This is the special commissioner meeting of July 29th, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the
Sussex County Administrative Center Commissioner Meeting Room, One Spring
Street, Newton, New Jersey. Can I have a roll call, please?
» Commissioner Carney, >> here. Deputy Director Degru here.
» Commissioner Henderson here. >> Commissioner Silverthornne here.
» Director Space here. Okay. Number three. Moment of silence and salute to the
flag. >> I wasn't going to do a moment of
silence, but um I am going to do a moment of silence. Uh today,
Commissioner Silverthornne and his wife Liz Silverthornne lost Liz's mother,
Lillian Babson. And I just want to take a moment to recognize her loss.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liy and
justice for all.
Number four, public statement. Pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act, PL1975,
C231, and PL 2025 C72, adequate notice as defined has been made via electronic
posting and email. Such notice being submitted on July 24th, 2026 from the
administrative center of the county of Sussex located at 1 Spring Street,
Newton, New Jersey to the following. the New Jersey Herald and is also posted on
www.sussex.nj. us. The bulletin board maintained the
administrative center for public announcements and has been submitted to
the Sussex County Clerk in compliance with said act. At this time, please mute
all electronic devices.
Okay. Number five, approval of agenda. There will be a change to tonight's
agenda. Item 24 number seven is being removed. And I will let Lorraine
explain.
» We no longer have to have executive session because the uh issue that was
going to be addressed has been resolved prior to today's meeting. Thank you.
» Okay. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda?
» Still moved. >> Okay. Commissioner Corning. A second
from Commissioner Silverthornne. Any discussion? All in favor? I oppose.
Abstain. Okay. Agenda is approved. Number six, there are no proclamations,
certificates, or presentations. Number seven, no public hearing. Number eight,
public session from the floor. This public session is for those wishing to
make a comment of 3 minutes or less regarding an agenda item. Please line up
at the microphone and state your name, municipality, and agenda topic for the
record. Can I get a motion to open the floor for public comment? So move.
Second. >> Okay. Commissioner Henderson and a
second from Deputy Director Degrroot. Any discussion? All in favor?
» I oppose. Abstain. Okay, the floor is open. And if you could just like speak
into the microphone because sometimes it's hard for people to
» It should be good to pass it. Yeah. >> Good. Thank you,
» Michelle Van Allen. Hardest Township. I'm going to read real quickly um a
statement made by um Governor Cheryl a couple of days ago. Um, she said, "One
week ago, I informed New Jerseyians that a serious software error in the Motor
Vehicle Commission system has improperly registered approximately 6600
individuals to vote between the 23 and 24 during the previous administration. I
promised New Jerseyians that my administration would confront the issue
with accountability and urgency. Today, I want to provide an update on the
progress we've made over the last seven days. We moved aggressively on multiple
fronts, reaching out directly to those affected and beginning the role process
of correcting the voter roles. MVC motor vehicle has mailed letters to the
individuals who were impacted by the software error to supplement these
notifications. We've launched a website with answers to frequently asked
questions, information about the voter registration review process, and support
resources. The website is nj.gov/mvcs
errors 2023. At the same time, the [clears throat] division of elections
has begun a process to remove more than 4,500 individuals who were registered
solely through this software error. The remaining registrations will be referred
to county election officials for additional review to ensure that any
lawfully registered voters are not being disenfranchised. We are taking this
extra step because our initial review indicates that a number of these
individuals may be citizens that have been that has been the case in other
states where clerical and administrative voter registration errors have occurred
and we've we're determined to get this right. Just as we have an obligation to
remove everyone who is not eligible to vote, we also have a responsibility to
protect the voting rights of eligible New Jersey citizens and ensure no one is
improperly removed from the roles. And we are going to do just that. As I said
last week, this is what accountable government looks like. We inherited a
problem. We didn't hide it. We didn't deny it. We're investigating it and
we're going to fix it the right way. That approach stands in stark contrast
to how MAGA Republicans have responded to this issue. From the moment I made
the public this this public and launched the investigation, Donald Trump and his
followers have to weaponize the issue to advance their voter suppression schemes
and they are trying to target the individuals affected who were registered
[clears throat] >> through no fault of their own. I won't
let them do either. New Jerseyians should have confidence that every
eligible citizen can vote. every lawful vote will be counted and their
government will act quickly and transparently when problems arise.
That's my responsibility as governor and we'll continue providing public updates
while the investigation moves forward. And I trust uh Governor Cheryl to handle
this properly and I'm going to trust that the commissioner board will handle
this properly as well. I'm not even sure where this falls under your purview.
Maybe you'll explain that to us tonight. But we're hoping that um
what's going on in Washington right now, the voter suppression that's going to be
done by the the regime that's in charge because I don't even consider it
administration because they're not administering anything but their own
agenda. I hope that um you're going to stand up what's right for the people
because I know you've said you've supported him before. I can't support
what he's doing. Thank you.
three minutes you say.
» Okay. Raymond Twin, Municipality, uh, Hampton Township. Uh, I'd actually
like to just oppose both of the items on resolutions on the agenda this evening
for the same reason. They both appear to be outside of the powers of the uh
county outside of its remit and completely irrelevant to any of its
responsibilities is which the commissioners have been
tasked with and I really think that's all that needs to be said. Thank you.
» Hello, my name is Matthew Colbeach. K A LB A C like the phone. Um, I'm a, you
know, local resident of Hamburg. Um, I lived at the Sussex Motel for a while as
their manager. I have a little bit of experience on
what it was like
earning that facility into what it was today. But to know that county officials
were involved in dumping homeless people.
Yes. This would be the voter fraud. So, um,
with that experience, given that the state troopers were being controlled in
that manner, um, we had that same problem in Burnsville, North Carolina
with absentee ballot mismanagement where sheriffs were improperly handling,
observing, or dropping charges for felons so that way if they voted a
certain way, they were then treated with leniency or like I said, those charges
were then dropped. This happened in 2011. The Anie County News, the
newspaper I worked for, a threeperson newspaper, won one of the highest awards
in journalism, the EW Howard Scripps Award for distinguished service to the
First Amendment because of this issue. So you have to understand by showing the
road map of how you can steal an election, a municipality, you can steal
an entire state by targeting these weak municipalities. Literally just heard
someone come up here and say that it isn't your responsibility to look into
this. absolutely is your responsibility to look into the integrity of your
elections because you guys are obviously in charge and you can perpetually put
yourselves there in the type of apparatus that existed in Yansy County
and that was proved and put a sheriff in that county in a 60-year dynasty, the
longest running sheriff in uh in United States history. So it just gives you
just a small contrast of what you're dealing with and the type of people in
the community that actually have the experience to know where to look. So
this might be a software glitch, but there certainly is a lot more to just
software glitches and people making excuses for issues that shouldn't be
just brushed to the table like that. So, um, with that being said, you guys need
to draft legislation or at least begin looking at legislation that brings
transparency to how the absentee ballot process and if your sheriffs are
involved. Now, my understanding doesn't have sheriffs that the state troopers
are mainly responsible for the area. And in my experience, most of those state
troopers while I ran the Sussex Motel professionally were extremely
unprofessional. and I posted a review, I mean a video that went viral some 3 four
weeks ago with over 10,000 views of my small little window of experience. And
uh so with that, commissioners, I I ask that you definitely look into this
matter. You appreciate it.
» My name is Rebecca Marino. I am a resident of Hart. I am speaking tonight
in support of both resolution A and resolution B. I believe our country's
foundation relies on secure elections and safe committees. Right now, Trenton
[clears throat] is threatening both. Regarding resolution A, it is completely
unacceptable that a state software error allowed over 6,600 non-citizens
[clears throat] to be improperly registered to vote.
Voting is a sacred right for United States citizens. I fully support this
board's demand for transparent investigation and an immediate halt to
almatic MVC registrations. Regarding resolution B, Trenton's recent
sanctuary policies are making our communities less safe. [clears throat]
Restricting our local police from cooperating with federal agencies like
ICE is a dangerous political game. Creating a so-called safe spaces puts a
massive unfair burden on our local law enforcement.
We need our local, state, and federal agencies working together, not being
forced apart by state mandates. Thank you to this board of commissioners for
having the courage to stand up [clears throat] to Trenton.
