Perr criticizes Fenton for not firing Comegno

Burlington County Democratic Chairman Rick Perr criticized Freeholder Director Aubrey Fenton for not forcing Burlington County Bridge Commission Chairman John Comegno to resign in the wake of his guilty plea to drunk driving.  

Comegno pleaded guilty last week to driving under the influence of alcohol.  A judge suspended his license for three months, ordered him to pay nearly $953 in fines and $969 in restitution for an accident he caused in January.

Comegno told the Burlington County Times last week that Fenton, a Republican, told him that he will keep him on as chairman. 

The freeholder board appoints the commission’s members. 

“If Aubrey Fenton won't address this latest situation at the Commission then the voters will have the opportunity to evaluate Fenton's leadership ability and judgment for themselves this November,” said Perr.

The bridge commission has hit a rough patch recently, with former lobbyist Bob Stears pleading guilty last year to over billing  the agency by $1 million. 

Fenton responded that Comegno had done a good job in his capacity as chairman. 

“I know that this is a season in which people are looking for anything to vilify a person, but I look at the work he’s accomplished and I give him the same level of grace as any other citizen or any resident in any other capacity,” said Fenton.  “While (Perr) is writing a press release criticizing someone else for something they’ve done, I’ve spent the bulk of my day trying to get 1,000 people, who worked for Jevic Trucking, which closed yesterday, help by putting together a team of county agencies throughout the state so that we can rush to these families. To me that’s leadership.” 

Fenton and fellow Republican Freeholder Stacey Jordan, who are running on the county organization’s ticket, face primary challenges from two slates of freeholder candidates:  Jon Shevelew and Debbie Sarcone, and husband and wife team William E. Moore and Carol Lokan-Moore, who are running on Senate candidate Murray Sabrin’s slate. 

The primary winners will go on to face Democrats Chris Brown and Mary Anne Reinhart in the November general election.