Administrator Oxley?

Bob Jordan's article in today's Asbury Park Press, Sheriff in running to become Monmouth County administrator, misses the mark on a few points.

This paragraph: "County freeholders — including Director William C. Barham, who served with Oxley on a county GOP panel to pick candidates for the November elections — have been interviewing candidates for about a month, according to public notices of closed session meetings. " is way off base.

1) Joe Oxley was not a member of Adam Puharic's screening committee which selected this year's candidates. See Puharic's Wireside Chat announcing the screening committee here.

2) The paragraph suggests that Oxley was aligned with Barham in the selection candidate process. That was not the case. Oxley chose not to run for re election in large part because he was dismayed with the candidate selection process.

I hold Joe Oxley in very high esteem. He would very likely be an outstanding administrator, but I doubt he will get the job. Far from being aligned with Bill Barham, Oxley's competence and integrity work to his determent for this candidacy. He wouldn't be Bill Barham's lap dog, and that is what Bill wants in an administrator. So, presuming Barham prefers another candidate for the administrator's job, who among the other Freeholders will vote for Oxley?

Politically, Oxley getting the administrators job is problematic this year. Presumably, the GOP County Committee would elect Kim Guadagno to replace Joe as Sheriff, giving her the "advantage" of incumbency in November. Historically, this has been a tactic has been very successful. However, the electorate is angry, and the Monmouth County GOP has been taking it on the chin in the press, on the blogs and with the voters since Operation Bid Rig. This year the Press would make hay of it and the Democrats would too, if they are smart. It would very likely backfire on Guadagno.

The more I think of it, this is really a mess, for the county and for the GOP. Lou Papparozzi would be doing us all a favor if he agreed to stay on until January when the selection could be made in a less politically charged environment.