By supporting these resolutions, you are fighting for the rule of law in Sus
County. I urge you to vote yes on both. Thank you for your time. [clears throat]
Good evening. Um I'm Dr. Claire Golden, resident of Andover Township and um in
the interest of full transparency, I just want to state up front that I am
running against Commissioner Carney for the position of county clerk in the
upcoming November election. and I welcome the opportunity to more
thoroughly discuss election security and other issues with him in the upcoming
debate hosted by the League of Women Voters. So, I hope we can meet there
again. Um, as for resolution A, resolution A, it might surprise you that
I agree with a lot of what is stated in resolution A, but my opinion is that in
many times it is overstated and has a real risk of of sewing distrust and a
lack of faith in our election, which would result in more voter suppression.
Not saying that's your motive, but I'm saying that may be a consequence that
you haven't considered. Um, I agree that this mistake by the motor vehicle
commission is serious and needs to be investigated. There needs to be
accountability and it has to be done with transparency. And I argue I argue
that as we have that already that is what the governor is doing and I think
we should all support her in those efforts. Um, what we don't want is to
turn this into at the taxpayers's expense a multi-million dollar hunt for
mud to sling at each other in a political circus. So, I caution you all
do things that are motivated by serving the people, not by grandstanding for a
political party. And the danger and distrust is the real
danger of Proposition A. Now, as for
Proposition B, I think it's even more dangerous because this resolution is
potentially um as it worded, it would disrupt the proper balance between state
and federal authority over elections. Um [clears throat]
the government the Constitution of the United States separates the powers and
it gives primary power to the states to run their own elections. We're at
danger. And if you don't believe me, listen to the threat that
Wayne Mark Mullen, director of DHS, said he was going he threatened
election workers, clerks, and all state and local officials uh with imprisonment
possibly if they don't, as he say, comply with federal uh election
measures, security measures. I don't see them as security measures. I see them as
another brick in the road to autocracy. We're not a dictatorship. will never be
a kingdom. And I think rather than write resolutions supporting a potential
takeover, I think what you should be doing is writing a resolution that
stands in support of our state's rights and our individual county rights to run
our elections without unwarranted interference.
Phil Dphano, Branchville. $35,000 was the approximate cost cited
for the 2019 sanctuary state resolution and ballot question. And what did
taxpayers get for it? A political message on the ballot that had no power
to change immigration law. Then in 2020, we did it again with the Second
Amendment Sanctuary Resolution. The county board spent time and taxpayer
resources on another symbolic resolution that could not change state or federal
law. And now here we are again. As Dr. Golden pointed out tonight, we
apparently can't let a good crisis go to waste. This time we're being asked to
pass two more resolutions surrounding an election security issue that is already
being investigated and addressed through the appropriate legal and governmental
channels. Let me be clear. I support election security. I support
investigating the software failure. I support identifying registrations that
need further review. Referring appropriate matters to law enforcement
and fixing whatever went wrong. But we need facts, not fear. We need
accountability, not political theater. The existing election system has
processes for reviewing voter registrations and investigating
[clears throat] potential violations. The appropriate state and local
authorities are already involved. The answer is not to undermine public
confidence by suggesting that our elections are somehow out of control.
And it certainly shouldn't be to spend taxpayer money on political resolutions
that don't actually solve the problem. Dr. Golden was right. this issue like
the 2019 sanctuary resolution, excuse [clears throat] me, and the 2020
Second Amendment resolution risk becoming another vehicle for partisan
politics rather than responsible county government. So tonight, I have one
simple question. What will these resolutions actually accomplish that the
existing investigative and election security processes cannot? If the answer
is nothing substantive, then we're asking taxpayers to pay for symbolism
instead of solutions. Clare said we need cool heads, transparency, and fiscal
responsibility. I agree. Investigate the problem. Fix the system. Hold people
accountable where appropriate, but don't use a serious issue to manufacture fear,
distrust, or political advantage. Sussex County deserves better than another
political circus. And come November, I hope voters remember the difference
between governing and grandstanding. Thank you.
Good evening. Ray Morris from Newton. First, I want to commend everyone who
came out tonight. Regardless of our political differences, this is dem this
[clears throat] is democracy in action. People are concerned about our
elections. They care about the integrity of the process and they have taken the
time to come here and make their voices heard. That deserves respect. But I
think we als I [clears throat] think we also need to be honest about why this
room is so full tonight. The outrage we're seeing didn't begin with the
discovery of these registration errors. It grew out of a much larger political
narrative that began after the 2020 election. The claim that de that
Democrats had engaged in a massive conspiracy to manipulate or steal the
election. That claim, which many of us refer to as the big lie, is still being
promoted by Donald Trump and many of his loyal supporters. And despite years of
investigations, court proceedings, audits, recounts, and examinations of
the 2020 election, no evidence has emerged demonstrating the massive
conspiracy that was alleged. Republicans have had years of opportunity,
including control of the Senate and significant influence in state
governments to produce evidence supporting those allegations. If such
evidence existed, you would expect somewhere along the way substantial
proof would have emerged. It didn't. That doesn't mean we should ignore
genuine problems with our election system. Quite the opposite. If
approximately 6,600 people were improperly registered because of a
software error that deserves investigation. We should know how it
happened, why it happened, and how it was discovered, what safeguards are
being put in place to prevent it from happening again. And I agree with
everyone here on one fundamental principles. Our elections must be
secure, accurate, and worthy of public confidence. But there's an important
line we should not cross. A real error is not the same as evidence of
conspiracy. And there's recent example that I think is worth considering. Just
this week, the Pentagon's own casualty database briefly reported that 14
American service members had died in the Iran conflict after previously reporting
18. Four service members had effectively disappeared from the official online
count. The Pentagon attributed the discrepancy to yes software or data
processing problem. The numbers were subsequently corrected and the
casualties accounted for through a different category. [clears throat] We
would rightly uh we should apply that same standard here. A computer system
can fail. A database can transmit incorrect information. A government
agency can make a mistake. None of those things by themselves demonstrate a
conspiracy. So before we decide that we need new laws, new restrictions on voter
registration, shouldn't we first make sure that the laws and safeguards we
already have be uh are being followed? New Jersey already has procedures for
verifying voter registrations, maintaining voter roles, and auditing
election results. We have voter verified paper records and independent post
election audits. What happens here is is a software failure, not a failure of the
law itself. So let's fix the software. Let's hold the responsible vendor
accountable. Let's make sure the existing safeguards are properly
intimate implemented and independently verified. But let's not automatically
conclude that the answer is so is to change the rules for every legitimate
voter and [clears throat]
Angela Delucia, president of the Sussex County Education Association. I reside
in Sparta. I'm here tonight representing the educators and education support
professionals who serve the children, families, and communities of Sussex
County every day. We are deeply disappointed that taxpayer dollars and
public resources have been used to convene an emergency meeting, not to
address an actual emergency, but to advance resolutions that provide no
meaningful benefit to the people of this county. Emergency meetings should be
reserved for urgent action that protects the public. Tonight's agenda does none
of that. These resolutions will not reduce property taxes, lower health care
costs, improve public safety, create jobs, or help families struggling to
make ends meet. They offer no practical solutions to the challenges Sussex
County residents face every day. Instead, this meeting uses public time
and resources to advance political messaging while pressing local issues
remain unresolved. As educators, we know what real emergency looks like. We see
students struggling with anxiety, food insecurity, housing instability. We see
families stretched by rising costs. We see school districts forced to eliminate
staff, increase class sizes, and reduce opportunities for students because
health care costs continue to consume education budgets. Those are real
emergencies. Those are the issues that deserve your attention. And leadership.
And leadership is not measured by symbolic resolutions. Leadership is
measured by results. It is measured by whether government solves problems,
spends taxpayer dollars responsibly, and improves the lives of the people it
serves. The people of Sussex County elected you to solve problems, not stage
political performances. They expect you to address the issues affecting their
daily lives, use public resources responsibly, and work together to
strengthen our communities. The Sussex County Education Association
respectfully urges this board to focus its time, energy, and resources on real
challenges facing Sussex County and to do the work you were elected to do. Our
students are watching. Our families are watching. And the people of Sussex
County deserve leadership defined by service, responsibility, and results.
Thank you.
