For about a year now I’ve been a semi-regular at Union County freeholder meetings, which is something that only about a handful of people not on the county payroll can say. Over that time I’ve seen cosmetic changes that were welcome with systemic problems that remain.

What struck me at first was that the public was allowed their five minutes, strictly enforced, at the podium for comments only. It seemed to me as if questions were ignored and a dialogue actively discouraged, which seemed counter-productive to any gains available from interaction. I brought this up and over the months it appears as if questions and answers have returned to the agenda.

Parking was also a problem. The Elizabeth library lot closed their gates at 9 and street parking is metered. Other people brought this up and for the last month the parking deck has been opened up for freeholder meetings. So any Republicans out there need no longer worry about parking that Lexus on the street in Elizabeth. There’s 24/7 parking right down the street.

Now to two main systemic problems with these meetings that have yet to be addressed.

If you’re a member of the public, you get 5 minutes maximum to speak, first on any items on the agenda and then on any topic. This is strictly enforced. There’s a green/yellow/red light system visible to the speaker. There’s often a lot on the agenda and few people in the public so much gets unaddressed.

How can the public properly petition their government to redress grievances when the time to make their point is limited? Freeholders running for election seem to have no time constraints when knocking on doors and asking for votes. Why should they impose a time limit when they’re in office and earning their votes?

Maybe there were problems in the past with long-winded perorations but, with attendance as it is, I see no reason for this artificial constraint on free speech. I might be a bit prejudiced here, but I feel the audience members have at least as much going on outside as the people on the dais. We’re not going to filibuster to try to get TV time in front of a couple of hundred insomniacs. I also get the feeling that some freeholders would be anxious to address concerns at the time they come up rather than letting them fester. Most of the issues I’ve seen brought up deserve time and should be answered completely before moving on.

My other concern with the meetings is the lack of urgency I sense about lowering taxes. This may be the result of having a board all from one party which gets to discuss the issues beforehand and sees grandstanding or openly questioning policy as troublesome. For example, at the September 11 meeting County Prosecutor Theordore J. Romankow came before the board with two representatives of a Child Advocacy Group that wanted $4.5 million to build a bigger house for their staff of 15 that handles child abuse complaints. They weren’t asking for all $4.5 million. They just wanted between $1.5 and $2 billion with the rest to come from a combination of a grant, selling the current facility, and donations through forming a non-profit corporation. Maybe the county was asked to foot the entire bill but somebody balked for whatever reason – perhaps to save money for that Beatle’s reunion at the next musicfest – and taxpayer advocacy was going on behind-the-scenes.

The problem with putting up a front of unity is that I can’t identify anyone who is obviously championing the taxpayers. Will anyone say publicly that they are against musicfest or UCPAC or a Children’s museum. If they did, would they still have their spot on the Democratic ticket next election?

These are just some of the things that float through my mind while freeholders either give out laudatory resolutions or comment on the politically correct topic of the day. I desperately want to see distress exhibited over the dire straits this country, state, and Union County in particular, are entering with record foreclosures, property tax hikes, and mounting debts. If not out of empathy for their fellow taxpayers, then maybe out of concern for their own pensions which fiscal mismanagement at the state level has jeopardized. When they come to collect those promised benefits, that won’t be there in five years, it might make them feel a little better if the person they were complaining to did more than go through the motions; and gave them more than five minutes.

Today’s Star-Ledger article about an Elizabeth council member being mugged and pistol-whipped around the corner from City Hall reminded me that citizens who attend freeholder meetings aren’t allowed to park in the two (2) empty county employee lots.

At the April 19, 2007 meeting of the Board of Union County Democrat Committee Chosen Freeholders I made a public comment about the public not being made to feel welcome at county public meetings. You can view it on our Veotag account HERE.

Freeholder Sullivan either ignored or didn’t comprehend anything I said and during his closing comments (freeholders never respond to you when you are at the microphone and can defend yourself) the bully went on a rant about Elizabeth being a safe place for people to visit and further proved my point that citizen input isn’t welcome.

Safe for whom I wondered? For Freeholder Sullivan who drives from his house in Elmora, which is the safest neighborhood in Elizabeth due to the fact that all the Elizabeth politicians live there, and then parks his car underneath the County administration building? His feet never touch the streets in Elizabeth where violence is reported daily.

