Freeholders establish task force to review budget

FREEHOLD - The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has established a bipartisan task force to review the Monmouth County budget and make recommendations for 2008.

The task force, which has been referred to as a budget review committee, has seven members and has already met several times with county officials, including the finance director and administrator, according to a press release from the county's office of public information.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to have a detailed look at the county budget and the services the county provides," said Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow, liaison to the county's Finance Department who also attends the meetings. "There's a delicate balance to be struck because everyone has different priorities. But we're very grateful these people are donating their time and expertise."

Establishing a bipartisan panel to study the budget was an idea McMorrow floated earlier in the year which all of the freeholders have embraced, according to the press release. It will focus on identifying cost savings, potential revenue increases and overall process enhancements that can be applied to the 2008 budget process, said Glenn Cashion of Middletown, who serves as chairman of the committee.

"It's going very well and we are all very passionate about our objectives - cost containment, making the budget more understandable to the public and enabling the freeholders to have more input during the entire process," Cashion said. "The common thread here is cost containment, and we are looking at the size of the county work force and overall county operations."

Cashion is a retired managing director of AT&T. The remaining six appointees on the committee are Ann McNamara, the former mayor of Tinton Falls; Vincent Domidion, a financial investor, of Colts Neck; Marcie Nowicki, a former Board of Education member, of Howell; Joseph M. Annecharico, the chief financial officer of Holmdel; Richard Gatto of Freehold Township; and Warren Goode of Ocean Township. Both Gatto and Goode are certified public accountants.

This year, for the first time, the freeholders created a PowerPoint presentation on the 2007 county budget, held a number of public information sessions around the county and encouraged the public to attend and ask questions. The county also invited public participation over the Internet.

The 2007 budget contained a 2-cent drop in the tax rate. The 2.9 percent increase in the tax levy is lower than the rate of inflation and was among the lowest tax increase of all 21 counties in New Jersey.

The task force is expected to make its recommendations to the full Board of Freeholders in July.