Kathy Brennan, Hampton Township. I wanted to discuss a little bit about uh
resolution B. Um in regards to ICE agents, um I find your opposition to the
New Jersey uh laws regarding ICE agents to be counterproductive. Your claims
that repealing these laws would make us safest, I find truly to be false. These
laws are designed to keep us safe from rogue, ill-trained agents running a muck
in our communities at the moment. These agents racially profile with no judicial
warrants. No due process is provided and it's all to fulfill a daily quotota
required by the administration. Detaining the quote unquote worst of the
worst is not done in this way. To get the quote unquote worst of the worst, it
takes investigative work, judicial warrants, and getting the proper people.
ISIS is detaining, in some cases, killing immigrants, and detaining
citizens, immigrants that have committed no crimes. The Kato Institute says that
at least 70% of those detained are either citizens in the process of
becoming citizens or have committed no crimes. And then these people are sent
off to detention centers, concentration camps, whatever you want to call them.
And they are left there sitting there indefinitely with no due process,
nothing that can be done. Recently, two more individuals were killed by ICE. And
DHS said, "Oh, by the way, it was a mistake. We got the wrong people. Oops.
Sorry. Well, that doesn't cut it. That is totally unacceptable to say, "Oops,
we killed the wrong people." Demasking agents may help with this because if
they can be identified, they can be brought to justice and perhaps it'll
make them think before they do some these crazy things. Allowing agents into
schools, churches, hospitals, and courtrooms would further traumatize the
community and lead to more violence and death. Would you like your child or
grandchild to come home from school traumatized, saying mass men came
running in and they aggressively abducted people? I don't think that's
what this country was about. This is not the country I grew up in. We were taught
to embrace other citizens and immigrants o as well regardless of race, color,
sex, or religion. Some of you tout your Christianity,
yet you either turn away or worse, you actually condone these terrible,
inhumane policies. And I think this needs to stop. Thank you.
Good evening, Director Space, members of the Sussex County Commissioner Board. My
name is Matt Rooney and I hail from Camden County down in South Jersey,
which some of you know as Delaware because it's so far south. But I made it
up here tonight because I want to do something that very rarely happens in
this context. And I know this as a long-term m municipal attorney. It's to
come here and tell you thank you for your leadership and your courage on this
issue. I am a very proud New Jerseyian and I'm proud to stand here tonight as
the executive director of the New Jersey chapter, the America First Policy
Institute that fights for America First values here in the state of New Jersey.
And there's not a lot of courage right now and there's a lot of bad information
out there. Respectfully, and I say this as a fellow New Jerseyian, I heard of a
lot of it here tonight. I heard a lot of ad hom attacks. I heard a lot of
hyperbolic language concerning concentration camps, which is someone
whose grandfather fought in World War II, I have to be honest, really twists
me. But perhaps the one that I found the most offensive is when I hear an
educator say, "We're not in a crisis." This is a crisis as real as the one that
we faced 250 years ago when this state was fighting along with 12 other
colonies for its independence. Look around the room tonight. I agree that
this is a wonderful demonstration democracy, even though I strongly
disagree with some of my fellow citizens. But that's the key word,
right? Citizens. 400 at least New Jerseyians voted
residents of the state voted illegally, right? In this state. That's what the
Cheryl administration has admitted to. That means every single person in this
room right now, whether you are okay with sanctuary statehood or you're
opposed to it, your vote was canceled out.
6,600 more in the roles and we don't know how many because we don't have
transparency from this administration. They're looking at only one year when we
currently have people facing criminal charges in New Jersey from prior to when
the alleged glitch happened. Sanctuary statethood is not a victimless crime. It
is not political showboating to stand up against it. It's been estimated that
sanctuary statehood cost the state about $7.5
billion a year. And there have been countless victims of crime, illegal
alien crime, including all not that long ago, a mother and her beautiful young
daughter that was killed in Ocean County, New Jersey when they were struck
by a drunken driver who was in this country illegally. Those are two New
Jersey citizens that would still be here tonight, but for those policies. So
sometimes, unfortunately, the least informed voices are the loudest, but I
want you to know that New Jersey stands with you. You are doing what you can to
defend this great state. God bless you for it, and thank you for it.
» Hi, my name is Jake McCarthy. Uh, I live in Andover. Uh I've lived in Sussex
County my whole life. Uh which is about 35 years. Uh I even lived here when I
was going to school in Newark, which uh is mentioned. Um so I personally
disagree with the concept of rallying to send ice into church schools, hospitals,
and daycarees. Uh I just wanted to draw your attention to something since
Newark's Delaney Hall is specifically mentioned in uh resolution B. Um there
have been protests since May 2025. Uh the law which is referenced in 14B ends
up being signed in March of this year. Um the incident which was made the news
occurred in May of 2026 and today it's uh July. We're in Sussex County which is
not Newark. Um we're in a special session and I would argue it lacks
urgency and legitimacy. Uh neither 5 days notice nor 3 minutes is enough to
cover both of these vastly diff different topics. So I just chose to
cover that one. I oppose both. Uh, thank you for your time.
» Hi, my name is Nick D. Fabrisio. I live in Augusta. Um, I don't need to add any
more to the conversation. You've heard it both sides pretty much. Uh, just a
couple of additional points. One, I think the, uh, the governor's taking the
right approach. The Chesa firm is the perfect firm to do the initial
investigation on this matter. Jeff Chasa was not only the last Republican senator
we had, but he was also a US attorney and a uh uh attorney general. He's a
very trustworthy guy. I think Democrats and Republicans can trust his judgment.
I think if you send it to the legislature for an investigation,
they'll make a a mad house out of it and waste a ton of money and they'll just be
infighting. I suggest we let him and his firm gather the evidence first and then
a biccameal and um bipartisan group of legislators can then deal with that
evidence and then with or without subpoena power. That's my
recommendation. Um in terms of the the gravity of it, yeah, 400 [clears throat]
votes is a big deal. 6,000 is a big deal. But let me give you a couple of
other numbers to put it in perspective. The total number of registered voters in
New Jersey are 6,549,000. So roughly 1 in a,000 we're talking
about in this glitch. And in terms of 400 votes, that's roughly 1 in 10,000.
That's not those are not unusual numbers for large computerated issues in my
experience as practicing law in 40 years. But let me give you a couple of
other numbers. 15,7833 votes in the last guminatorial election
were rejected, including 414. Kind of an interesting number here in Sussex
County. I would like to see us do a better job with that. Many of those
votes may have been um properly rejected, but some of them were not.
There are people, particularly elderly people, who screw up for one reason or
another, and we should be able to do a better job of saving their votes.
Second, the other number that really gets me is 51%. That's the percentage of
registered voters that actually cast a to vote in the last gubinatorial
election. That is a disgrace. 54% in Sussex County, that's a disgrace. If we
don't do a better job of getting everybody to vote, particularly young
people, that's the biggest risk to our democracy. Not immigrants, not computer
glitches, but a lack of interest among the general public. We need to find a
better way to get people engaged and voting whether they vote for one side or
the other. That to me is the biggest issue here. Thank you.
» Hi, Sandy Pender, Freeden Township. Uh good to see you all again. It's been a
little bit. Uh I am here to speak out against you on both resolution A and B,
but I'm going to focus on resolution B. The state of New Jersey enacted major
legislation in March regarding law enforcement operations and federal state
cooperation in regard to immigration policy. The first part of the legisl
legislation, the immigration trust directive codification, formally bans
and state law enforcement from entering into or renewing federal agreements that
deputize local police as immigration enforcers. It also prohibits police from
stopping, questioning, arresting, or detaining individuals solely based on
actual or suspected immigration status. It also bars holding individuals past
their scheduled criminal release date strictly on civil immigration detainers.
Please keep in mind that there are exceptions to all of these, particularly
when a final order of removal exists or if the person has committed a major
felony. To paraphrase an elected official, New Jersey resources, our tax
dollars should not be used to do federal agents jobs. I think we can all agree
that ICE has been given more than enough federal dollars to do their jobs. Again,
our hard-earned tax dollars. The second part of the legislation, the Law
Enforcement Officer Protection Act, requires law enforcement officers,
including federal agents operating in the state of New Jersey, to display
visible identification and present credentials prior to detaining or
arresting anyone. Officers are prohibited from wearing
masks or disguises that conceal their facial identity during public-f facing
official duties. Again, there are reasonable exceptions such as for
undercover operations. I think we can all agree that if your
spouse, children, or neighbor were being pulled over for a traffic stop, we would
we would all want an officer to have visible identification and not be
wearing a mask. To suggest otherwise is dangerous and steers us in the direction
of an authoritarian state. The final part of the legislation, the Privacy
Protection Act, restricts state and local agencies and healthc care
facilities from collecting or retaining sensitive personal information like
citizenship status, place of birth, or taxpayer identification numbers unless
it is necessary for service delivery. These laws have been enacted to protect
us all against civil rights abuses and protect due process protections. When
ICE is operating, it must be doing so lawfully. Immigration enforcement
requires a judicial warrant to stop and detain people as this is not a fishing
expedition. I hope that you will use our resources wisely and protect our
citizens. Thank you.