You can see Sullivan’s rant on our Veotag account HERE.

I personally feel safe attending freeholder meetings. However, Elizabeth is a very intimidating place to many people across the county. There is no parking on the street outside of the administration building. There is parking a block away and around the corner, which you will have to find yourself, and then you will have to walk the dimly lighted streets with no security around. The extensive security staff is all inside the administration building, protecting the administration.

Couple this with the fact that citizens are routinely harassed by freeholders, after making public comments and at best are ignored by them, and you get a government that isn’t anywhere near a welcoming neighborhood “of the people”.

While exercising my First Amendment right to freedom of speech, I was removed from meetings by the county police three (3) times in 2007. I will stay true to form in 2008 and defy tyranny while being removed from meetings as often as necessary.

Freeholder Sullivan stayed true to form on April 19th and during his closing comments he didn’t address the fact that the county website was listing the wrong directions, or that the public has no where close by to park despite there being empty county employee parking in abundance all around the building. Instead he ignored all the issues I raised and harassed me for making these comments.

Freeholder Sullivan ranted “I am highly offended by Mrs. Renna’s comments about Elizabeth isn’t safe! You are all safe here in Elizabeth!”.

Sullivan should send his comments to union@starledger.com

Elizabeth council member mugged
School principal pistol-whipped
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
BY JONATHAN CASIANO
Star-Ledger Staff

An Elizabeth city councilman and school principal was robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped around the corner from City Hall last weekend after a night out with teachers from his school.
Frank Cuesta, a councilman at large and the principal of Elizabeth’s Alexander Hamilton Middle School, suffered fractures to his skull and right eye socket during the attack, which occurred on Dickinson Street around 1 a.m. Saturday, he said yesterday.
Cuesta was also robbed of his wallet, keys, credit cards and $1,000 in cash by the unidentified mugger, according to the police report.
“It’s been a very traumatic experience,” said Cuesta, 54. “From what my friends tell me, I’m just lucky to be alive.”
About 65 staff members from Hamilton Middle School gathered after work Friday at the Sun Tavern in Roselle Park, Cuesta said, as part of a social outing he had organized to “build morale and rela tionships” at the school. After leaving the Sun Tavern, Cuesta and several of his colleagues made their way to Dolce, a popular restaurant and lounge on Broad Street in midtown Elizabeth.
Around 1 a.m., Cuesta left the restaurant to walk one of his teachers to her car. The teacher, a 25-year-old Parsippany woman, was taking her pocketbook out of the car’s trunk when a man in a hooded sweatshirt walked out of the nearby alley. He walked up behind Cuesta, put a black handgun to the side of his head and demanded money, the police report said.
After Cuesta handed over his wallet, keys and cash, the mugger struck him in the temple with his gun.
“It happened so fast. Before I knew it, he struck me in the head and I guess I went down,” Cuesta said.
The mugger then turned his attention to the teacher, who had locked herself inside her car to call 911. After tapping on her car window with his gun, the man got into another car that was waiting nearby and drove off, the report said. The teacher was not injured.
Cuesta was taken to Trinitas Hospital, where he was treated and released later that morning. He said doctors expect him to make a full recovery without surgery.
Meanwhile, police are searching for his attacker, who was last seen riding east on Dickinson Street. Detectives are hoping that at least one of several private surveillance cameras posted near the scene will help identify the mugger and his getaway car, said police spokesman, Sgt. Stephen Negrey.
Jonathan Casiano may be reached at (908) 527-4012 or jcasia no@starledger.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Union County Watchdog Association has requested an investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office into the malfunctioning of the recording equipment during the December 20, 2007 freeholder meeting. The county recently spent $110,000 on updating and installing new video equipment.

The UCWA routinely requests a copy of the meeting recordings and then has them converted to be available to the public on the Internet. An Open Public Records Act request for a copy of this meeting was returned “no document to provide”. Also not available to the public is a written statement which was read by the County Manager regarding the county’s response to the recent prisoner escapes.

