Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, Neptune City Council President Pamela Renee and Renne’s family celebrate the Renee’s Oath of Office before the shutdown. January 1, 2019. Photo via Neptune City Democrat’s facebook page
Neptune City Democrats got off to an inauspicious start when they took control of the borough’s governing body for the first time in four decades on New Year’s Day.
Senator Vin Gopal issued the Oath of Office to new Councilman David Calhoun and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling witnessed Councilwoman Pamela Renee oath to perform the Office of Council President to the best of her ability. The Democrats then effectively shutdown Neptune City’s government by voting not to pay the borough’s bills, including payroll.
In 2012, the Middletown Township Committee voted on a resolution to be a part of what was an initial pilot program to move the local Board of Education Election from April to November. The benefit of entering that program was that election costs could be saved for the Township while school budgets would not be subject to voter approval so long as they complied with the 2% cap.
After 6 years of election data, it has become clear the potential benefits of this change do not outweigh the unintended fiscal and political costs of continuing to elect Board of Education members during a partisan electoral cycle.
In a phone interview with MMM this morning, Congressman Chris Smith, R-NJ 4, said that published reports by New Jersey Globe and SaveJersey claiming that he voted with Democrats to reopen the federal government without funding a wall for our southern border are incomplete and inaccurate.
“I am a strong supporter of securing our southern border, including the wall–I voted for $5.7 billion for the wall in December-– and have been throughout my career,” Smith said. “The bill I voted for yesterday, H J Res 1, would fund the only Department of Homeland Security and only until February 9.”
Tony Perry, 28, will become the youngest mayor in Middletown’s history when the Township Committee meets on Sunday to reorganize for 2019, according to an announcement by the Township.
Perry was elected to a three year term on the Township Committee last Election Day. He has been a member of the Committee since November of 2017 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy created when Steve Massell resigned upon taking office on the Monmouth County Tax Board.
He ended the year, and his career as a freeholder, with a whimper during a statement at his final meeting as an elected member of the Monmouth County governing body.
“I don’t need a job. My family doesn’t want me to work and now I probably won’t get the job,” Salman told MMM in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Salman said that the had been angling to return to the Department of Transportation, where he served as Inspector General during the McGreevey/Codey and Corzine administrations, since Governor Phil Murphy was elected last year. He told MMM that he advised the Murphy campaign and the transition on transportation issues. “I had hoped to get a high level job after Governor Murphy took office,” Salman said. “I didn’t get it. The legislation that reforms NJ Transit includes a Chief Ethics Officer, That’s not an Inspector General but it is close. Now I’m probably not going to get that.”
Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik inducts Bob Salman into the Monmouth Dem Hall of Fame. Middletown Mike photo.
A prominent Monmouth County Democrat who wants the newly created position of chief ethics officer at New Jersey Transit finds himself in a self induced ethical controversy after an email he sent to other Democrat leaders was leaked to Politico.
Bob Salman, 79 of Marlboro, served as Inspector General of the Department of Transportation during the McGreevey/Codey and Corzine administrations. Governor Christie appointed him to the Council on Local Mandates. He is a member of the Democrat State Committee and is an inductee of the Monmouth Democrat Hall of Fame.
Dr. Benjamin Dworkin, PhD, the Director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC) reminds us that New Jersey became of state of the United States on this day in 1789 when our predecessors ratified the U.S. Constitution.
In celebration of the anniversary and the holiday season, students of the Institute have prepared a message of hope that sounds a lot like Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Did President Donald Trump inadvertently give the New Jersey Republicans a gift horse? It is no secret that the cap of $10,000 on the deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) will hit many Garden State residents hard. Many residents of the Hudson County Gold Coast are paying $20,000 to $30,000 in property taxes plus New Jersey income and sales taxes, and New York City and state income taxes. These residents are used to taking the full SALT deduction from their federal taxes and often receive a tax refund from the Treasury. Now there is a high probability that these people will be sending a check to the Treasury instead of receiving one. Some will blame the president for the additional tax liability, but the national tax laws have to be applied equally. Where the changes hurt New Jersey they actually help Texas since Texas has much lower property taxes and no state income tax. So why is this a gift horse?
Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger takes the Oath of Office on Feb 3.
Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger will be running for office again in 2019. He will either seek his own full term on the Freeholder Board, having been elected to complete Assemblywoman Serena Dimaso’s term last month, or he will seek the Assembly seat being vacated by Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-Middletown).
