Cumberland GOP Challengers Want Answers as to Where $65 Million Will Go.

GOP: County Jail closing AFTER Cumberland County Improvement Authority bonded $65 million.

(Vineland, August 18, 2020) – The Republican challengers for Cumberland County

Freeholder say ruling Democrats owe hard hit taxpayers answers over how they plan to spend the $65 million in debt incurred by the County Improvement Authority after plans for a new county jail were scuttled at the 11th hour.

Since the announcement of the closing of the new county jail last month, Democratic Freeholder Director Joe Derella said the vacant lot would be converted to a community center, but after pushback from the NAACP concerning the placement of a community center right next to a state prison, Derella now claims the $65 million replacement jail project is on “indefinite hold.”

“After running up $65 million in debt to build a new county jail – and actually starting construction – the Democrats reversed course at the last minute, which will kill a substantial amount of jobs and weaken public safety in the process,” said GOP Sheriff’s candidate Michael Donato.  “Meanwhile, despite no jail we will still have a Warden who will get to keep his six-figure salary at taxpayer expense.  Frankly, this sounds like the Cumberland Democrats version of defunding the police.”

The GOP Freeholder candidates believe this is a complete misallocation of funds and a prime example of the lack of vision and transparency of the Democratic-controlled board.

“As an educator in the Bridgeton public school district, I have seen the school to prison pipeline be a reality in our county for far too long.  As I watch our freeholders pulling back on their short-sighted plan of spending taxpayer money on a new jail, I am calling on them to pivot and utilize some of the funding they have already secured to stop this cycle,” said Freeholder Candidate Victoria Lods.  “We need to focus on investing in county infrastructure that helps grow our economy, enhancing our county health department services that will protect our citizens in the future, and most importantly a community center that can break the chain of hopelessness in our county.”

“How can you bond for $65 million and have absolutely no plan on how to spend it?” asked Freeholder candidate Darwin Cooper.  “If a business operated this way it would be bankrupt in no time flat. It’s gross incompetence on behalf of the county government and it’s why we need a change in leadership.”

“The money has already been bonded, we need to know where it is going and how it is going to be paid back,” said Freeholder candidate Tony Romero.  “A substantial amount of jobs gone for what? A $65 million parking lot?”