During this meeting there was input from the public on many important subjects both on and off the agenda. It is the county’s habit of taking care of messy business such as retroactive pay raises at their end-of-the-year meeting. This meeting was held 5 days before Christmas.

Although the announcement hadn’t been made yet regarding the done deal of Richard Childs becoming the new County Public Safety Director the freeholders were asked repeatedly what qualifications Childs had for this position considering he was currently a part-time investigator in the County Counsel’s office and why a national search wasn’t performed to fill this position as was being done to fill the Jail Director position. The new Jail Director will be reporting to Childs.

No explanation was given or public statements made regarding this all-important position of public safety. There is no record of this position being discussed during public or closed session meetings of the freeholders.

Consider that Childs will now be in charge of a department with about 400 employees, including 74 County Police. The Public Safety Department also includes the operations of the county’s Divisions of Correctional Services, Emergency Management, Medical Examiner, Weights and Measures, and Health. Childs will also be responsible for the supervision of the Bureaus of Domestic Preparedness, Hazardous Materials, the Fire Training Academy and Fire Investigations Task Force, and the Office of Consumer Affairs.

The UCWA is requesting an investigation because we believe there may have been statements made during this meeting that could aid the current investigation into county management’s role in the prisoner escapes as well as past practices in the jail. Namely, prisoner health care, politically connected prisoners being given preferential treatment and the lack of cameras inside the facility.

Other important business during this meeting was the creation of 6 new captain positions in the Sheriff’s Department. This will bring the total number of captains to 11 and will allow for 6 Sergeants to be promoted to Lieutenant including the Union County Democrat Chairman, Charlotte DeFilipo’s daughter-in-law. Sheriff Ralph Froehlic’s step-son will be promoted to Sergeant. There are also 7 Lieutenants and 10Sergeants under 1 Sheriff and 3 Undersherriffs (one undersheriff is an assemblyman and another is the son of an assemblyman).

The main function of the Sheriff’s department is to guard the Courthouse which doesn’t include the prison. The freeholders were asked why six new Captains were needed. No explanation was given. These new captain positions and the other promotions will cost approximately $300,000 annually. Also created were 3 new lieutenant positions in the County Police Department.

Raises for the County Manager, who is appointed by the freeholders and is Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew, and the freeholders were also on the agenda and voted on as well as raises for all constitutional officers - including the prosecutor and sheriff.

The county allows citizens 5 minutes to speak. Freeholder Chairwoman Bette Jean Kowalski repeatedly tried to keep me from speaking on all of the above, and I repeatedly asked her why I wasn’t allowed to speak the truth. Kowalski eventually had me escorted from the meeting by a county police officer. Now the recording of the meeting isn’t available. hmmmm

Union County government takes approximately ¼ of our property taxes and can not be held accountable to the public. Citizens of Union County should be very concerned about their public safety as well as their Democratic freedoms as dictated by the county freeholders.

View OPRA response HERE

At tonight’s freeholder meeting confusion ensued over the freeholders second reading of a Bond Ordinance which provided their consent to the issuance by the Union County Improvement Authority of up to $7-mill in bonds to fund an organization that the freeholder’s knew nothing about, the Black United Fund-Plainfield Project. They also didn’t know who would be responsible for the bonds should the 501(c)3 orginzation default on their payments.

The Director of the Union County Improvement Authority is Charlotte DeFilippo, who is also head of the Union County Democrat Committee who appoints the freeholders.

Freeholder Adrian Mapp asked that the ordinance be tabled because as a Plainfield resident not even he could speak as to what this project was about or who was behind it.

I have never seen a freeholder debate the board on anything, and obviously neither did they because the confusion that followed was reminiscent of the Key Stone Cops.

They didn’t know how to proceed with the meeting. They were mumbling, they were fumbling and they were far reaching. Freeholder Holmes made a recommendation on how to include Mapp’s objections in the second reading. He was then reminded that this was the second reading.

The only defense for their ignorance came from Freeholder Daniel Sullivan who has a state job working for the MVC. He said the Improvement Authority has always done their due diligence in the past, and if they O.K.’d this project then it is just dandy fine with him.