» Hello. Um Birdie Green Monu. Um, it's getting exhausting watching you
play to your base instead of doing your actual jobs and addressing what's
important to all your constituents. Tonight's two resolutions make a show
for your party but do nothing to help people in real life. The governor caught
this misregistration issue, made it public, and immediately launched an
independent investigation by a law firm headed by a former Republican senator
along with the at office of the attorney general. That is literally proof that
the system is working. No system is perfect. What matters is fixing errors
fast. But instead of being realistic, you're seizing on a tech mistake to push
the same, tired, baseless voter fraud claims you were shouting about before
this even happened. You're trying to exploit a bad situation to justify worse
outcomes like making voting harder and open to fewer people who can legally
register. We have orderly and fair elections in
New Jersey. And if we didn't, then it calls into question the process that
elected our current president. and the elections which keep returning
your one party government to power in Sussex County, which I'm sure you don't
want challenged. We could be talking about how to stop
big tech from stealing all our water and electricity with data centers like
they're trying to do in Andover, but instead we're wasting time rehashing
an error by a tech firm which the state has already fired.
The second resolution is truly heinous. We have an outofcrol federal government
exceeding and abusing its authority. They attack and in some cases kill
innocent people. It's tragic that your response is to double down and ask our
state to reverse what progress we have made for human rights and openly call on
your counterparts to break these state laws.
The issues you raise were settled years ago. The 10th amendment to the US
Constitution, a document I don't think you've read, makes it clear that the
federal government cannot hijack local police and tax dollars to do their job
for them. States should not take on the functions
of federal government and the federal government cannot commandeer local
police forces, budgets and other resources to carry out functions like
immigration which are their only which are only their responsibility. The
immigrant trust directive has the support of current and former police
chiefs throughout the state in both red and blue towns from precipany to orange
to trend in Atlantic City. Newton, [clears throat] the town in which we are
holding this meeting, has on their PD website, the immigrant trust directive
is designed to strengthen trust between New Jersey's law enforcement officers
and the state's diverse immigrant communities, thereby ensuring that
victims and witnesses feel safe reporting crimes. As New Jerseyians, we
should be standing up to federal overreach, not rolling over for the
rogue federal secret police and interference in our state's free and
fair elections. Start acting like leaders who care about
this county instead of party puppets looking for cheap political points. I'd
say thank you for your time, but you've already wasted mine.
Hello, my name is Susanna Oliver. I'm from Roxberry. I'm here because in
Roxberry, our town council wasted our time and passed a useless resolution
that did absolutely nothing to keep the warehouse from coming to Roxberry. And
what I see happening here is that you're wasting people's time. Again, you are
also wasting people's time trying to pass two resolutions that are are
symbolic and are going to do absolutely nothing. I also want to state that I'm a
US veteran, an army veteran. I have had combat training as well as advanced
weapons training. I've been to Delaney Hall and I see the joke of the uh ICE
agents that are there. ICE agents that can't even hold or holster their weapons
properly, yet these are the people that you want to uh that you want to um
partner with for law enforcement. That's very unsafe. Uh I also want to just
touch base on um who is actually being picked up by ICE. Um contrary to your
beliefs, it is not the worst of the worst. Uh there are approximately
600,000 undocumented residents in New Jersey. Of them, group one is the worst
of the worst. That's about 30,000 people, roughly 5% who have been
convicted of a violent or dangerous crime. Um that is actually um 0.0
I'm sorry 31% of all New Jersey residents. The second part are the
paperwork offenders. Those are roughly 88,000
people. Around 18% of the people they have um some sort of um traffic
violation or something else. But the biggest group is the blameless. These
are the vast majority of people being targeted by ICE. Around 46 uh thou
462,000 people. These are our neighbors, our
students, children, uh people who have zero criminal records other than that of
to exist. Uh, one thing to note of irony, one of the staggering um, one of
the staggering irony is that one of the worst of the worst criminal offenses is
noted as fraud and swindling. This is the benchmark for a national security
threat. Then Trump, who has been convicted of massive civil frauds in
2024 and whose own charitable foundation was dissolved for legal illegal
swindling, should be the first person detained. I think that another thing I
want to say real quick is that I also work in software. I've built my career
in software and it's very very common to have software glitches without
conspiracies.
» Hi. Uh my name is Cass Mihawk. I live in Hatacong. Um, I think that y'all know
that you're not really accomplishing anything at this meeting other than,
like was said, pandering to your specific agenda and your audience. A lot
of what I was going to say has already been said. I disagree with both your
resolutions. Donald Trump lost the election of Kamla by 252,000 votes, by
the way, in 2024. I don't know if y'all are any good at math, but subtract 400.
Like, it it still is what it was. Um, even the Heritage Foundation, which we
all know that they're far right, could only find 99 specific instances of
undocumented individuals voting since the year 2000, only one of which was in
New Jersey in 2011, and they were all punished by law. This is a non-issue.
The Save Act and and clone acts are just targeted at specifically married women
um who have a different last name or trans people who change their name to
make it diff more difficult for them to vote. It's expensive to change your
documents and and that's all that it is. Um the governor has been clear about her
investigation. Uh as far as as ICE goes, I've been
outside at Delini Hall. I've been attacked by ICE. I've been tagged by the
the state police. Uh I'm provoked. They are a violent paramilitary group and I
think that they're they're trying to see how far they can push it. Tom Hullman
came out and said a couple weeks ago that there will be more bloodshed and if
you want to invite that here, you might as well just tell us all to go to to go
to hell because you just saying you're not you don't care about us. Um I I do
want to play this audio. This uh the the agent who killed I have his name here.
Um Joan Sebastian Durangero a couple weeks
ago. He killed him. The agent's name is David Broulette. He had a va a mass
history of domestic violence. He threw boiling water on his wife while she was
holding their baby. And this is a a voicemail that he left for her.
» Single female nothing
just
all of you said.
» Yeah, you should. >> So I don't know if if you guys feel safe
inviting that kind of person into your churches, your schools or in your towns.
That's not a oneoff. That's a a mass pattern across ICE agents. There is no
there is no background checks. A lot of them are domestic abusers, sexual
abusers. They are abusing little girls in these concentration camps and getting
them pregnant. These the these aren't rumors. They've been
proven. Um and allowing ICE agents to cover their
faces, by the way, invites people to to imposter them. And even in Oregon last
week, we saw a group of people pretending to be ICE agents and pull
over and assault a woman. So I I just think that even the added allowing them
to cover their faces is really odd and it just tells us your motive and and
shame on all of you. Truly,
» good evening, Manny Bonn. Um, there's been a lot of uh good things
said here against the resolutions and I agree with just about everything that
was said. I wasn't going to speak, but there is one issue that hasn't been
raised that I only became aware of this week and I just wanted to share it
because it might prove and I'm just going to read this little
clip here. On April 28th of this year, the Texas Secretary of State admitted to
a clerical error where individuals who identified themselves as non US citizens
to the Department of Motor Vehicles were nevertheless registered to vote. This
incident involved a mismatch between driver's license application data and
voter registration roles, which state officials characterized as a simple
paperwork mistake rather than voter fraud. So the obvious question is when
it happens in a red state, it's just a simple error. When it happens in a blue
state, everybody starts beating their chest and saying voter fraud.
So why is that? I think one of the main reasons is because we've had a bully in
the pulpit beating his chest for the better part of 10 years telling us that
there has been voter fraud and producing zero evidence. Carl Sean once said,
"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." And to me, the
claim that there is rampant voter fraud and some kind of conspiracy is a major
claim and should require extraordinary evidence. Thank you very much.
