Hunterdon, Warren freeholders won't follow Union County's lead in opposing special election

Union County's nine freeholders, all Democrats, voted unanimously last week to decline setting aside the estimated $850,000 needed to host the special election.

Warren County Freeholder Ed Smith is fine with Gov. Chris Christie's decision to host a special primary election but admits he's "still a little bit concerned" with having to finance a special October election just a month shy of the regularly scheduled November election.

The special elections, one on Aug. 13 to pick candidates to fill late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg's seat and another Oct. 16 to pick the next senator, are projected by the state Office of Legislative Services to cost about $24 million statewide. Smith said he is worried about the state reimbursing the county.

Still, Smith doesn't plan on following in the footsteps of fellow freeholders in Union County, who last Thursday voted against allocating the money necessary to host the special election, deeming it fiscally irresponsible and unnecessary burden on taxpayers, according to a Star-Ledger report.

Union County's nine freeholders, all Democrats, unanimously rejected setting aside the estimated $850,000 needed for the October election. They did pass a resolution to fund the special primary in August, the paper reported.

Warren County Clerk Patricia Kolb said Tuesday she estimates the special elections cost nearly $50,000 apiece for the county. That's at least $100,000 that Warren County had not budgeted for and will be expected to pay.

Warren County Freeholder Director Jason Sarnoski said Tuesday he does not share Smith's concerns about state reimbursement, but allowed that the elections would temporarily stress the county budget.

“We have to do it,” he said. “We have to have a senator.”

Hunterdon County clerk Mary Melfi said that based on past special elections and taking into account the 2009 implementation of mail-in voting, she expects this year's primary and special elections to cost the county about $190,000 each.

Melfi said that while she would feel more comfortable if Christie put into writing the stipulation that the counties will be reimbursed, she doesn't expect the special election to be the problem some are making it out to be.

She said she will heavily encourage voters to cast mail-in ballots. She expects to have them ready by July 1 for the special primary.

"It can be financially done as long as it's in writing that we're going to get reimbursed," Melfi said.

Smith said he doesn't want to follow Union County's lead because, for starters, he doubts the legality of the freeholders' move there.

"I don't know that we can say that we're not going to do it if it's legal," Smith said. "I haven't heard anyone say (the special election) is illegal yet."

While he shares some fiscal concerns about the special election, Smith said it's the responsibility of elected freeholders to respect the law of the land.

"I don't see how we can refuse to fund it," Smith said. "We all took an oath of office to support the statutes."

If a state court were to allow the Union County freeholders' decision to stand, Smith said he wouldn't be closed to the idea of withholding the election funding.

"I certainly would look hard to see if there's something we can do in November to save the money," Smith said.

Hunterdon County Freeholder Director Robert Walton said residents in his county shouldn't expect their board to follow Union County's lead either, noting that he supports Christie's decision.

"We will not be passing a resolution opposing the October election," Walton said.

Lautenberg, 89, a Democrat who was the last World War II veteran serving in the Senate, died June 4.

COURT BACKS ELECTION

Courts have so far upheld Gov. Chris Christie's plan for two special elections.

Last week, a three-judge appellate panel ruled against a challenge to the governor's decision filed by Somerset County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Peg Schaffer, the Star-Ledger reported.

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