October 7, 2009 – Fifth District Freeholder Candidate and blueberry farmer Sam Mento condemned his opponent’s bad faith negotiation in arranging a nonpartisan public debate and asks if this is how Freeholder Curcio conducts public business on the Atlantic County Freeholder Board. 

Egg Harbor Township – Atlantic County Freeholder candidates Angelo DeMaio, John Devlin, and Sam Mento took the unprecedented move today of releasing their state required campaign finance reports to the public by posting them on their website www.TaxRelief09.com and challenged their opponents to do the same.

Although 9th District Democratic candidates Richard Visotcky and Robert Rue are not office holders, nor do they hold politically appointed positions like their opponents, they are not novices to the workings of State and local government. 

Statement of Freeholder Schroeder on Atlantic County Budget

Atlantic County Democratic Candidates Believe a More Open Process Would Yield Greater Cost Savings and Efficiencies

“The Sheriff’s accusations are totally without merit and reflect only the actions of a desperate candidate whose record is one of fiscal irresponsibility, broken promises, and abysmal performance, ”

COOPER, SCHROEDER, MAIER:   ATLANTIC COUNTY NEEDS A TRUE ONE-STOP BUSINESS CENTER Center Would Make Atlantic County Gateway to Local, State, Federal Business Resources; Encourage Job Opportunities

Cooper, Schroeder, Maier Launch Listening Tour to Highlight County Road Problems

In last year’s election for Atlantic County executive, Sheriff Jim McGettigan, a Democrat, lost to incumbent Republican Dennis Levinson by a margin of nearly 2-1. 

The race was largely seen as a disaster for McGettigan, who despite being well-funded by Democrats hoping to topple the state’s only Republican county executive, made one campaign misstep after another.  He wound up losing by a margin that he had won by in his five past sheriff’s races.

This year, Republicans are hoping that the unsuccessful county executive race took enough of a toll on McGettigan’s popularity to put his 15 year hold on the sheriff’s office to an end.  And they’ve fielded Pleasantville Administrative Captain Frank Balles, who’s never sought elected office before, to make it happen. 

“It definitely made him more vulnerable.  It exposed him,” said Balles, who started mulling the sheriff’s bid before McGettigan announced his county executive candidacy. “The problem is that the common citizen has no idea what the sheriff’s department actually does.”