FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone released the following statement regarding the announcement that New Jersey will be phasing out the title “Freeholder.”

“The announcement that the State has decided to change the title of county freeholders, in the middle of a pandemic, is mind blowing. This is not the time for grand standing and changing the title of elected officials is not going to help anyone.

Not only will it not help, but changing the title right now is actually going to cost our taxpayers money, when so many are already struggling. We have businesses that cannot open, hundreds of businesses who are closing permanently, and more than 1.3 million people on unemployment, not to mention the thousands of residents who are being furloughed.

To change the title of a freeholder, thousands of taxpayer dollars will need to be spent to update and change every sign, structure or material that bears the title. This is something that is going to take an incredible amount of time, effort and money to accomplish.

There are countless issues that the State should be focusing on right now, including the complete mess we have had with the Motor Vehicle Commissions reopening and getting our residents back to work.

Monmouth County has remained focused on the important things—helping small businesses and residents who are out of work or in need of social services and mental health services.

The County is partnering with the Grunin Foundation to provide testing services to residents in more densely populated urban areas, committing up to $250,000 of CARES Act funding.

They say actions speak louder than words and the actions of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have been and will continue to be done in the best interest of our residents—no matter what we are called.”