Morris County’s Reorganization Meeting is Jan. 5
Morris County’s Reorganization Meeting is Jan. 5
Public Invited to Attend Event In Person and Online
The Morris County Board of County Commissioners will hold its annual reorganization meeting for 2024 on Friday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m. at the county’s Administration and Records Building, 10 Court Street, Morristown. The meeting will be held in person and may be viewed online via WebEx.
Commissioner Tayfun Selen, who was reelected in November to a three-year term, will take his oath of office. A former mayor of Chatham, he was selected to serve an unexpired term on the board in 2020 and was elected later that year to serve a full three-year term.
Also to be sworn in is Morris County Clerk Ann F. Grossi, who was reelected in November to serve her third, five-year term.
Commissioner John Krickus, who served as Director in 2023, will turn over the gavel to Commissioner Christine Myers, who served as Deputy Director last year. Stephen H. Shaw will serve as Deputy Director for 2024. The commissioners elect the director and deputy director from among themselves.
Rounding out the Board of Commissioners are Douglas R. Cabana, Thomas J. Mastrangelo and Deborah Smith.
Morris County’s seven-member commissioner board is elected at-large to serve staggered three-year terms. The board sets policies for the operation of all county services, including six county government departments and their divisions. While the commissioners appoint and approve members and budgets of authorities, commissions, boards, and study committees, these groups may act independently of the Board of County Commissioners.
The actual day-to-day operation of the county government departments — Employee Resources, Finance, Human Services, Law & Public Safety, Public Works and Information Technology — is supervised by the county administrator, Deena Leary. Each of the seven commissioners serves as a liaison to at least one of those departments and to other areas of county government.
The essential services provided by county government are those that either cannot appropriately be provided by the state or are beyond the scope or ability of local governments.
County government responsibilities are divided into two distinct types:
- functions the county must perform as mandated by the state
- permissive functions the county may carry out in compliance with state law
The mandatory areas of responsibility are:
- court facilities (State runs court operations)
- law enforcement and the operation of a county jail
- general assistance or welfare
- education
- the construction and maintenance of county roads and bridges
- conducting elections
In addition to required services, Morris County government provides a variety of programs and services which benefit the entire county. County-level management and delivery of these services provides significant cost savings and efficiencies over duplicative services from municipality to municipality. This saves taxpayer dollars, while enhancing the quality of life for those living and working here.
These vital services include:
- Morris County Park System
- Morris County Library
- Training for police, fire and other emergency services personnel
- Solid waste management and recycling
- Mosquito control
- Job training and re-training
- MAPS paratransit system
- A transportation program for senior citizens and people with disabilities
- A flood mitigation program
- An office of veterans services
- A nutrition program for senior citizens.