During public comment I commended freeholder Mapp and told him he had my vote. I then laughed in their faces telling them how refreshing this scene was and how absurd they are to be blessing a 7-mill project with no knowledge what-so-ever about it. I believe I used the phrase “eye popping” to describe Freeholder Sullivan’s blessing of 7-mill to the Improvement authorities due diligence. As if we didn’t already know the agenda is written at Charlotte DeFilippo’s dining room table and her puppets blindly vote yes on everything put before them.

Freeholders get paid approximately $30,000 a year to watch over the approximate ¼ in property taxes we are forced to send them. Tonight shined a light on how they follow their leader when doling it out.

I was tossed out of the meeting because I reminded Sullivan that DeFilippo gave him his state job and that she could take it away. I got one other shot in before I left the mike. I asked if the meeting was being video taped because besides their having spent $110,000 on new video equiptment they have stopped tapping meetings.

Anyone still believe this is a democracy?

Plainfield Today: Friday, September 28, 2007
$7M bond for nonprofit may leave Plainfield on the hook.. Letter to Asm Green.. Abbott Schools boost state.. Mortgage help..

The Union County Watchdog (UCWA) recently announced that the county has settled out of court their complaint which challenged the county’s charging an $8.00 an hour fee when the watchdog group placed an Open Public Records (OPRA) request for back up documentation supporting certain county expenditures found in the county check registry.

“The UCWA regrets that it has become necessary to take legal action to secure for the general public the ability to view or obtain whatever public documents that they are entitled to by law” said UCWA president Tina Renna. “The taxpayers now have to add these legal costs, $,1,857.45, to the cost of the freeholder meeting refreshments and travel expenses, the County Manager’s mother’s catered luncheon, and his home internet bills, and various other perks included in the withheld vouchers” Renna continued. “These types of financial roadblocks are intended for the sole purpose of discouraging tax-burdened residents from demanding accountability from a county government that is clearly out of control and unconnected to the people” said Renna upon filing the lawsuit.

The OPRA states that bills, receipts and vouchers should be made available immediately upon request. The UCWA maintains that every citizen has the right to walk into the county administration building and ask to see the bills which they are ultimately picking up the tab for. No taxpayer should be hindered by economic means and have to pay a $8.00 an hour fee for these bills to be compiled. The fact that these bills represented $1,606 worth of refreshments for freeholder’s meetings; $1012.78 reimbursed to the county manager including payment for his home internet service and $1,773.75 to the county manager’s mother (Sen. Lesniak’s sister) to cater a luncheon for her job at Kean University was a slap in the face to every taxpayer.

The Union County Watchdog Association will continue to fight for transparent government practices with the one-party ruled Union County freeholder board and the appointed County Manager, George Devanney, who is Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew.Highlights of the bills/receipts:

$1,773.75 for Gourmet Dining c/o Kean University was ordered by the County Manager’s mother, Margaret Devanney (Sen. Lesniak’s sister), who works for Kean. Although county taxpayers paid for this gala there are no press releases regarding this event on the county website.

The county managers $1012.78 reimbursements included 2 months of home internet service, 2 work related dinner meetings, one lunch meeting, one breakfast meeting and $300.00 to establish petty cash.

Freeholder refreshment bills included:

$300 to Costa’s Restaurant for freeholder meeting held on March 12. The freeholders were served Penne Vodka, Linguini Carrbonara, Sausage and Peppers, Chicken Parm

$127.55 to stock the freeholder office with soda.

$295.00 to Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant for freeholder meeting held on January 8. The freeholders were served Eggplant Parmigiana, Baked Stuffed Shells, Chicken Cacciatore, Fried Mushrooms, Meatballs, with NO CHARGE being marked for Garlic Knots, Zeppoli’s, loaf of bread, and Ziti Marinara.

$166.00 to the Gourmet Deli for the freeholder budget hearing held on February 21. The freeholders were served an assorted sandwich platter with foccacia and tossed salad.

$380.00 to the Gourmet Deli for freeholder meeting held on March 1. The freeholders were served (can’t decipher the bill)

$166.00 to the Gourmet Deli for freeholder budget hearing held on February 28. The freeholders were served an assorted sandwich platter with foccacia and tossed salad.

$42.00 for a cake for a nutrition meeting at Ehrhart Gardens held on 2/27/07.

