Sussex County needs to cut down on spending

Sussex County is too expensive. We need to make it more affordable. How do we do that? By reducing costs and reducing the size of our government.
I decided to run for freeholder when I learned that Freeholder Graham single-handedly gave a $500,000 contract to the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler. The other Freeholders have tried to cut back on his liberal, wasteful spending by cutting that $500,000 in half. Clearly, we have a problem on our hands.
We need people to protect our rights, not spend our money. I will fight to protect our property rights in the restrictive Highlands Region. We can do this by easing rules and getting compensated by the government for taking our property. Unfortunately, as Mayor of Hopatcong, Sylvia Petillo opted Hopatcong into the Highlands Region after the government pulled the funding to compensate towns for this unconstitutional taking of property. That’s a loss for the taxpayers of Hopatcong.
Regarding our rights, elected officials should protect our 2nd Amendment right to own firearms. I am a card-carrying member of the NRA and support proper and responsible ownership of firearms. Sussex County has a proud history of gun ownership — it makes us different, and better, than the rest of the State of New Jersey.
Lastly, I don’t think the government should try to “manage” Sparta Mountain. Why should we pay public employees to manage a forest that is not causing harm to anybody. This is a plan that will increase taxes and make our government bigger, not smaller. Once they manage Sparta Mountain, the government will want to expand into Vernon, etc. Even if it is good for the forest — If it doesn’t save taxes, don’t do it.
It’s time to vote in some true conservatives and make Sussex County affordable again.
That’s why Kathy Gorman and I are running for Freeholder and that’s why I’m asking for your vote in the Republican Primary on June 7.
Dave Gray
Deputy Mayor Byram Township
Candidate for Sussex County Freeholder