Freeholder Candidates Support Bill for Effective Government

Democrats Challenge Party Line in Freeholder Primary; Call for County Govn't Reform


(The Elizabeth Reporter) George O'Grady, Becky McHugh, and Carlos Cedeno having announced their candidacy for the office of Union County Freeholders in June 3rd Primary, said in a press release this week that they are in support of a bill introduced in the state legislature that would create a commission to study the effectiveness of county government.

O'Grady, McHugh and Cedeno said "New Jersey and Union County in particular, has the nation's highest property taxes, and last year saw the largest increase in a decade. The best way to curb them is to stop the excessive growth of government spending."

This bill establishes the "Effectiveness of County Government Study Commission" to study the effectiveness of county government. The bill according to its sponsors requires the commission to review each function and service performed by county government and to determine whether such functions and services are being performed most effectively and economically.

The bill also requires the commission to determine whether those services can be performed more efficiently and effectively by state or municipal government.

The candidates might consider recommending to the commission the possibility of eliminating the board all together or the very least sectionalize the board so to represent the county as a whole O'Grady said.

"Right now the body of the board is comprised of one section of the county. Take the taxpayers in Summit, Berkley Heights, and New Providence they have no say in the goings on with the freeholders, their voice should be heard. This bill we support may be the answer to that unfairness."