$171.72 to the Pizza King for freeholder meeting held on 3/2/07. The freeholders were served assorted pizzas and salad.

$225.00 to Napoli Deli for a Department of Human Services meeting held on 3/21.

$1,200 to Shades of Green to maintain the plants in the courthouse atrium and at police headquarters. Each location costs $200 a month to maintain. (Note: the county employees 2,842 people)

$2,983.50 for registration for 3 conferences including $1,320 for the NACO legislative conference for three freeholders to attend @ $440.00 each (this does not include expenses).

The Sheriff was reimbursed $519.78 for petty cash reimbursements including $26.60 for Dunkin’ Donuts.

Summit City Common Council president Diane Klaif is to be commended this week for not yielding to pressure to shut down residents who make inquiries at council meetings, even where decisions have already been made. She stated that, as long as she is council president, she “will not discourage discussion of issues that are concerns to citizens of Summit”. It is apparent that Ms Klaif not only is patient but is aware how rumors get started and that she is a proponent of transparency in government.

Freeholder Adrian Mapp is also to be given an A++. During freeholder reports/comments portion of this weeks meeting he recommended that the Freeholder Board adhere to a policy to answer any and all questions of all residents regardless of race, creed, color, political side of the fence or weather they prefer their ice cream with or without hot fudge sauce. In short, he made it clear that anyone who has a question should be answered. Board Chairwoman BJ Kowalski jumped in with “Freeholder Policy is to respond to all serious questions.”

Upon hearing that I instantly decided to check out just what is the policy and who decides which questions are serious enough to deserve answers. Generally the board announces that this portion of the meeting is for comments only and has been known to address questions with a response of “We don’t have to answer the public’s questions” but more often than not no response at all.

The Bylaws of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders- Speaks of questions????

The Board of Chosen Freeholders has bylaws containing the rules of procedure for conducting meetings and functions as well as rules of conduct and the path to follow when the public is allowed to speak during certain portions of the meetings.

“Item 12 PUBLIC SESSION, At this time the public may address the board on any resolution on the agenda. A member of the public shall be limited to (1) appearance and shall speak for no more than five (5) minutes. All questions from the public shall be directed through the Chairman. …..Members (freeholders) will direct their questions or comments through the Chairman and shall limit their responses to the individual member of the public who is speaking to the board at that time.”

“Item 15 SECOND PUBLIC SESSION. At this time the public may address the board on any subject over which the Board has the power to exercise its authority. The same rules for the first public session shall apply with regard to public participation.” The bylaws also indicate that if a situation arises not covered in the Freeholder document that Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall prevail.

Our all democrat freeholder board has interrupted these bylaws to suit themselves while not protecting the residents ability to have their concerns addressed. Clearly illustrated at the last meeting when the inquiries of only one out of three residents were addressed. Freeholder Mapp’s request speaks volumes when he referred to individuals on the opposite side of the political fence, are they not contributing to the “county pot of gold”?

What constitutes a serious question?

And as for serious questions are not those regarding the county jail and detention center or the use of county vehicles or the budget not serious? Perhaps Chairwoman Kowalski can expand on what she believes to be a “serious question” or comment. Does she not believe that the taxpayers’ finances are serious? Has there been a concerted effort to avoid the really hard questions as not only the opposition party but residents are now starting to hold their feet to the fire as well.

Who’s questions get answered?

Did Mapp let the cat out of the proverbial bag and is willing to be a proponent of transparency in county government since up for reelection he has been denied the support of the UC Democratic Committee and replaced on the line by a “good soldier”? Has he been stifled since taking office and now has nothing to loose? Only time will tell but for now he deserves encouragement to continue on the path on which he seems to have embarked.

Submitted by: George DeCarlo
Board Secretary of the Union County Watchdog Association & State Chair of the Green Party of New Jersey

The Union County Watchdog Association puts considerable time, energy and funds into shining a light on Union County government.

Our newest endeavor is making freeholder meetings available on our website www.unioncountywatchdog.org. According to a study conducted by the UCWA, the county of Union is spending more on public information than any other county in the state, outside of Ocean County, who maintains a booth in the Ocean County Mall.

