CONSERVATIVE GOP STRONG WELCOMES RUMANA TO CHARTER CHANGE MOVEMENT; Hopes He Will Embrace Other GOP STRONG Issues

    CLIFTON, NJ,  July 9, 2009  --Conservative Group GOP Strong said today that it has long supported a change of government in Passaic County, such as the one now supported by Passaic County Republican Party Chairman Scott Rumana. 

“We welcome Mr. Rumana to supporting our position on the need for a change of government in Passaic County,” said GOP Strong Co-Chairman Michael Mecca.

"We have long maintained that the county needs more balanced representation and I am glad that Mr. Rumana has finally broken his silence on this issue.”

Mecca said the PCRRO under previous chairman Peter Murphy had collected thousands of signatures on a petition to put a change of government question on the November ballot, but the effort fizzled because the petition could not be submitted in time to meet the deadline for getting a referendum question on the ballot. 

GOP Strong supports a county government where freeholders are elected by districts and at large, while the county government is headed by an elected executive answerable to the voters, said GOP Strong spokesman Thom Ammirato.

Mecca noted that as a former freeholder the change of government issues came before the freeholder board but the majority Democrats refused to support it because a change of government would create the possibility of districts that support    

“The Democrats will not willingly change the form of government in Passaic County,” said Mecca.

“Republicans will have to campaign for it. We will have to go out sell the idea and get thousands of people to sign a petition and force the issue on to the ballot. That’s a lot of work and if Mr. Rumana is serious about the idea, he needs to call a meeting of GOP leaders and put them and their volunteers on the street immediately.” 

GOP Strong Co-Chair Mike Ramaglia said a new county government where freeholders are elected by districts would be a tremendous help to upcounty communities such as his – West Milford. 

“We get very little from county government other than a big tax bill. We need someone on the freeholder board representing our issues.” 

Mecca said that while he was pleased to see Rumana adopt a GOP Strong Position on change of government, he hopes the chairman supports other GOP Strong positions including: 

·        demanding a full accounting of the cost overruns at Preakness Healthcare center

·        examination of the Passaic County Improvement Authority and its fee structure for loans, and;

 ·        campaign finance reform that puts an end to campaign donations from public employee unions.

“All of these are issues of vital concern to the Republican Party that were raised months ago by GOP Strong. We look forward to the chairman embracing these issues as he moves to strengthen the county Republican organization,” said Mecca, who is also the Clifton GOP Municipal Chairman.