Following a 7-0 vote by the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders last night to approve a prison merger between Mercer County and Hudson County, New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Colligan today released the following statement:

“Last night’s Freeholder Board meeting is everything that is wrong with government today.  After listening to the PBA and members of the public voice countless concerns and questions about the cost and the dangers associated with their prison merger with Hudson County the Mercer County Freeholder Board simply lumped the proposal in with routine business and voted unanimously to pass it with no debate among the Board.  They walked into that room last night knowing they were voting “yes”.

“This means that all seven Mercer County Freeholders were willing to ignore expert staffing reports and documented public safety risks in favor of a report submitted by Hudson County consultants that claims millions of dollars in fake savings by simply ignoring costs like overtime, fringe benefits, and staffing that will be needed.  Rather than table the proposal in favor of gathering more information to protect taxpayers and assure the safety of the general public, these Freeholders simply punted on their responsibilities and plowed forward.

“John Cimino, Andrew Koontz, Ann Cannon, Lucylle Walter, Nina Melker, Samuel Frisby and Pat Colavita, Jr. all abdicated their responsibility last night and every Mercer County taxpayer will have to pay for that failure just as every person from Mercer to Hudson County should be concerned about the significant public safety hazards borne from this outrageous scheme.”