SURRENCY TO DERELLA: CANCEL EMERGENCY MEETING

Calls for Public Hearing on Jail Closure

(BRIDGETON, NJ) – Cumberland County Freeholder Jack Surrency today sent a letter to Freeholder Director Joseph Derella calling on him to cancel Friday’s emergency meeting of the board of freeholders, requesting that a public hearing be held on the closure of the county jail.

“County government should not operate in the shadows of a Friday night meeting,” said Freeholder Jack Surrency, who recently called on the state comptroller to investigate the Cumberland County Improvement Authority’s handling of the jail construction bonds. “We need a public hearing and we need time for the other branches and levels of government to weigh-in on this important matter.”

In a letter to Freeholder Director Joseph Derella, Surrency writes:

“You have failed to be open and transparent with sitting and duly elected Cumberland County  Freeholders, the public, our devoted employees, inmates, and their families.  Your decision making is suspect at best.  You have published no plan about how you intend to go about this scheme.   You have presented nothing to the board. We have voted on nothing that would give either you or anyone any authority to lay any employees off, let alone to close the jail.  

“Additionally, there are 121 public employee jobs on-the-line; they too deserve an opportunity to speak before us.  We have over 300 inmates, their family’s and their counsel.  They need an opportunity to speak before us.” 

“I refuse to remain silent on the unnecessary and thoughtless closure of the jail,” said Surrency.

####

Attached is a copy of the letter sent to Freeholder Director Joseph Derella