What Is A Freeholder?

THE MORRIS COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

THE 2012 MORRIS COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

The freeholders meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted below. Most meetings are conducted in the Public Meeting Room, 5th floor, Administration & Records Building, Court Street, Morristown, N.J. Some meetings may also be held in one of the county’s 39 towns. Workshop meetings are held in Morristown at 9:30 a.m. on the same day as the public meetings and are open to the public.

2012 Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders

2012 PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULE

Jan. 11 Jan. 25 Feb. 8 Feb. 22 March 14 March 28 April 11 April 25 May 9 May 23 June 13 June 27

July 11 July 25 Aug. 8 Aug. 22 Sept. 12 Sept. 24 (Monday) Oct. 10 Oct. 24 Nov. 7 Nov. 28 Dec. 12 Dec. 27 (Thursday)

Please call 973-285-6015 to confirm date and location.

What is a

Freeholder?

William J. Chegwidden Director

Douglas R. Cabana Deputy Director

The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders 973-285-6010

John Cesaro Ann F. Grossi Hank Lyon Thomas J. Mastrangelo John J. Murphy

Administration and Records Building P.O. Box 900 Morristown, NJ 07963-0900

Prepared by the Morris County Public Information Office

www.MorrisCountyNJ.gov

What is a

What do

How many

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Freeholders are there

A freeholder is the elected county government representative in New Jersey who serves on the county’s main governing body, the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

The freeholders get their powers from the state legislature. The defined mandatory areas of county responsibility include welfare, law enforcement, education, roads and conducting elections. Permissive areas of county responsibility include parks, libraries, planning and certain social services.

What does the word Freeholder mean? The word freeholder traces its origin to medieval England. It was introduced here by the British colonists who brought with them the concept of the county as the local unit of government. When the British settled in the new world, they also brought with them the idea that only those who owned land free of any debt could vote and hold public office. Those who could vote were known as free-holders and those who were elected to office were the chosen free-holders. New Jersey is the only state where the elected officials who govern the county are called freeholders.

The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders sets policy for six county departments and their divisions, plus a number of boards, commissions, authorities and committees. In Morris County, the freeholders appoint a county administrator to supervise the actual day-to-day operation of the county government. Each freeholder in Morris County chairs a standing committee and acts as a liaison between the freeholder board and one of the county government departments, its divisions and other county government agencies.

in Morris County? Morris County has seven freeholders. A county may have between three and nine, depending on its population and classification.

How are Freeholders chosen? The freeholders in Morris County are elected at-large to serve three-year staggered terms. The seven freeholders elect a director from among themselves to run their meetings and to serve as spokesperson for the board.

When do the

Freeholders meet? The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders conducts public meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month (see schedule on back panel) at 7:30 p.m. The freeholders encourage input from the public on county government issues.