Curley repeats freeholder run
Former R.B. councilman gets GOP nod
BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer
John Curley has thrown his hat into the ring once again, and his name will be on the Republican ticket in June's primary election for the open seat on the county Board of Chosen Freeholders.

John Curley

The Monmouth County Republican Committee awarded its endorsement to the former Red Bank Borough councilman.

One three-year term freeholder seat is at stake in the November general election to replace Freeholder Director Barbara Mc- Morrow.

Curley said that he is looking forward to running again.

"I'm ecstatic," Curley said. "I am very grateful to the Republican Party."

Curley lost his first bid for freeholder by nearly 350 votes in an election that at one point had an 18-vote differential before the final absentee and provisional ballots were counted.

It took two weeks before the election was decided in favor of Democrat Amy Mallet.

Curley said that he would not make many changes in his bid this time around.

"I'm going to be doing some more doorto door visits," Curley said. "We are going to make sure that we travel to all 53 municipalities in Monmouth County. I'm going to continue to work hard for the residents of the county."

Curley will be on the Republican ticket for the seat that is being vacated by Mc- Morrow, who announced on March 26 that because of health issues, she would not seek re-election to the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Curley won the nomination in a 36-27 roll-call vote against former Atlantic Highlands Borough Councilwoman Kim Spatola.

The Democrats have not yet announced a candidate.

The county was under Republican control for 23 years before Mallet won the seat putting the Democrats in power.

Curley said Monday he wants to wrestle control of the county back to the Republicans because he has been disappointed with what he has seen so far in the three months that the Democrats have held the majority.

"We've seen some big, big differences in how the county is run," Curley said. "People have been thrown out of jobs in the county. Mark Acker was with us for 25 years and was let go almost immediately."

Acker, the county's former finance director, was replaced by longtime county employee Craig Marshall.

"He guided boards for 25 years and helped to keep a AAA bond rating which is amazing," Curley said of Acker. "Monm outh County is one of two dozen counties that have even toed that num- ber."

Cu r - ley served on the Red Bank Bor- ough Council since 2 0 0 2 and was one of two Republicans on the six-member council. He previously ran and lost a bid for mayor in 2006.

He stepped down from the council last year when he moved to Middletown.

Curley, who works in business development for a family-owned business, was previously president of the Red Bank Republican Club and serves on the Monmouth County Republican Committee.

Curley said that he was upset with Mallet's proposal to suspend the $7.8 million open space tax as part of budget cuts.

The county instituted a dedicated open space tax in 2002 to raise $16 million each year for the purchase and preservation of undeveloped land. In 2006, the county put forth a referendum, which Monmouth County voters supported 99,883 to 53,675, to establish a 1.5 cents per $100 of property value open space tax rate.

The county now raises approximately $19 million annually with the dedicated open space tax. When Mallet proposed reducing the funds collected by $7.8 million, she said the remaining $11 million would remain in place to pay for municipal grants for preservation and parkland programs.

The proposal was ultimately voted down at a March 12 meeting.

"That is something that I just will not tolerate," Curley said. "She wanted to disregard something that the people have been calling for. We don't live in Camden County or Essex County. Open space is important and vital to Monmouth County."

The petition filing and acceptance deadline for primary election candidates is April 6.

Contact Jamie Romm at

jromm@gmnews.com.