Is Bill Barham toast?

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed three resolutions this week that:

1. Established a rotational Directorship. No Freeholder shall be Director for more than two consecutive one year terms. Due to legal technicalities, the resolution must be adapted every year in order to be effective.
2. Supported Assemblywoman Amy Handlin's proposed legislation that would prohibit dual office holding in New Jersey with no grandfathering of current dual office holders.
3. Supported Assemblywoman Amy Handlin's proposed constitutional amendment that would establish term limits of 12 years for all elective offices in New Jersey, with the exception of Governor which has been term limited to 8 years since 1844.

Each resolution pass unanimously.

Congratulations to Freeholder Rob Clifton for making this happen. Four months ago, Freeholder Anna Little proposed similar resolutions, with no support, not even a second to her motion, from the other four Freeholders. Clifton, and his running mate Jeff Cantor who publicly supported both term limits and a rotational Directorship in an act of public defiance towards Director Bill Barham with his "Director Barham, you are not going to like this. Freeholder Little, you are absolutely right, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" speech at the August 9, 2007 Freeholder meeting, have changed Monmouth County government. Hopefully for the long term.

How did Bill Barham let this happen? It is well known that Barham has been battling Little since she took office over her reform agenda. Barham won the battle, by seeing to it that Little was not renominated for her office. He has apparently surrendered the war, as Little's reform agenda is now for the most part a reality, 3 months before she leaves office.

It has been well known in Republican circles that Barham would be challenged for renomination himself next year. Lately he has been speaking of not running next year, and even stating that he might not be in office come January when the Freeholder Board reorganizes.

Apparently Barham has realized that the public is not going to stand for him being Harry Larrison II, which he seemed to think was his legacy.

If Barham has decided he is done, and that he will resign before January, he should do so immediately, and let the voters chose his replacement in the upcoming election.