Why rush the Fort Monmouth bill?

Freeholder concerned with fast tracking by lame duck Legislature

FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry today criticized the Legislature’s Senate Economic Growth Committee for releasing to the full Senate an amended bill that addresses the future redevelopment of Fort Monmouth just 11 days after it was introduced.

“Why is this being rushed through now?” Burry said. “The Legislature had ample opportunity to work on crafting a better bill that would serve the interests of all the stakeholders at Fort Monmouth. The outgoing administration in Trenton should not be committing our new governor to this.”

The bill proposes to create the Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority as the successor to the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization and Planning Authority (FMERPA), which was created in the wake of the fort’s announced closing to craft a redevelopment plan for the fort property. That plan has been completed and is under review by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

There are several concerns with the bill, Burry said. First, the proposed name of the redevelopment authority indicates that Monmouth County is the lead decision maker when, in fact, it is not. Second, a lack of dedicated funding to implement the redevelopment plan indicates a serious lack of commitment on the part of the state and federal government. Third is designating the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to create either a full- or part-time office with in EDA to serve as support staff to the Authority.

“I want to make it clear that the Fort Monmouth revitalization project is not a part time initiative,” Burry said.

“The most glaring concern with the draft legislation is it gives far too much control over what happens at Fort Monmouth to the state,” Burry said. “The bill provides for a 13-member authority with nine voting members – five of whom would be appointed by the governor, including the chairman. The control should remain with the county and the three boroughs that comprise Fort Monmouth.

“This bill was drafted without consultation of FMERPA embers who have been working on Fort Monmouth issues for the past four years,” Burry continued. “Neither the state nor the EDA has enough understanding of what transpired during that time. Now we’re rushing something through a lame duck Legislature without giving anyone enough time for a full and complete evaluation.

“The legislation will commit state personnel and resources to the project without the involvement of the new administration that will be responsible for it,” Burry added. “It will commit resources of the incoming administration at a time they know they will be facing a large deficit.”