Rebecca Holland Aaronson

In voting to cut the FRHSD budget by $1.5 million, Manalapan Mayor Rebecca Aaronson said, "The biggest challenge with the high school budget was getting eight towns in the same room at the same time.To my knowledge that never happened.I think at most, they had five towns at the same time."

Aaronson said a meeting had occurred the previous week which included representatives from Freehold Township, Marlboro, Howell and Manalapan, as well as FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser and Business Administrator Dr. Joan Nesenkar Saylor.
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"They agreed with the cuts we came up with," Aaronson said."They added up to $1.5 million.The expressed concern was not cutting programs and not impacting the education of the kids."

Aaronson said she didn't want to see proposed new guidance counselors lost because that would increase the ratio of students per counselor and that ratio is already too high.The mayor noted that only three of the needed six guidance counselors may be hired, a savings of $150,000, but an increased case load for each counselor.

Aaronson also said that salaries for new teachers would be set at $42,000, instead of the planned $45,000.

"They could really not live with less than $42,000 for new teachers," said the mayor."That was strictly the salaries without benefits."

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Aaronson said she had a problem with having guidance counselors handle 300 students each.

"The standard is 200," she noted.

An addendum was added to the Manalapan Township Committee's resolution asking FRHSD administrators to find a way to hire six new guidance counselors instead of three new counselors.

According to a resolution prepared by the Township Committee in Freehold Township, the $1.54 million in FRHSD budget reductions will be made in the following areas:

• Engine Analyzer for auto shop, $25,000.The district will be receiving vocational education funds and will purchase this equipment with the grant money.

Rebecca Holland Aaronson ‘71: Currently serving as mayor of my small town.Running for county seat on Nov. 6th.

The Democrat challengers are two relatively unknown candidates, Manalapan committeewoman Rebecca Aaronson and former Freehold Borough Councilwoman Barbara McMorrow.

Scherer and committee members Rebecca Aaronson, Joseph Locricchio and Andrew Lucas voted to approve the renewal of the Yorktowne Inn's liquor license.

Aaronson, McMorrow: "The voters want change"
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Rebecca Aaronson and Barbara McMorrow, Democrat candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder, believe Monmouth residents are in need of change and reform in county government.
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Recent corruption investigations and reports of wasteful spending at the county level have opened the public's eyes to problems coming out of the Freeholder meeting room, according to Aaronson and McMorrow.
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Aaronson and McMorrow have issued a series of proposals for reducing waste and corruption at the county level.
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Aaronson and McMorrow are also calling for a change in how Monmouth County Freeholder meetings are held.
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Aaronson noted that most Freeholder meetings are held on weekdays at 2 p.m. or 4 p.m., making it difficult for residents with full-time jobs to attend.Aaronson, a former Manalapan mayor, said meetings should be held in the evening or be televised so as to be more accessible to citizens.
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Aaronson also criticized the "Motions by Freeholders" portion of the county freeholder meetings. "The items passed are not on the agenda; they're not in writing.The items involve money but we don't know what it goes for," Aaronson said.
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Aaronson first became active in public service while fighting overdevelopment in her hometown.She was appointed to the Shade Tree Commission and later served on both the Zoning Board and the Planning Board in Manalapan. In 1999, Aaronson was elected to the Manalapan Township Committee, later serving as deputy mayor and mayor. Aaronson said one of the crowning achievements of the committee during the time she served was the passage of tough anti-pay-to-Play ordinance. "It was modeled after Common Cause's version of anti-Pay-to-Play law.The ordinance was hailed by some of the top municipal government attorneys in the state," Aaronson said.In 2004, two Republicans were elected to the committee and one of their first actions was to repeal the ordinance, Aaronson said. The Republican committee members later drafted a new ordinance that Aaronson felt wasn't as effective in combating Pay-to-Play as the ordinance that had been in place and was repealed. "I was told that it would be politically expedient to pass the ordinance, but I didn't want to just do something for political expediency.We had something in place that was praised throughout the state.I didn't see the point in repealing one ordinance and putting up a less effective one," Aaronson said, explaining why she voted against the revised ordinance. During her tenure as mayor, Aaronson said she held office hours for citizens to come and visit her to discuss their concerns and problems. "They really took me up on it.People were calling to come in all the time.It was what I loved most about being mayor - constituent service," Aaronson said. Aaronson and McMorrow both agree that they would like to see the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders be more accessible to county residents.
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"County government should reach out to residents," Aaronson said.
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Aaronson and McMorrow believe that the response they have been receiving from people of both parties speaks to the need for change in the county, and both women believe their experiences and knowledge would allow them to serve residents diligently on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Deputy Mayor Rebecca Aaronson , Vice-Chairwoman; Warren Goode, Ocean

Rebecca Aaronson and her husband Rick have lived in Manalapan Township for the past twenty six years.
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Prior to her marriage Rebecca spent one year at the University of Texas at El Paso.After raising her family, Rebecca continued her education, graduating from Brookdale College in 1997 and studying at Douglass College at Rutgers University.

While working to earn her degree Rebecca stayed active in the community by volunteering at the Women's Center of Monmouth County in their shelter for battered women.Fluent in Spanish, Rebecca advocated for the Hispanic residents of the shelter and often accompanied them to family court.Rebecca was honored by the Latino American Association of Monmouth County in 2004 for her work to advance opportunities for the Latino community in Monmouth County.

Rebecca became active in public service when she began fighting to stop the rampant overdevelopment in Manalapan.She was appointed liaison to the Shade Tree Committee where she worked to ensure that developers respect the land and the communities where they build.She served on both the Zoning Board and the Planning Board in Manalapan.

Rebecca was elected to the Manalapan Township Committee in 1999.She vowed never to forget what it is like for the average citizen to sit on the other side of the dais from their elected officials.She has done that by seeking input from residents and always being available and accessible to them.

Rebecca has served Manalapan as Committeewoman, Deputy Mayor and Mayor as well as sitting on various boards and committees within the township.She has gained invaluable experience in local government that prepares her to serve on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.She has presided over the budgetary process of one of the largest towns in Monmouth County which will serve her well as she looks to curb waste and excess in the $400 million county budget.

Today, many of the same problems that spurred Rebecca into public service in Manalapan are plaguing Monmouth County; unbridled development and a disregard for the citizens of Monmouth County by their elected officials.The most important challenge Rebecca looks forward to is restoring the public's trust in its government and restoring integrity to the office of Freeholder.She will work to end the culture of corruption that is pervasive in Monmouth County.

Mayor Drew Shapiro has said the move is an attempt to follow through on a promise made to Manalapan's farmers in 2002 by former Committeewoman Rebecca Aaronson.