Freeholder Director Arnone’s Newsletter

Well, it seems as if fall is now officially here! After a hot summer season, these cooler temperatures are a nice relief! I hope everyone is enjoying the season and picking the perfect pumpkins. I have been staying busy and I would like to take some time to share what I have been up to around Monmouth County.

Last week, my fellow Freeholder and I along with County Clerk Christine Hanlon, Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly, Bradley Beach Mayor Gary Engelstad and Asbury Park Councilperson Eileen Chapman held an end-of-summer press conference to reflect on the 2020 summer season in Monmouth County

As liaison to the County’s Department of Public Information and Tourism, I host this event in a different shore town at the conclusion of every summer season to discuss how our businesses and municipalities fared through the busiest time of year. Due to COVID-19, this year’s summer season was a little different than any other year and our beach towns faced many obstacles that they had to overcome.

Despite many obstacles in their way, our beach towns did a great job planning and then adapting to the ever-changing social-distancing guidelines put forth by the State. It took teamwork and constant communication between the County and our shore towns to ensure we were able to provide beach goers with a safe place to visit and enjoy during this unprecedented summer season.

The beach town’s participation in the County’s “Know Before You Go” campaign was helpful to inform visitors on the rules and regulations of their desired destination and also provided them with beach badge sale information.

I am excited to announce that our beaches brought in over $23.5 million in total beach revenue this summer. While we are still waiting on the final number from a few towns, we’ve already exceeded the $23 million total is 2019! The County has received an incredible amount of positive feedback from municipalities, businesses, residents and visitors who all enjoyed the benefits of the beautiful weather we had this summer.

As cooler weather creeps in, it is important we continue to support our local businesses. Fall is one of the best times to visit Monmouth County and our restaurants, downtowns and stores have a lot to offer to our residents and visitors long past the last warm beach day. Please continue to support our small businesses however you can!

To find fun Fall activities in Monmouth County, you can visit www.growninmonmouth.com .

Lastly, I want to thank Mayor Kelly and Woody’s owner, Chris Wood, for allowing us to host our press conference at Woody’s in Sea Bright.

On another note, last week I had the honor of attending the Mary’s Place by the Sea Re-Opening Ceremony in Ocean Grove. For those who don’t know, Mary’s Place is a respite home for women who are receiving treatment for cancer.

They offer integrative services to women with cancer and provide rest and support during this challenging time in their lives. I am proud to support such a wonderful organization that provides support to women in our community who are battling cancer.

Lastly, I want to remind our small business community that there is still Monmouth County CARES Act grant money available! Please visit www.monmouthcountycares.com for more information or to apply for the grant.

The application is relatively simple and all you need is your tax return to get started. To date, we have received more than 2,388 applications and dispersed more than $15.5 million.

Sincerely,
Tom Arnone
Freeholder Director, Monmouth County