» Hi. Hey. Um, I want to start by um addressing something that the gentleman
from South Jersey had said. Oh, I'm sorry. Um, Carrie Stetler over Morris
County. Um, yeah. So, the gentleman from South Jersey, um, unless I'm
misunderstood, and he was citing the meeting as an example of democracy,
which it is, and was glad to hear him say that, but he also seemed to be
implying that this meeting would only be for citizens, which I don't think is the
case. I think anybody from anywhere can come to this meeting and speak out,
right? Um, and I don't know that you're going to be checking for citizenship
status at the door. Um, so for all you know, I could not be a citizen, but here
I am speaking to you because I care about something and also I'm a New
Jersey resident and I live nearby in Morris County. Um secondly, [laughter]
um I don't understand why how it makes people safer to have your law
enforcement officers supporting ICE going to schools and churches and
medical facilities. Um if someone is is charged with a crime, they could easily
just go into those places and and arrest them. But to just be able to go in there
randomly and get people who um haven't been as people have said 70% of the
people who are detained have not been charged with a serious crime. Um and
also entering the US illegally is a mis is a misdemeanor. It's not a felony.
It's a civil offense to stay here after you've entered illegally. Many of the
people that do enter illegally that have been arrested and deported by ICE were
people who were going through the process of gaining status uh of gaining
citizenship, of applying for refugee status. They were people who had
temporary protection status. They've been here for decades in some cases and
then all of a sudden they had that yanked away and yet they're still here
and all of a sudden they've been told abruptly that they need to leave. Um
okay. [laughter] Um, and also I just wanted to point that
out. I don't think those people are threats to public safety. And also
there's I think your resolution advances this notion that that ICE is somehow
protecting the public. And in fact, six people, including three US citizens,
have been killed when ICE fired at vehicles since January of 2025.
23 people have been shot at.
So, I think they're really that's that's something you should be concerned about.
I think they're the threats to public safety. I don't think that immigrants
are threats to public safety or they don't justify an emergency meeting for a
resolution like this. Thank you.
Washa Williams, US veteran army hapacong. I wasn't going to speak
tonight, but uh Matt Rooney came up here and said a few things, and I'm very sad
that you had to drive all the way down here. I'm sure there's a lot of things
you could focus on down in Camden County, like the 50% crime rate.
Uh my agenda topic is the fact that these two resolutions are wasting tax
dollars. Just in Hakong, and I'm sure throughout the state, we're facing tax
increases left over right after left over right. And it's ridiculous the fact
that you guys aren't focused on the utilities, the poles that are coming
down, the trees that need to be trimmed, the infrastructures, the health care
that you know you need to shop around for employees, things like that. Those
are the things that could save us money as residents, right? I don't know. I'm
going to approach this in a different way, right? We live in a Republican
county with elected Republican officials, right? If anything, I would
expect that you would be touting how great the Republican county and
elections are because you caught no voter fraud, right? Because it would be
on your watch. So, I don't see you doing that. Instead,
I see you just making another resolution and wasting everybody's time and wasting
more money, which these people do not have. All right. The second thing I want
to address is the fact that and while he may be offended by the concentration
camp, and I can I can understand that, right? I'm going to I'm going to go a
little different route. I would compare the ICE agents as
modern-day slave patrol. They're yanking up people, citizens.
They're killing them with no training. They're running rampid
in the streets. just in Roxberry not too long ago. They ran through our town
ripping and running and end up in a car chase over by the hardware store off a
landing in Roxberry. That is not safe. There's a park over there. Kids play
ball over there. If you don't want to protect that, then I don't I don't I
don't know what purpose that resolution serves. Yeah. While I agree our New
Jersey officers are well trained, I would trust them with my life. If that's
what you're saying is that their ICE is incompetent, you can't they can't be
trusted, then on that lines, if you need our police officers to babysit them,
then then maybe say that. Tell the truth. In the meantime, while
Hakong school districts are ranked three level levels lower than Camden,
we're wasting 54% of our tax money competing with a district that is
failing as well. So, let's talk about the issues. Let's talk about the grocery
food prices. Let's talk about the homelessness on on in Newton here, right
here. Let's talk about services for these people instead of resolutions that
aren't going to do anything. People elected you and I don't care what
party you're belong to. People elected you to do a job. Do it.
» Sorry. Before you start, I just want to before you start, I just want to say one
thing. We do address all these things. This is a special meeting on these.
Yeah. No, I'm just addressing it. I'm addressing it to the public. I'm
addressing it to the public. >> Man, stop interrupting. The director
Mayor, stop interrupting. >> I'm addressing it to the public. They
probably would like to hear what I say. We do have meetings twice a month and
that's what we discuss at these meetings twice a month. This is just a special
meeting on these two resolutions. Whether you agree with them or not, we
do do the other things at the other meetings. And that's why I'm just
addressing a lot of the same people come to a lot of our meetings and they do see
us do that kind of stuff and worry about our taxes and our residents. Thank you.
» Uh Sierra Wilson, you know me from Stanh Hope. Um I wasn't going to speak
tonight, so forgive me. I'm not going to be as eloquent or well spoken as some of
the folks here. Um but I hear people that are on the other political side of
the spectrum as me say the name Lake and Riley, but I never hear the names of
Sandy Hook victims. So, if you're going to say that ICE is the issue for killing
all of these American citizens, I also want you to address the issue of guns
that are killing American citizens as well. In fact, uh, white Americans
killed more people just this last year than immigrants. So, keep that in mind
when you're you're using your resolution tonight. My second topic or my second
point is has have any of you been to Delaney Hall?
I didn't think so. I have been to Delaney Hall and I want to share uh my
experiences at Delaney Hall and some of the experiences that your Sussex County
residents have uh at Delaney Hall. Just so you know what you are inviting into
your neighborhoods, into your towns, into your streets. Um just this past
Sunday, an ICE agent sped through the streets in Delaney Hall and nearly hit
two pedestrians. These were just bystanders that were going to visit
their loved ones at Delaney Hall. Um they nearly hit these two pedestrians.
ICE has literally hit someone and sent them to the hospital before at Delaney
Hall. Uh this doesn't even bring up the topic of the guns that have been fired,
the gas tanks that have just been accidentally dropped at Delaney Hall. Um
the fact that they pepper- sprayed Andy Kim. So think about all of that when you
are addressing your resolution tonight. But um there are people that are
detained at Delaney Hall that should not be. Uh there are children at Delaney
Hall. There are people at Delaney Hall that have their green cards that have
been here for longer than I have been alive, probably longer than some of you
have been alive. Um, the ICE agents have no regard for human life. If they are
going to speed up to purposefully hit pedestrians
that are there to save their loved ones, what are they going to be doing in your
streets? Uh right after this ICE agent almost hit two pedestrians, visitation
was cancelled for the day uh because advocates on the ground said literally
watch out, get out of the way, don't run into that person. And visitation was
canled for the couple dozen people that were there. Uh so this again is what
you're bringing into your streets. Cruel people that have no regard for human
life, that have no humanity. Please consider this when addressing your
resolution tonight. I believe it's resolution B that you are inviting and
you are not only inviting but you are encouraging crime and horrible horrible
people to walk on your streets in the name of whatever you want to call it
justice safety it's not safe ICE agents are not safe and again if you're going
to address uh immigrants that have killed people you also need to address
the issue of Sandy Hook and guns thank you
» hi Amy Milan uh Lafayette. I'm just saddened, disgusted, heartbroken. I I
don't even have words. I was educated in Germany. Violence,
murder, brutality.
These things are never the answer to anything. This is the first thing that
is pounded into your head when you go to school in Germany.
Violence, murder, and brutality. Shooting someone in the head in front of
their child in the back seat is not okay. I don't care how you try to
justify this. I mean, I don't understand what is going on. This is like so
insane. [clears throat] Anyway, I'm going to finish for Mr.
Morris. He was up before um he didn't get to finish. So, let's
fix the software. Let's hold the responsible vendor accountable. Let's
make sure the existing safeguards are properly implemented and independently
verified. But let's not automatically conclude that the answer is to change
the rules for every legitimate voter in New Jersey because a computer system
failed to follow the rules that already exist. We don't necessarily need new
election laws. We need the laws we already have to work
and we need the people responsible for administering them to be held
accountable when they don't work. And this is where I hope the commissioners
will exercise particular care. Sussex County is overwhelmingly Republican, as
we well know, and every member of this board is a Republican, as we well know.
I understand why many people here may have strong feelings about what happened
in 2020. But that makes your responsibility even greater. You have an
opportunity tonight to demonstrate that election integrity isn't a Republican
issue or a Democratic issue. It's an American issue that affects all of us.
investigate the problem, fix the problem, hold people accountable when
accountability is warranted, but also be willing to say when the evidence doesn't
support the larger allegation. Because if we take every mistake, every
irregularity, every bureaucratic failure, and use it as proof of a
predetermined conspiracy, then we're no longer investigating.
