McMorrow begins term on county freeholders Retired educator is the first Democrat to hold seat in decades BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer PHOTO COURTESY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow takes the oath of office as her husband, Patrick, holds the Bible. The oath was administered by retired state Superior Court Judge John D'Amico Jr. Before being named a judge, D'Amico was one of the last two Democrats to serve on the freeholders board two decades ago, until McMorrow's election in November. FREEHOLD - Although Barbara McMorrow was the only one sworn in Thursday to the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, as the first Democrat in 20 years to hold the position, it almost felt like a swearing-in for Democrats countywide. In front of a standing-room-only crowd in the courtroom at the Hall of Records, McMorrow was sworn in to thunderous applause. McMorrow wasted no time in stating her goals and objectives during her upcoming three-year term. "I want the people to have a say in our budget and what's involved in it," McMorrow said. "I don't mean to be critical, but I want to see things done in a different way." She also said she has no qualms about voicing her opinion, even though she is in the minority. "Sure, there will be debates on certain items and topics, there's no doubt about that. But that's just democracy in action," McMorrow said. "To have discussion, that's good for government." McMorrow, of Freehold Township, was most recently a principal at Howell High School until her retirement in 2003. "I was retired, and then I was teaching as an adjunct [instructor] at Brookdale [Community College]. I definitely enjoyed it, but I missed the public service aspect of it, and so I thought I'd make a run at being a freeholder," McMorrow said on Monday. "I've served on county committees before and I had been going to freeholder meetings for about two years, so I knew what I'd be getting myself into." Since officially starting her job Thursday, McMorrow said that she wants to form a bipartisan committee to review the county budget and to hold public budget meetings at different locations throughout the county. "Taking the budget on the road is so important to provide an opportunity for people to come out and see how their tax dollars are being spent as well as give their input to the board," McMorrow said. "It's all about opening the lines of communication and involving people in the budget process." She said that so far, everyone has been gracious, and she wants to be involved in as many aspects of her job as possible. McMorrow takes over for Ted Narozanick, who did not seek re-election after serving on the board for 21 years.