Post by admin on Nov 19, 2008 5:48:09 GMT -5
www.app.com/article/20081119/NEWS/811190356/1285/LOCAL09
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — In a race so close that it took two extra weeks to determine a winner, Democrat Amy Mallet has defeated Republican John Curley, giving Democrats a majority on the Monmouth County freeholder board for the first time in 23 years.
Unofficial results Tuesday show that Mallet, who had an 18-vote lead over Curley on Election Day, won with 136,652 votes to 136,324 for Curley, a margin of 328 votes. The results won't be official until Thursday, when the county Board of Canvassers memorializes the tallies and certifies other statistics from the Nov. 4 election.
The change in power means a handful of well-paying county government jobs will be up for grabs, as well as control over which firms land contracts and work assignments under the county's $470 million annual budget.
County Democratic organization spokesman Mike Mangan said, "Voters have spoken and want Democrats in control," and he cautioned the lame-duck Republican majority in the final six weeks of its control against enabling their administration appointees to "burrow in," the term for moving into permanent government jobs.
Most of the county government's approximately 3,500 jobs have civil service protections, but the controlling party has direct hiring authority over department heads, positions that typically carry annual salaries in the $100,000 range.
"It's important that the Republicans don't try to extend professional contracts, institute tenure for some employees or hand out salary increases in the coming weeks before the transition is complete," Mangan said. "I think all of those things would undermine what voters want."
Mallet will take office in January, replacing Republican William C. Barham, who did not seek re-election. John D'Amico Jr. and Barbara J. McMorrow are the other board Democrats. The remaining Republicans are Lillian G. Burry and Robert D. Clifton.
In the Nov. 4 election, two three-year board terms were at stake. Burry won re-election as top vote-getter. Democrat Glenn Mason finished behind Burry, Mallet and Curley.
With Mallet and Curley in a photo finish for the second seat Election Day, officials pored over thousands of paper provisional ballots. They finished tallying the valid ballots on Tuesday in county offices on Halls Mill Road.
County Republican organization spokesman Mark Duffy said the party and Curley had not immediately decided whether to challenge any aspects of the election or seek a recount.
"We're going to take some time to digest these numbers and confer with our attorneys before making our decision," Duffy said.
Mallet, 52, of Fair Haven, is head of a Neptune promotional company. She ran for an Assembly seat in a 2003 contested primary and had party backing in another Assembly try in last year's general election. Neither she nor Curley could be reached for comment.
Mangan, the Democratic spokesman, said he didn't expect a recount, but added, "That will be up to the Republicans, which is their right. We believe we are the victors, and we're looking forward to the transition. It was a tough two weeks waiting this out, but it's important for every vote to be accurately counted."
Mallet and Mason as running mates campaigned on a promise to push for $7 million in cuts to overtime and consulting fees in the county government budget.
Mallet said she also wanted to see a greater emphasis placed on environmental issues, such as taking advantage of a state rebate program for the purchase of vehicles that operate using natural gas, propane, electric batteries or fuel cells.
Both she and Mason said they wanted to oversee better management of the county's health care coverages, saying the contracts have not been formally put out to bid since 1994.
The five-seat freeholder board last had a change in party control when the GOP gained a majority after the November 1985 election. In that race, Ted Narozanick unseated Democratic Freeholder Ray Kramer to give the Republicans a 3-2 edge. Democrats had enjoyed a two-year board majority until then.
The next year, D'Amico and John A. Villapiano retained Democratic seats in an election which did not affect majority control.
But Republicans won every freeholder election, involving more than 30 contests for seats on the board, from 1987 until 2006. The board was all-Republican until McMorrow defeated Republican Andrew Lucas in 2006 for the seat held by Narozanick, who retired.
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — In a race so close that it took two extra weeks to determine a winner, Democrat Amy Mallet has defeated Republican John Curley, giving Democrats a majority on the Monmouth County freeholder board for the first time in 23 years.
Unofficial results Tuesday show that Mallet, who had an 18-vote lead over Curley on Election Day, won with 136,652 votes to 136,324 for Curley, a margin of 328 votes. The results won't be official until Thursday, when the county Board of Canvassers memorializes the tallies and certifies other statistics from the Nov. 4 election.
The change in power means a handful of well-paying county government jobs will be up for grabs, as well as control over which firms land contracts and work assignments under the county's $470 million annual budget.
County Democratic organization spokesman Mike Mangan said, "Voters have spoken and want Democrats in control," and he cautioned the lame-duck Republican majority in the final six weeks of its control against enabling their administration appointees to "burrow in," the term for moving into permanent government jobs.
Most of the county government's approximately 3,500 jobs have civil service protections, but the controlling party has direct hiring authority over department heads, positions that typically carry annual salaries in the $100,000 range.
"It's important that the Republicans don't try to extend professional contracts, institute tenure for some employees or hand out salary increases in the coming weeks before the transition is complete," Mangan said. "I think all of those things would undermine what voters want."
Mallet will take office in January, replacing Republican William C. Barham, who did not seek re-election. John D'Amico Jr. and Barbara J. McMorrow are the other board Democrats. The remaining Republicans are Lillian G. Burry and Robert D. Clifton.
In the Nov. 4 election, two three-year board terms were at stake. Burry won re-election as top vote-getter. Democrat Glenn Mason finished behind Burry, Mallet and Curley.
With Mallet and Curley in a photo finish for the second seat Election Day, officials pored over thousands of paper provisional ballots. They finished tallying the valid ballots on Tuesday in county offices on Halls Mill Road.
County Republican organization spokesman Mark Duffy said the party and Curley had not immediately decided whether to challenge any aspects of the election or seek a recount.
"We're going to take some time to digest these numbers and confer with our attorneys before making our decision," Duffy said.
Mallet, 52, of Fair Haven, is head of a Neptune promotional company. She ran for an Assembly seat in a 2003 contested primary and had party backing in another Assembly try in last year's general election. Neither she nor Curley could be reached for comment.
Mangan, the Democratic spokesman, said he didn't expect a recount, but added, "That will be up to the Republicans, which is their right. We believe we are the victors, and we're looking forward to the transition. It was a tough two weeks waiting this out, but it's important for every vote to be accurately counted."
Mallet and Mason as running mates campaigned on a promise to push for $7 million in cuts to overtime and consulting fees in the county government budget.
Mallet said she also wanted to see a greater emphasis placed on environmental issues, such as taking advantage of a state rebate program for the purchase of vehicles that operate using natural gas, propane, electric batteries or fuel cells.
Both she and Mason said they wanted to oversee better management of the county's health care coverages, saying the contracts have not been formally put out to bid since 1994.
The five-seat freeholder board last had a change in party control when the GOP gained a majority after the November 1985 election. In that race, Ted Narozanick unseated Democratic Freeholder Ray Kramer to give the Republicans a 3-2 edge. Democrats had enjoyed a two-year board majority until then.
The next year, D'Amico and John A. Villapiano retained Democratic seats in an election which did not affect majority control.
But Republicans won every freeholder election, involving more than 30 contests for seats on the board, from 1987 until 2006. The board was all-Republican until McMorrow defeated Republican Andrew Lucas in 2006 for the seat held by Narozanick, who retired.