Taxpayers need to demand to know why it takes a volunteer citizen group to offer state-of-the-art public information. For much less than the cost of one taxpayer-funded glossy mailing featuring freeholders at election time, the County of Union could be providing citizens with web-access video meeting minutes as the Union County Watchdog Association is doing.

In a Worrall Newspaper editorial this week the county complained that we present the meetings with a partisan slant, I’ll let their examples speak for themselves. One example was “The $110,000 new video equipment malfunctions”. This was tagged because the video equipment cost $110,000, and it did malfunction during their February 15, 2007 meeting (see for yourself by clicking HERE).

Another example was “chairwoman says you can comment but we will not answer questions.” This was tagged because Chairwoman Kowalski actually stated this during the meeting. This statement by freeholders has been made countless times through the years. In fact, during the February 15 meeting a Linden resident asked a question and was told this; and what was tagged were the Freeholder Chairwoman’s exact words, “There is a misunderstanding this is for public comments if you want to raise questions we have a procedure for that which you can discuss with the clerk afterwards. But if you have something you’d like to comment on we’d be happy to listen”. The citizen then just sat down without commenting. (See for yourself by clicking HERE.)

Mrs. Renna then approached the microphone and explained the procedure to the Linden resident, “The procedure is that you place an Open Public Records Act request with the Clerk and if the answer to your question isn’t in a document than you don’t get an answer.” (See for yourself by clicking HERE.)

Worrall’s editorial was correct stating that videotaping public meetings is only one tiny step toward truly open government because most county decisions seem to be made behind the scenes. The UCWA is striving to expose the lack of public information at the county level of government which spends well over 1-million of our tax dollars a day and is in charge of our public safety. What better way than making freeholder meeting videos conveniently accessible and allowing the freeholders to speak for themselves without the expensive taxpayer-funded ad campaigns and press releases they call public information?

These meetings show residents more of what isn’t happening at public meetings than what is happening.

In her closing comments during the last Freeholder meeting, Freeholer Chairwoman Bette Jean Kowalski remarked that she took notes of a comment I made during a meeting in the past and accused me of having stated “I’m going to bring you down”. She then went on to accuse me of practicing partisan politics.

Freeholder’s often use their closing comments to bully residents. It takes some nerve for a resident, who oftentimes is at a meeting alone with no friends in the room, to stand at the podium in front of the dais and express how they feel about the incompetent, corrupt, mismanaged county government to the nine freeholders and Senator Raymond Lesniak’s nephew. Over the years I’ve seen freeholders react to speakers by making stupid faces, laughing, reading a newspaper, or even getting up and walking out of the room.

There are also dozens of county employee’s in the room, some of which also laugh and make rude comments or noises during a residents allotted 5 minutes to address the board, as well as during the meeting. I know I’ve hit a nerve when I have nasty comments thrown at me by employees at the elevator when leaving a meeting. The immature and insecure always need to have the last word. This is my chance to laugh at them, they are so pathetic.

There are also county police in the room ready to drag you out on a moments notice from the hierarchy of county government. Believe me I know.

YOUR TIME IS UP! Freeholders called the cops to take County Watcher Tina Renna away when she went a minute over time discussing the boy the county government allowed to die.

Bullies are cowards. If the freeholders had an ounce of the guts that a resident needs to address them, they would make their comments to a speaker while they are still at the podium therefore, able to defend themselves. They would also straighten out their employees and have them behave in a professional manner during public meetings and in public buildings, at the very least. Alas, why else would they need these employees if not to harass residents who dare to question the Union County Democrat machine, which is what the Board of Chosen Freeholders represent in reality.

Freeholder Kowalski misquoted me. Given the county’s recent public relations push to discredit the work of the Union County Watchdog Association by labeling our work as being political and carried out by just myself, and since the public isn’t allowed to defend themselves from closing comments made by a freeholder, I was compelled to write the local newspapers to clarify what I said.

It just so happens that the Westfield Leader had reported almost exactly what I said in their November 15, 2006 issue.

….During the public part of the meeting, Cranford resident Tina Renna, president of the Union County Watchdog Association, commented on the recent Union County freeholder campaign, which was won by incumbents Mr. Mirabella, Deborah Scanlon and Chester Holmes.

