Frank Pietropaolo, a Republican candidate for Passaic County Freeholder, issued the following statement regarding the county Democrats effort to withhold information:

‘For nearly a month now my team has been attempting to get certain government documents from the Passaic County Democratic Freeholders. And for a month the Democrats have been stalling and coming up with excuses not to give us what we want and are entitled to.

So, I am challenging the Freeholders, particularly Freeholder John Bartlett to give us the public records that we – and the voters are entitled to have and to stop stalling.

Among the documents we are looking for are those pertaining to the Friends of Passaic County Parks – a secretive organization in the county that started with Freeholder Bartlett’s help. This unofficial organization has been invested with the power to approve contracts and has been the recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money. We have asked for records showing how the “Friends of the Park” spends that money. So far, we have received nothing.

When we asked for resumes of the 5-board members of the “Friends” organization, we received only one.

TOURISM

We have also asked the county to show us how it has been spending taxpayer money on its’ tourism promotion efforts. The county has a $100,000 tourism promotion program, and from what we have been able to learn, is entering a new agreement to borrow $100,000 from the Passaic County Improvement Authority to pay for a new version of the tourism program. Why do the Freeholders need to borrow money from another arm of county government? Is this another scheme to generate fees?

When we asked to see the work product of the tourism department – our request was denied. I don’t know about you, but if I am paying someone to do something, I want to see what he or she has done with my money. Shouldn’t we as taxpayers get to see where our money is going?

The problem is that the All Democratic Freeholder Board doesn’t recognize that it is using our money. The Freeholders think the $350 million in tax money they collect from us each year is theirs to spend as they see fit, without explanation.

If I am elected I will do everything in my power to show you, the taxpayers of Passaic County, how your tax money is being spent.

I believe in government transparency, Freeholder Bartlett and the rest of the Passaic County Freeholder Board does not.’