We're simply confirming what we already believe. And that is exactly the kind of
thinking that has damaged public confidence in our elections. So, I
commend everyone for being here tonight. I commend the commissioners for taking
election integrity seriously, but I would ask that we make this something
about something bigger than Democrats or Republicans, bigger than Trump or Biden.
Let's make it about ev evidence. Let's make it about accountability. And let's
make it about restoring trust in our elections. Not by telling people what
they want to hear, but by telling them what the facts actually demonstrate.
Thank you.
» My name is Tracy Richardson. I'm a resident of Andover Township. I'm also
the current president of the League of Women Voters of the Sussex Highlands
and I'm speaking on behalf. Uh, every voter in Sussex County shares a
fundamental interest in secure and accurate elections. When system errors
occur, they demand swift and thorough attention. However, we must be clear
about the verified facts. Earlier this month, as we've discussed tonight,
Governor Cheryl publicly disclosed that a software error at the Motor Vehicle
Commission caused approximately 6,600 people who indicated that they are not
citizens to be registered to vote. The software was provided by the vendor
IDMIA and the error occurred between June 2023 and June 2024. These
applicants explicitly indicated that they were not citizens on the keypads at
MVC, but the vendor software mistakenly processed their registrations anyway.
These individuals acted in good faith and we must recognize that distinction.
They informed us they are not citizens. This was an error committed on them.
Less than 400 of those people seem to have voted. One presumes that they
received some sort of documentation from their county election office which might
have led them to believe it was safe for them to do so. We do not know at this
time. What we do know, preliminary reviews show these individuals are
scattered across the state. They are registered in a variety of parties. Some
are Democrats, some are Republicans, some are independent, unaffiliated.
None of these votes seem to have affected the outcome of any elections,
but this will be investigated. An independent legal audit has already
been launched. As mentioned before, state leadership has already begun the
process to replace that vendor at the MVC. The system had already been
patched. Accountability measures are already in progress. The Division of
Elections has already removed 4,500 individuals that were identified as part
of this error from they've been removed from the voter roles and the rest have
been referred to the county election offices for review because some of them
might now be eligible to vote because they've gained their citizenship. While
oversight and public transparency are essential, this resolution calls for
legislative inquiries that are already underway. It's calling for information
that is already been released publicly. This resolution doesn't make our
elections more secure, but it is costing the taxpayers of this county.
True election integrity requires a balanced approach, protecting the
security and the accuracy of our voter roles while ensuring that elections
remain accessible and inclusive for every eligible citizen. Public
confidence in our elections depends on transparency, accountability, and
responsible leadership. We at the league ask you to vote no on this resolution.
That said, we do also invite everyone to take an interest in the process. Our
board of elections meets in this building.
Mr. Silverthorn, I've seen you there before.
This is our process. Be a part of it. Ask questions. Thank you.
» Good evening. I'm David Dit from Hampton Township.
I've read your resolution on election security and I think it's a fantastic
idea that you investigate all of our voting records. Need to interrogate our
election officials, your employees, our poll workers, who are your neighbors and
friends. You make sure you check their bank records. That George Soros check
wasn't there rewarding them for their nefarious deeds perverting our
elections. Voter voter registration of 6,600
ineligible voters resulting in maybe 400 plus alleged actual votes absolutely
must be investigated and corrected by independent agencies. That's just what
has been promised by Governor Cheryl.
Why are we here? Why did you guys want to come up with a special meeting?
some little bird whisper in your ear that this was a terrific way to assist
you in getting elected. This is a loser. I know you people. None
of you are Nazis. None of you are liars. They're my neighbors. Your house was
burning down. I'd run over and help you put it out.
It's not the time to follow a liar and a criminal. And that's what our president
is. And he's got a whole army of enab enablers
to work his will on this country. And what he wants to do more than anything
else, more than steal all the money he can is make sure he destroys our
confidence in our electoral process. You know, I know, everybody here knows
that this 2020 he comes out with whenever he opens his mouth is
nonsense. The Heritage Foundation, that's your
team. They've been looking into this since 1982
up to the present day. They found 100 1,619
instances of election fraud. That's nothingness.
This incident you guys want to go out on a limb on and alienate these people even
more is not necessary. And as far as the other one where you're
welcoming ICE to our township, how would you like to go up to the green
and pick up the bloody ruins of somebody they just blew their brains out? Because
believe me, they've demonstrated over and over again they will do that with
impunity. Where's the investigation for the people in Minnesota?
Where's the investigation for the guy in Texas? Anybody know a prosecutor that's
talking about this nut job in Maine who shot this guy to death in front of his
three-year-old.
» My name is La Urugos and I'm a Sussex County resident for the last six years
and I'm here also to talk about your resolution. So I have a lot of concerns
both in the substance of the resolution and the language that is used opposing
the safe communities act as essential especially traveling. The resolution
describes protections to schools, hospitals, shelters and courts as
creating safe spaces for criminals that wrongly conflates undocumented
immigrants with with criminals. Being in the United States um without illegal
immigration status is only a civil violation, but I think you already know
that. though those two are not the same thing. The Safe Communities Act does not
protect criminals. It protects kids going to schools. It protects people
going to hospitals and shelters, people seeking justice in the courts. If this
board sees protections, those protections as safe spaces for
criminals, that is exactly the reason why you should don't proceed with that
resolution. No child should be afraid to go to school and worry about tearing
their families apart. No people should be afraid to seek justice at courts.
The resolution also opposes laws requiring federal officers to reveal
their faces during public public interactions.
That requirement is not excessive. It's the bare minimum. I think we all agree
that our government government institutions and law enforcements should
be accountable to us. The board also notes that they support constitutional
rights, due process, lawful pro policing, and public accountability. Yet
you argue against the protections designed to uphold those principles.
Constitutional rights do not matter only for the people that you approve of.
Today, this resolution advocates for reducing protections for people that
look like me, that have an accent like mine. But you should know that history
teaches us that once rights are weakened, for some people, they do not
stop there.
Finally, I am concerned with how worried this resolution is about um making our
local personnel information resources and resources available to federal
immigration enforcement. The board should be focused on servicing Sussex
County residents and protecting their safety and their well-being. Your
responsibility is to us, the people that live here, not to advancing federal
immigration informance initi priorities. Public safety is not made stronger by
suppressing the rights of others. I understand that this resolution is meant
for you to make a stand, but just know that you're standing on the wrong side
of history.
John Snider, Sanderson Township. [clears throat]
But I see apparently the governor knew about this error or this fraud.
There 6,000 people registered to vote before she called Donald Trump a liar
when addressing this topic. We talk about what 400 people apparently
they say voted out of 6,000. What was to present prevent excuse me
the 6,000 people or more when they get the voter registration from motor
vehicle for saying they are a citizen? Nobody's talking about that. We're
talking about people who apparently allegedly
said they were not citizens and somehow got were eligible to vote. But the whole
idea of using motor vehicle registration or getting a driver's license as a form
of registering to vote is ridiculous. We've been complaining about it for
years that all someone has to do is go, "Oh yeah, I'm a citizen. Now I can
vote."
The governor apparently still refuses to cooperate with the Department of Justice
in releasing the voter roles from New Jersey.
I've heard that over 80% of people pled agree that we should have voter ID,
whether you're Republican or Democrat. Save America Act in my opinion is
exactly what it says. This country is going down.
Have the Democrat party which is slowly becoming the Communist Party.
Don't decide your fair.
Have a little
» the democratic socialist of America basically communists.
According to the governor of California, they're welcome. We have a big tent.
I guess if Adolf Hitler was still alive, he'd be in that tent along with Nikita
Kruev, Joe Stalin, and other people.
But they're coming out now, these DSA people. No more President, no more
Senate, no more Supreme Court. And I guess they want a parliamentary
form of government. Some of them are calling for the release of all
incarcerated prisoners. I may sound crazy, but I'm only
repeating things that have come from these people.
Someone mentioned tonight that in New Jersey there were 30,000 convicted
felons that are illegal alien Jersey. And then they went on to talk about what
a percent that was. I don't care what percent that is. 30,000.
Thank you and God bless America.