“For the past four years I have been paying attention, you [have been] elected by the same margins. This isn’t because the majority of Union County residents are voting for you, it is because the majority of Union County residents aren’t voting,” Mrs. Renna said in a prepared statement.

She referenced the Democratic freeholders “longstanding practice of spending upwards of $250,000 [from taxes] on supporting incumbent freeholders right before the election. This comes in the form of mailers and commercials.”

She said that money could have been better spent helping an organization like the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

“I have made it my mission to make sure that your regime goes down in history with the likes of (former 30-year Jersey City mayor) Frank Hague,” Mrs. Renna said, drawing laughter from a number of freeholders…..

I hope Freeholder Kowalski took better notes of all my comments that evening. Particularly the part about the Freeholders using tax dollars to promote their campaigns.

Kowalski is up for re-election this year and she can put a stop this abuse of the public trust. She can “Bring it down” so to speak. But that would take some guts and I don’t think any one of them have an ounce of it. If they did they wouldn’t be sitting up their doing a powerbroker’s bidding.

The Westfield Leader left out a part of my Frank Hague comment. I believe I closed by stating that the freeholders actions and inactions have made my mission very easy. I don’t recall them laughing at that.

The Union County Watchdog Association recently requested permission of the County of Union to video tape their budget hearings. It was our intent to then upload the hearings to our website for free public access.

The county will not allow the UCWA to record the hearings. The County will not be recoding the hearings either despite recently spending $110,000 tax-dollars upgrading their audio and visual equipment.
——————–
Re: Your notice of intention to video record the Budget Hearings of the Fiscal Affairs Committee

Mrs. Renna:

Receipt of your February 11, 2007 notice of your intention, pursuant to the “Guidelines For The Utilization of Recording Devices During Open Public Meetings of The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders” to video the meetings of the Fiscal Affairs Committee scheduled for February 21, 2007, February 24, 2007, February 28, 2007 and March 8, 2007 is hereby acknowledged. Please be advised that, for the reasons set forth below, you will not be permitted to video the aforementioned meetings of the Freeholders’ Fiscal Affairs Committee.

Please be advised that the referenced “Guidelines” do not apply to working-Freeholder Committee Meetings, which are routinely held in conference rooms; but rather they apply to Open Public Meetings of the Board as a whole, held in the Freeholder Meeting Room. As you well know, the committee meetings in question relate to the County’s 2007 Budget and historically such budget meetings are attended by Freeholders that are not committee members. With the probability that 5 or more Freeholders will attend some or all of these meetings, the County, pursuant to the “Sunshine Law,” publicly notices same. These Committee meetings do not constitute traditional “Open Public Meetings” and there is no public participation permitted at these working meetings of the Committee. Additionally, the conference room, where this Committee convenes, is not conducive to videotaping activities while Committee hearings are being conducted. Of course, the public is given every opportunity to participate and comment at the public, budget hearings conducted by the full–Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter and anticipated cooperation.

Nicole L. DiRado
Nicole L. DiRado, RMC, MPA, Clerk of the Board
Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Worrall Community Newspapers
Officials embark on budget process

By Lauren DeFilippo, Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 1:29 PM EST

UNION COUNTY, NJ - The county’s 2007 budget is expected to be introduced to the freeholder board this week.

County Manager George Devanney announced his $415 million executive budget last month, which included the elimination of 50 positions and, for the fifth year in a row, an increased tax levy.

After the executive budget is announced, a copy is sent to the state for approval. Following that approval, the freeholders commence budget hearings, and make amendments. The revised budget is then introduced during the month of May.

The freeholder board typically adopts the budget in June. The county’s fiscal year begins on Jan. 1

Those hearings, which are open to the public, are set to begin Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. on the sixth floor of the County Administration Building, located on Elizabethtown Plaza.

During each hearing, department heads present their budget requests to the finance committee and propose potential cost saving measures. The schedule of departments has not yet been released.

Other hearings are slated for Feb. 24 at 9 a.m., and Feb. 28. and March 8 at 5:30 p.m..

Following the hearings, the freeholder board will make changes and recommendations to the budget.

The county budget is typically adopted in June.
Lauren DeFilippo can be reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 119, or unioncountyb@thelocalsource.com.