Board of Chosen Freeholders,
Somerset County, New Jersey

Freeholder Denise Coyle

New Jersey is the only state where elected county officials are called "freeholders." The term "freeholder" is a carryover from colonial days, when only property owners – then known as freeholders – were entitled to vote, and one freeholder represented each municipality. Eventually, the number of freeholders in each county was reduced by statute and is now determined by referendum, and cannot exceed nine members.

In Somerset County, the titles of Freeholder Director and Freeholder Deputy Director are rotated among the board members each year. Each Freeholder in Somerset County chairs a standing committee: Human Services, Finance and Administrative Services, Public Works I and Public Works II. The Freeholder Director and County Administrator are ex-officio members of each committee.

The position of Freeholder is considered part-time, although due to the complexity of County government today, we elected officials spend an increasing amount of time on County business.

The Freeholders employ a full-time County Administrator who manages the day-to-day operations of County government. The Clerk of the Board of Freeholders oversees the work of their offices. Department heads are appointed in accordance with statute and by resolution of the board. Somerset County currently has approximately 1,190 full-time employees and 195 part-timers in about 40 divisions.

Among the many essential services provided by Somerset County government are road and bridge maintenance, curbside recycling, parks and recreation, employment training, community college and vocational education, social services, consumer advocacy, recording of deeds and wills, shared services, “smart growth” regional planning, and conservation of open space, farmland and historic sites.

I have been a Freeholder since 1996. I served as Freeholder Director in 1999 and during 2003 I am serving as Freeholder Deputy Director. This year I am liaison to several of our Public Works divisions: Engineering, Roads & Bridges, Emergency Management, Traffic Safety, Solid Waste Management and Recycling. I also spearhead the county’s Smart Growth efforts. I am liaison to the Somerset County Business Partnership, a consortium of economic development entities that I helped to develop over the past several years.

My schedule includes daily meetings plus the twice-monthly Board of Freeholders’ meetings and our twice-monthly agenda sessions. At the latter we discuss the upcoming agenda items in detail and receive input from our department heads and other county staff.

I also attend many advisory committee meetings; for instance, this year I am liaison to our Mental Health Board, Park Commission, 4-H Advisory Council and Workforce Investment Board. We rely heavily on unpaid community volunteers who serve on these boards and others, and who provide us with their expertise in many different areas.

I especially enjoy talking to groups of citizens of all ages. Recently I gave a talk to a class of sixth-graders about the importance of volunteerism. I also have been invited to speak at our senior centers and at many other local clubs and organizations, as well as state conferences. This is a great opportunity to let people know what services their County government provides and to get ideas about how we can improve those programs.

Somerset County has been recognized many times by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s for its sound fiscal management of taxpayers’ money; we have had a County tax decrease every year since 1996. Our responsibility as Freeholders is to provide needed services to our residents while keeping taxes stable. In New Jersey, county government provides services that many smaller towns could not afford to offer on their own, for instance multipurpose senior centers and home-delivered meals, curbside recycling and a community mental health center, to name a few.

Sincerely,

Freeholder Denise Coyle

Biography

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