Hi, I'm Diane Brennan from Randolph and I didn't get a count before when you
were all asked who's been to Delanium. I have a show of hands if people
Okay, you don't want to divulge that. Okay. Well, I'm assuming that if
nobody's, you know, probably all haven't been. Well, I've been a few times and um
you know, I know people don't like the comparison to concentration camps.
Concentration camps out is detention camps. And uh my father was um a World
War II vet that was shot down over Germany,
nine months in a prison.
Worse than that, from his from his from his recollections,
stories I've been told over the years, the German guards actually flooded in
the area of a parking lot because the Red Cross sent ice skates and they
wanted to allow the prisoners to skate in the wintertime. Do you think that
would go on at Delaney Hall? I don't think so. There were bugs in his food.
He took them out. His comrades laughed at him and said, "No, you keep them in.
That's the protein." Well, there are maggots, worms, and mold in Delaneies.
Their milk is spoiled. Things are outdated. They're not getting medical
care. They're dying in detention. Something like 88%
not committed criminal acts. And you want it, you want your heart
broken, go there sometime when there are kids there visiting their dads or their
brothers or their uncles or whoever, and ICE shows up. You want your heart
broken? You see, run down the street crying and screaming
ice on this country. My father didn't fight
Nazis for that.
Scott Null, Sparta. Um, we don't agree politically and that's
fine. You guys are my neighbors. I've been here before, talked to you. had
conversations after the side and I commented more than once how thank god
you're here doing the county's work because it is thankless
it's so disappointing that something like this happens right like these
nonsense resolutions issue was identified correct action was taken it's
being addressed it's a waste of time it's an insult to us as your
constituency that this is a thing So um on the second resolution
regarding um government I it boils down to ICE I've had really good experience
with the law enforcement here right the reason I've had really good experience
with the law enforcement here they're vetted
they're trained they know what due process is part of
the community they're unmasked I see them almost every weekend
supporting us at Newton Square, right? They're part of the community.
They're taking care of us. They're professionals.
That's their job. And they do it really well.
None of that can be said for ICE. You can look it up. Look at their stats.
Look at what they're doing. It's been said before, these people are not what
we want in our community. Okay? It it seems to matter for some reason, right?
So, my dad was a veteran. I was a veteran. My father-in-law was a veteran.
My sister-in-law was a veteran. Right? We're all trained. I don't need some
jackass with the gun running around telling me what to do,
where to go, who's this, who can't even identify themselves and isn't wearing a
proper uniform. I serve as a pole worker.
I have several times. I do not want ICE at the polls. It makes it more
dangerous. It makes it more dangerous for me. It makes it more dangerous for
our community and it makes it more dangerous for the voters.
» Good evening. I want to also say how glad I am for the work that you do.
Not important. Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Lori Gold and I live in Hardwood, but my
driveway's in still ordering words. Um I I someone said before they don't
understand what's going on. That's how I feel. And I think that um
resolutions are not not wise. And I I'm rising. I left my
home to come here and say that to you. Um
when the president says, "We're going to go after the worst of the worst." I'm
picturing the gangs. We know that there's been gangs and they need to be
disrupted. They're terrorizing the communities that they That's not what
we're seeing. what we're seeing average people being yanked out of their lives
and put into untenable situations and sometimes killed.
But what I wanted to say the most, one of one of the other things I wanted to
say is um to look around the room and see your neighbors, your friends, and
that you are our neighbors and our friends. And Steven Miller stands up and
say, "Oh, look at those people. They're they all look weird. He's the weirdest
looking guy I've ever seen. But I just want to say, look around. These are your
neighbors. These are your friends. We're maybe a little weird, but we're not more
weird than most. So, the thing that bothered me the most
about these two resolutions was the idea that these ICE agents should be allowed
to wear masks. I mean, they're fully uniformed with these horrible They look
horrible. They look so scary. and and guessing a resolution that says they
should be allowed. Are we living in
not only damaging to it's not only damaging to our constitution,
it's damaging to our souls. Everyone in this room, everyone in this
country, on our streets, damaging to us.
Thank you for your time.
» Hi, uh Sarah Lee Witson from Newton. I don't want to repeat uh what uh many of
the commenters said, so I'll try to add a couple of additional points that I
think you should consider. First of all, uh these resolutions, in particular, the
one pertaining to ICE and immigration enforcement is dangerous. It's dangerous
for our community if people are going to be afraid to call the police. uh if
women who are being battered by their husbands or partners or intruders are
going to be afraid to call the police because they're afraid that this might
be an ICE action. Um it's also very divisive. Clearly, you're hearing from
people here tonight that this is not a resolution and they that they support
that the election resolution is happening in a context of a broader
political fight that has little relevance right now to our county given
that this is a performative resolution. Um, and it seems that you don't really
have the mandate to push this resolution forward from what you're hearing
tonight. At minimum, I would urge you to table these resolutions, have a broader
discussion about them, invite a broader community hearing, um, because it's
clear that you don't have a mandate [clears throat] to pass these
resolutions, which again emphasizes that this is divisive. People are feeling
excluded. We're making people in this community feel otherred because of the
color of their skin and because of the weight that you're putting behind these
kinds of enforcement actions that are scaring people. It's not good for us.
And I think you should at minimum pause and reconsider these resolutions. Um and
of course you may as well inspire such strong opposition that you'll be going
to be held accountable for these utterly symbolic resolutions. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Veronica Fernandez. I live in Long Valley in Morris County,
but I was born and raised right known as a teenager
on the green.
When people talk about New Jersey, they talk about the turnpike. I'm like, I you
don't know where I come from. I come from it's
I came from I used to go to space farms as a kid for field trips and I'll be
very honest I cried when I left it traumatized me to see how
bad and um I don't know that was I think when I first started having my
awakenings and aware awareness of things going on around me and I thought I lived
in a perfect little world and I've grown up and I pledged to reach
flag every day that stood for liberty, justice, and peaceful.
I don't know. As I got out into the world and I learned more, I learned
about the failings of my country, the good and the bad. And we have I was
thinking of the quote. It says, "Those who cannot remember are doomed to
repeat." And I see the sign up here, your logo, and every town has one. It's
corn. And it's we're Lape. We are we but I don't but there's I think there's no
one here of lape origin in here all white most of us are white you know
they're not they're not here and then I think about the Japanese interament we
were on the wrong side of history then we were locking up people who looked
like the enemy they are not the enemy they are fellow human beings they are
more indigenous to this for the same reasons our ancestors came
to build a better life but our ancestors came legally seriously ly what does that
mean? They came they came through Ellis Island. They got papers before all of
that. They they were encouraging anyone to come. And some of my ancestors, my my
birth name is Vandenhu. That's been around here forever.
And so I love this county even though I live in another and I I just where I
come from and I I can't bear the thought of seeing ice because I've been to
Delaney Hall. I've seen children. I was on on Memorial Day in Union at a parade
with kids running with American flags and later the day I went to Delaney Hall
and I saw kids running from ICE. You know what it's like to see this
terrified child. And then what the other thing is there's always unintended
consequences with anything that you take on like this. And the unintended
consequences here is you are creating terrorists for generations to come.
Children don't remember when you rip apart their families. They don't. We're
going to pull them apart. We're not repatriating them or deporting them.
We're trafficking them to countries they've never been to before. And their
children are going to remember what they did, they're going to when you hear
people say they hate America, ask yourself why. We don't see it in each
other. But you go outside of this country and you find out why people hate
us. We're in everybody's business. We should be fixing our schools, giving our
teachers raise, giving our police raise, giving them assistance. We should not be
tracking and trafficking human beings. Can we please be on the right side of
history and have that flag stand for what it was meant to stand for? Thank
you.
AC Andrews, Sussex County. Can you guys hear me? So, I wasn't planning on
speaking tonight. Uh, really I just want to say is I've seen enough videos of
people getting pepper-sprayed and attacked in New Jersey and other states.
I don't want to see any more of them. I don't want to see my neighbors, my
friends, the people I love getting attacked because someone thinks they
don't belong here. They don't know. They think because of the color of their skin
or their accent. Please keep our neighborhoods safe. Our
law enforcements are capable of doing what they're supposed to do without any
other other assistance. Thank you.
Tony Manzy from Parton and I'd like to just give you a little um anecdote. This
is from right here in Sussex County. So for any over 20 years I worked for a
nonprofit organization and uh we were statewide but I worked in Sussex County
and we went to many many schools in the county including right here in Newton
and we talked to children about how to stay safe in all different situations.
