mallet, who lost her reelection bid earlier this month, as possible challengers.

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Freeholder Election To Be Held On January 14th

Field of Candidates Looks To Be Widening

By Art Gallagher

The Republican County convention  to elect a Monmouth County Freeholder to fill the coming vacancy caused by Freeholder Director Rob Clifton’s ascension to the State Assembly will be held on Saturday January 14th, according to GOP Chairman Joe Oxley.  The location and exact time has yet to be determined.

A quorum, 50% plus 1, of all Republican County Committee members, as certified by the Superintendent of Elections, must be present for the election to be to be official.

Howell Mayor Bob Walsh is a candidate.   Those considering entering the race include Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso, former Freeholder Bill Barham, Wall Committee member George Newberry, Keyport Councilman Bob Burlew, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle, Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green, former Middletown Committee member Tom Wilkens and former Howell Mayor Joe DiBella.

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Fiore Will Not Be A Candidate For Freeholder

By Art Gallagher

Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore, fresh off his reelection to his second term on the Middletown Township Committee, says he will not be a candidate to fill Freeholder Director Rob Clifton’s seat early next year.

Earlier this week, Politickernj reported that there was a “major push” to get Fiore to enter the race.  Fiore said he has been receiving overtures from various county leaders to run for months, that he has a great deal of respect for the current Republican Freeholders and that it would be an honor to serve with them.  However, running in a county-wide campaign for two consecutive years after just having completed a campaign in Middletown is not in the cards given his family and career obligations.  The Fiore’s have a 4 year old and a one year old.  Tony was recently promoted in his job at Prudential Financial Services.

Clifton was elected to the State Assembly two weeks ago. He will take office in Trenton at noon on the second Tuesday in January and must resign as Freeholder before he joins the Assembly.  Clifton’s replacement will be elected at a convention of the entire Monmouth County Republican Committee.  The winner of the convention will take office immediately and be expected to defend the seat in the November 2012 general election and again in 2013 at the scheduled expiration of the term.

The current contenders are Howell Mayor Bob Walsh, Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green.

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Is New Jersey the next Delaware?

By Art Gallagher

Is New Jersey the next Delaware?   That’s the question Politickernj raised earlier this week regarding the 2012 U.S. Senate race in NJ.  Politckernj is wondering if the 2012 U.S. Senate race in New Jersey will be similar to the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Delaware.

The short answer to that question is no. An incumbent was not running in Delaware in 2010. 2012 is a presidential year. 2012 will not be a repeat of 2010.  New Jersey is not Delaware.  More on that later.

As you might imagine, I have a unique perspective about the differences between New Jersey and Delaware, which is not related to electoral politics.  If you’re a reader of this site or The Asbury Park Press, you’re probably aware that I was arrested in my home in Highlands after 10PM on Friday October 14 on a fugitive warrant out of Delaware.  I’ve been charged with two felony counts of theft over $100,000 and two misdemeanor counts of forgery.  The charges will not be further discussed on this site, other than to say that I am confident of a favorable outcome.

The real reason I was arrested on a fugitive warrant is that the Delaware attorney I had engaged to arrange my surrender in Delaware failed to communicate with the investigating detective in a timely manner.   I have a different attorney now.

3 hours vs. 3 weeks

So far the biggest difference between my experiences in New Jersey and Delaware is time.  I arrived, as scheduled, to surrender in Delaware this Wednesday at 11am and was on my way home by 2PM.   As in Monmouth County, most of that time was spent waiting. 

I wasn’t handcuffed, patted down or locked up in Delaware.  The actual processing, (being photographed, finger printed and signing some papers) took about 10 minutes.   Then my attorney and I hung out until the fugitive warrant was removed from the system. We waited for a Justice of the Peace to finish his lunch and to appear via video for my bail hearing. The video bail hearing took less than five minutes.  My bail was set at $12,000.

Technically, I was detained until my family members posted my bail.  But I wasn’t really detained.  My attorney and I waited in the lobby of the police station for the bail to be posted.  I was even allowed to step outside of the building for a smoke, twice.

After about 40 minutes, I signed the bail receipt and was released from my detention in the lobby.  It took about a ½ hour to meet up with my family members who had posted my bail.   The clock in the car read 1:46 and we were on our way home.

That entire experience is very different than what I experienced in New Jersey.

At about 10PM on Friday October 14 I was arrested at my home in Highlands.  I was frisked and handcuffed.

At the Highlands police station I asked to call an attorney.  “We’re not questioning you.  We’ll let you call your attorney when we know what you can tell him,” was the reply.   I was photographed by the arresting officer twice.   My belt, shoes, cash, wallet and blackberry were confiscated and I was put into a cell.

A few hours later a sergeant came into the holding area to tell me what was going on.  A Monmouth County judge had set my bail at $250,000 with no 10% option.  “But there’s really no bail,” he said, “even if you post the $250,000 the fugitive warrant is still in place and you’ll be arrested again.”   “Your wife called, we’ll let you call her back in the morning before we transfer you to the county jail.”  “What are the charges?” I asked.  “Some kind of theft,” was his answer.

