Where in New Jersey are Democrats doing a better job governing than Republicans are doing in Monmouth County?

The Asbury Park Press finally figured it out:

NO WHERE.

Curley, Burry for freeholder

It has been more than three years since the FBI sting in Monmouth County led to the arrest of longtime Freeholder Director Harry Larrison Jr. and six county supervisors, speeding up the unraveling of the good ol' boys network that dominated the all-Republican Board of Freeholders for nearly two decades.

Some vestiges remain, most notably longtime County Counsel Malcolm Carton. But the infusion of Democratic blood onto the board, first with Barbara McMorrow in 2006 and John D'Amico last year, has brought the balance needed to bring many of the excesses of the past under control.

This year, two seats now held by Republicans are up for grabs. If the Democrats capture just one of them, they will control the board for the first time in two decades. We believe voters would be better served by retaining the 3-2 Republican majority, re-electing Freeholder Director Lillian Burry, who, despite missteps, has done a creditable job during her first three-year term, and John Curley, a former Red Bank councilman who is seeking the seat being vacated by William C. Barham.

Curley would be a valuable addition to the board. He is a fiscal conservative, a strong proponent of pay-to-play reform and a staunch advocate of transparency in government. He had an outstanding record of constituent service in Red Bank and he understands government spending cannot be kept in check without keeping employee union contracts under control — a point that continues to elude too many public officials. Holding the line in negotiations will be particularly important next year with several union contracts expiring, including that of the corrections officers.

The Democratic candidates are Amy Mallet, a local businesswoman who lost an Assembly bid in the 12th District last year, and Glenn Mason, president of the Hazlet school board and a retired law enforcement officer. Both have less to offer than Burry and Curley.
There is more work to be done on the freeholder board. It needs to conduct its meetings in the evenings, when more members of the public can attend. It needs to bid on professional services, particularly engineering and all types of insurance. And it needs to bring down legal costs.

Having said that, the board has come a long way in the past two years. This year, it has worked well under Burry's direction and would work even better under the watchful eye of Curley.

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