County Freeholders Introduce $496M Budget

Despite reservations expressed by several members of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the panel introduced a $496 million budget Thursday at its regular meeting.

The plan was introduced 4-1 over the strong objections of Freeholder John Curley, who cast the lone dissenting vote.

“This budget is a disgrace. It has a long way to go,” Curley said during the freeholders’ afternoon workshop meeting.

Freeholders Amy Mallet and Thomas Arnone said their vote to introduce the 2011 budget was not an indication of support of the budget in its current form.

The tax levy under the introduced budget is $313 million, . The budget includes a reduction of 90 county positions, all of which have come via attrition, according to Monmouth County Finance Director Craig Marshall. No layoffs are anticipated, Marshall said.

The freeholder board will continue to hear departmental presentations from county staff before a final budget is adopted. A vote to approve the 2011 budget is slated for Thursday, March 24 at Shrewsbury Borough Hall.

“I would not vote for this if this was the final budget,” Arnone said.

The county was under a statutory obligation to introduce a budget before Friday, Feb. 25, Marshall said.

See Freehold Patch for the full story.