Marilynn English: Independent for Freeholder-at-Large

Marilynn English, an Independent from Verona, is seeking one of four open seats as a Freeholder-at-Large on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

English has been a longtime critic of county spending, and has been a frequent and vocal opponent of the annual Essex County-sponsored deer culling.

Fed up with the two-party system in county government, English is running a third-party campaign to give voters a choice beyond the Democrat and Republican party lines that typically dominate ballots.

What follows is a statement submitted by English to Patch on her platform and vision for the county.

The number of Independents/non-affiliated voters almost equal Democrats, yet an Independent does not hold any elected office in Essex County.

People should be disgusted with both the Democrats and Republicans. At the Federal, State and County levels, we are broke. 

Governor Christie leads us to believe that we have a two percent property tax cap. However, the cap excludes bond debt, pensions and benefits. In Essex County, we have a County Executive who proposes massive spending and a Freeholder Board that approves that spending without discussion, studies or need.  We are led to believe that these expenditures are “free” through “grants”. In reality, they are loans or bond debt.  Our bond debt is currently $1.5 BILLION.  I exposed the spending when I ran against Joe DiVincenzo in November. Some people paid attention, others just voted across the R or D line regardless of the issues.  Has your financial life improved? Have your property taxes decreased? I personally believe we have one political party in Essex County, run by Democrats Steve Adubato, Sr. and, Joe DiVincenzo and Republican Kevin O’Toole.  I call them the DEMREPS and we the people are paying dearly for their lavish lifestyles and the jobs to family and friends, as well as the contracts to donors.  For example, we have an $11 million Parks Department Budget, yet we are outsourcing the maintenance of the parks to the Shauger Group, the largest donor to both the campaigns of Joe DiVincenzo and Kevin O’Toole.

I attend Freeholder as well as town Council meetings in many towns.  Our elected officials vote on spending our money on unnecessary things when we are financially strapped. We have only ourselves to blame as we have ignored it for too long.  The current Freeholder Board, which approves the budget and the spending, is comprised of nine members. Four are at large or represent all the municipalities in the County, the other five represent districts or certain towns only.  Currently, all Freeholders are Democrats. Please visit my website www.wethepeopleofessex.com and learn of the multiple jobs to family members of these Freeholders.   How can they be objective and vote according to what is in the best interest of their constituents?  The answer is simple, they can’t and they don’t.

We are led to believe that the money is well spent; that we are showing a profit. In reality, it is just not true.  We are NOT showing a profit on any of these ventures.  Not the two miniature golf courses, not the other three golf courses, not the zoo or McCloones are some examples.  We also don’t have “donors” to fund the Sea Lion Exhibit as we were led to believe.

I have verified every one of these statements through Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests.

Please vote Line 5C on Nov. 8. Please change Essex County politics as we know it. I am endorsed by the League of Humane Voters.

Thank you,

Marilynn English

Independent Candidate for Essex County Freeholder-at-Large