Curley tapped to join Burry on GOP ticket
BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer
With a call for unity, Red Bank Councilman John P. Curley won the Monmouth County Republican Party's endorsement to run for county freeholder during the party's convention on March 26.

"Let us leave this hall tonight in unity for victory," Curley said in his convention speech at the VFW post in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.

Curley will run for one of the two open seats on the five-member Monmouth County Board of Freeholders on the Republican Party ticket with incumbent Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry of Colts Neck. The seats carry a three-year term.

"It's wonderful," Curley said of his bid for county office. "It gives me the opportunity to do bigger and better things inMonmouth County. I hope I cannot just represent the Republican Party, but all of the people in Monmouth County."

With Burry having already locked up the GOP endorsement, Curley edged Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso for the second spot on the ticket by a vote of 168 to 103.

DiMaso said, "John Curley is a good candidate and will be a great campaigner. He will work hard to retain the Republican seat on the board."

Republican Freeholder William C. Barham is not seeking re-election.

At present, Republicans hold a 3-2 majority on the board of freeholders, which oversees county departments. Robert Clifton is the third Republican on the board. Democrats BarbaraMcMorrow and John D'Amico Jr. make up the minority. Control of the board will be up for grabs in the November general election.

The Monmouth Democratic Party is endorsing Amy Mallet and Glenn Mason in their bid to win seats on the freeholders board.

Curley has served on the Red Bank Borough Council since 2002. He has emphasized honest, transparent, approachable and efficient government.

Monmouth County Republican Chairman Adam Puharic said this year's Republican convention brought unity to the party.

"I thought it was a great process that brought forward Serena (DiMaso) and John (Curley), and the convention was a tremendously positive experience for the whole party," Puharic said. "It was a really unifying convention where in the last three years these conventions have been divisive affairs, so that was a great thing for all Republicans."

Curley said, "I plan to campaign door to door in each town and meet with all the public officials to find out specifically what problems they are facing that the county can be of assistance with," he said. "By getting out and talking to people … you get a real good pulse for what the situations are in the towns."

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

He said his first action if elected to the board of freeholders would be to examine county spending. He said he would emphasize zero-based budgeting on the county level as he does in Red Bank.

"Monmouth County is a wonderful place to live and I want to make sure our roads remain safe, our library system unparalleled, nursing home systems giving the finest quality of care, [schools] remain at the forefront of education and the sheriff 's department is well equipped and able to aid the local community which they serve," said Curley.