I managed to get some sleep on the thin plastic mattress and with the lights on.  In the morning an officer sat with me while I called my wife from a police station line that was being recorded.  I was given access to my blackberry to read her phone numbers for my attorney, family members and friends that she should call. I sent a text to my attorney.

Then I was transferred to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution where I spent the next three weeks.

$12,000 vs. $250,000 or $150,000

Why my bail was set so high in Monmouth County compared to the bail required in Delaware (where I am not a resident and have no ties to the community) remains a mystery to me.

At my bail reduction hearing in Monmouth County, which occurred after I had already been incarcerated for almost two weeks, the judge who reduced my bail to $150,000 with no 10% option said that such bail would be appropriate for like charges levied in New Jersey. 

The Asbury Park Press reported this morning that a former attorney was arrested for stealing over $200,000 from a client.  Those charges are somewhat similar to those levied against me. The former attorney’s bail was set at $35,000.

On November 1, The Asbury Park Press reported that a Wall Township attorney and her paralegal were indicted after a three year long investigation for stealing $800,000 from wards whose interests they were assigned to protect.  The attorney and the paralegal were each released on $75,000 bail.

In comparison, my bail in Monmouth County seems like an injustice and I realize that I sound like I am complaining.  That is not my intention. It is a mystery.

This experience has been incredibly difficult for me, perhaps more so for those who love me.  It has been life altering, yet I have faith that in the long run it will be for the good.

Over the next few days or weeks I’ll be writing more about my experience and some of the other differences I have noticed between New Jersey and Delaware.  

I’ll get back to writing about the political happenings in Monmouth, the State and the Nation. I’ll be writing about some of the things I missed while was away.  I may write about topics other than politics too. 

I won’t be writing about the charges against me.  Comments about the charges will be removed and those commenters blocked.  There are other sites that will accommodate my naysayers.

I am happy to be back. 

I am extremely grateful to the many, many people who have supported me throughout this ordeal and to those who have been supportive since my release two weeks ago.   In times of crisis like the one I have faced, you quickly learn who your friends are.

I am grateful to, and for, my friends and family.

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Brookdale Trustees sought

Monmouth County residents can apply for the three open seats

Today is the deadline to apply

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Brookdale Community College Trustee Search Committee is seeking resumes for three open seats on the college’s Board of Trustees.

Applicants should be interested in taking an active leadership role as a Trustee of Brookdale Community College and be knowledgeable in the opportunities and challenges of higher education and be willing to serve in this unpaid position for a term of four years.

“This is a terrific opportunity for a resident to take a dynamic role at New Jersey’s best community college,” Freeholder Deputy Director John P. Curley said. “Brookdale needs leaders who will help steer the course of this quality, affordable higher education institution.”

An applicant must be resident of Monmouth County for at least the last four years, and not currently an elected public official.

Any interested individual should submit a resume to the Brookdale Trustee Search Committee c/o Marion Masnick, Clerk of the Board, Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Hall of Records, 1 East Main St., Freehold, New Jersey 07728.

All resumes must be received in the Clerk of the Board’s Office by 4:30p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Prior applicants are urged to update their resumes even if they are still on file and/or to express their continued interest.

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NFIB Endorses Beck, Angelini and Casagrande

Third major business association to endorse 11th District Republican candidates

11^th District Republican candidates Senator Jennifer Beck and Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande issued the following statement today announcing that they were endorsed for re-election by the New Jersey Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the country’s leading advocate for small business:

 “We are grateful for the endorsement of our candidacies by the NFIB. Getting our businesses in New Jersey back on track and creating jobs is our number one priority, and we are pleased that this is the third major business association to recognize our efforts. We will continue our efforts to make New Jersey an affordable place to do business.

The endorsement was the third major business organization to endorse the 11^th District candidates for re-election. NEW JOBS PAC, affiliated with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, and PENPAC, the political affiliate of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey had previously endorsed the three women.

 NFIB Executive Director Laurie Ehlbeck said that all three women scored a perfect 100% on issues affecting small business over the past year.

“Jennifer is one of the hardest working legislators in Trenton and she’s been one of our most reliable allies,” said Ehlbeck.  “She’s been a strong supporter of Governor Christie’s reforms and she is one of the leading voice in the Legislature for the spending reforms that we need to be competitive.”

 “We couldn’t ask for a better advocate in Trenton than Caroline Casagrande,” said Ehlbeck.  “She’s been with us on every key vote, and she’s been among the most energetic and thoughtful legislators in Trenton when it comes to the small business issues.”

“Caroline puts the interests of her constituents first, and she knows how important it is for their future to have a strong, healthy and growing small business sector,” said Ehlbeck.  “Most of the jobs in New Jersey are created by small businesses, and Caroline Casagrande keeps that uppermost in her mind on every issue.”

“Mary Pat Angelini had an outstanding year from our perspective,” said Ehlbeck.  “She was one of the most consistent supporters of small business, and she backed all of the important reforms that we need to get control of state spending and make New Jersey more competitive.”

“Mary Pat was with us every step of the way, and the small business owners in her district will be very proud to send her back to Trenton to keep fighting for their interests.”

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