Monmouth County freeholders Thomas A. Arnone and Serena DiMaso became, respectively, freeholder director and deputy director at the Board of Freeholders’ 2016 organization meeting.
The meeting was held on Jan. 6 at Biotechnology High School, Freehold Township.
Prior to the selection of the board leadership, Freeholder John P. Curley and Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon were sworn into office.
Curley was sworn in to his third term as a freeholder by Monmouth County Surrogate Rosemarie Peters. Hanlon, who was elected to a five-year term as clerk, was issued the oath of office by Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley. Hanlon was appointed to the constitutional position in April following the retirement of longtime county clerk M. Claire French.
In remarks to the audience, Arnone discussed a project which is providing access to services for adults with special needs, according to a press release.
“Many individuals with special needs are ineligible for programs when they turn 21 years of age. We need to provide a facility for them to continue to thrive in a safe environment, close to home. Such a facility would provide programming, services, therapies and life skills training while giving the families who care for them piece of mind,” he said.
DiMaso lauded recent improvements at the county’s reclamation center that will save approximately $2.2 million a year; the new leachate treatment facility will remove trucks from the roads and improve the operation of the solid waste facility.
Freeholder Lillian Burry spoke about acceleration of the transformation of the former Fort Monmouth site in Eatontown and efforts to restore and preserve Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook in northern Monmouth County. She also reconfirmed her commitment to creating a homeless veterans community at Fort Monmouth, according to the press release.
Curley thanked voters for their support and promised to continue his commitment to shared services and privatization as a way to reduce the cost of government on taxpayers. Curley highlighted the accomplishments of the county’s Health Department, Veterans Services Office, SCAT program and the Division of Planning and Contracting in helping residents in need, while also emphasizing there are still thousands of residents who seek the social services and assistance from the county’s Department of Human Services.
“There are nearly 50,000 active cases being handled by the Division of Social Services,” Curley said. “In the upcoming year, I would like to see further support for our social service programs, create more job consolidation and outsource programs where possible to benefit both the residents in need and the taxpayers of Monmouth County.”
Monmouth County has a population of about 630,000 residents.