I was working here in Newton with seventh graders and the boys and the
girls were separated because they we talked about uh like date rape and so
forth. That was part of our program. So we had them separate.
» I was working with a group of seventh grade boys and many of them were from
either their families were from South America or they were from South America.
They were supposed to call us by our first names first of all. We weren't
supposed to be seen as authority and bless them. They just so many South
Americans. They're just so familyoriented. They couldn't do it.
They couldn't call me Tony. They had to call me Miss Tony. They're like, "We
can't do it. We can't do it." So, not only were they polite, but we went
through all this thing about safety. It has nothing to do with politics,
nothing. Just children, how to stay safe. At the end, when I told the kids,
"Okay, we have a few minutes. Just go ahead talks amongst yourself." Oh, they
were talk, this was in right before the election in 2016.
These kids weren't talking about sports. They weren't talking about girls. They
were talking about how fearful they were. And one of the little boys raised
his hand, "Miss Tony, Miss Tony." I said, "Oh, yeah." And I went up and he
said, "What's going to happen to us if Donald Trump gets in? We hear what's
what's going on. What's going to happen to our families? What's going to happen
to us?" And I said, "Look, I'm it'll I said, "I can't promise you anything. I
don't know." I said, "But we have laws in this country and we're a diverse
country and hopefully everything will be all right." Well, that was 2016 and now
we're in 2026. What would you people say to those young
men and and young women in the other in the girls class? What would you say to
them now if they was if they said to you, "What's going to happen to us?
What's going to happen to our family? How can you look the children of Newton
in the eye?" I just What would you say to them? These
are our children. We're not talking about some hypothetical kids, some
hypothetical families. They were right here in Newton. I'll never forget those
little boys saying, "What's going to happen to us and our family?" You're
just going to say, "I don't care. I don't care." So what? So maybe they're
not Maybe they're not criminals, but we're kicking you out. Oh my god. I I
can't imagine any of you would say that to those children.
Debbie Melo, Frerieden Township. When I was made aware of tonight's
special meeting and read the resolutions,
I was very upset. I think I could agree with just about everything that everyone
has said about those resolutions tonight. So, I won't go beyond that
except to say that again, I'm vehemently opposed to them. And I'm also very
concerned that this special meeting was called in July,
middle of summer, but was so important that it had to be
now. And I was going to ask you to seriously consider when it was time for
you to vote after hearing everyone tonight what your vote would be. But I
really like the suggestion of the woman who came a few people before me saying,
"Why don't we table it? Let's table it and let's have a larger discussion
because obviously this is just a small percentage of the people in our county
and beyond for those people that come here. Um, we're very concerned about
these resolutions and the impact that they may have on our county, but also
the hollowess of particularly the First terms of voter uh
all of the all all the things in place for voter security. I absolutely agree
with voter security. I think that we need to have those measures in place so
that we can have a fair and free election. I think a lot of those things
are in place and we need to continue to enforce them and to look at things that
can help us go further. Um, but I also think that we need to give time to
governor and the people that she has put in place to look at this process so that
we can do better. So, I urge you to consider tableabling this for uh
sometime possibly in the fall where we could have a larger discussion and see
what comes from that. Thank you very much.
» Good evening. My name is Zoe Heath. I live in Franklin Burough. uh any
sentiment that I have about the two resolutions have been echoed by everyone
who spoke before me. Um not everyone but some of the points. Um my question is
what was the point of having a special meeting to put forth these resolutions
regardless of if they pass, regardless of if we table them because it costs
money to have these meetings. It it seems like the only positive thing
that's going to come out of this meeting tonight is that a few of our sheriff's
officers got some overtime. I'm sure they would like to hang out at home and
get some overtime instead, but it is a source of frustration for this county
for us to spend money on these resolutions that a significant portion
of the community has no faith in and has very clearly expressed their opposition
to. So, I understand that you guys do not get paid nearly enough for the work
that you do as county commissioners. I understand that it is usually a job, but
I don't understand why you would put this on yourselves as well. I understand
there was also special business for executive session, but again that didn't
happen either. So why we're having this meeting at all for this issue, the third
meeting you're going to have have to have in July just doesn't make sense.
» My name is Reese Moore. I'm from Vernon Township. Uh, I'm a Republican pole
worker and I support law enforcement and safe and secure elections like I think
almost anyone here would say. But I also think that supporting law enforcement
means standing next to them when they do right and standing across from them when
they do wrong. You say in your resolution about ICE that forcing them
to be unmasked and properly uniformed and identified is a threat to their
their safety and well-being. And yet every day across this country, federal
agents, state law enforcement, and local law enforcement operate not only
unmasked, but with body cameras and name tags on them, as the county sheriff's
officers here tonight have without incident, without anyone saying that
they are under a constant daily risk to their safety. So, I would like to know
where the idea that ICE agents being unmasked and properly identified people
is such a horrible idea. You also oppose these state laws that declare certain
locations protected from law enforcement operations. One of those categories is
schools. Now, I can personally speak to that one as a recent graduate of Sussex
Community College where I was the president of the Student Government
Association, and I was approached throughout my tenure several times by
different people who were all concerned about one issue, the possibility that
ICE would be on our campus and interrogating students and possibly
arresting students in relation to their immigration status. because we did have
ex foreign exchange students on campus. I was friends with many of them and I
was never concerned about their immigration status because they were
students the same as me. So, how do you feel about the idea that students at the
school you oversee as this county's commissioners felt unsafe
in this county, in this place that you oversee?
Like I said, standing by law enforcement is a great thing. Standing next to our
law enforcement when they do right is important. But when our law enforcement,
like ICE has shown over the past year, is unable to control itself is seeing
record numbers of deaths not only on the streets where they are shooting and
killing people, but where record numbers of people are dying in their custody in
overcrowded prisons with poor quality. Are you really going to stand here and
tell us you stand next to that wholeheartedly? Thank you.
Can I get a motion to close the floor for public comment?
» So move. >> Okay. Um, Commissioner Henderson and a
second. Uh, Commissioner Silverthornne. Any discussion? All in favor? I
» post same.
Number nine, commissioner's comments. I think we all said we were going to
forego our regular commissioner comments since we had a meeting last week, unless
someone has seen comments. No. Number 10, there is no approval of consent
agenda. Number 11, we have no minutes. Number 12, no ordinance. Number 13, no
appointments and or resignations. Number 14, resolutions.
Can I get a motion to adopt resolutions A and B? move.
» Thank Carney in a second. >> Second.
» Uh, deputy director of the group. Uh, discussion. Any discussion on resolution
A? >> Yep. I have a lot to say, but I'm going
to just stick to what I have written. >> So, voter integrity should not be a
Republican issue or Democrat issue. Should be an American issue. The right
to vote is one of the most fundamental rights of American citizens. It is the
foundation of our democracy and determines the leaders who make our laws
and govern our nation. This resolution is not about benefiting one political
party over another. is about protecting the integrity of our elections and
ensuring that every eligible citizen can have confidence that their vote is
counted fairly and legally. Election integrity strengthens trust in our
democratic process for Republicans, for Democrats, for independents, and every
voter alike. I will always stand for protecting the voting rights of every
eligible American and preserving the integrity of the election process for
generations to come. I've said this before, I'll say it again.
Voter integrity is important. Voter ID is important. You need you need a
license for a library card for renting a car for rent going to a hotel and you
don't need one to vote. We have our machines here in Sussex County that you
can scan where your name will come up in your picture. It's very easy. We spent a
lot of money on that stuff. We should be using them.
» And I would like to see the governor fully cooperate with the Department of
Justice and uh give the names of the voters, not to the public, but for the
Department of Justice to investigate. And I would like to know um which
municipalities and counties are affected whether it's our county or not our
county. But there are races that are lost by one, two votes, you know, in
primaries, Republicans and Democrats. >> And that's what the resolution asks. And
I I kind of feel like most people here did not read the resolution. We're going
to do it because it broken down.
This is stop. Okay. Uh, resolute. Anyone else on
that on resolution A? >> I'm just going to say I think anybody
knows I'm probably is a black and white and black on any issue I see. I look at
this and I don't care if it's 400 votes or one vote. We have a problem. Do I
agree it's a bipartisan problem? 100%. If it's not, we're all in this room for
the wrong reason. In my opinion, we need to fix this together. It definitely
needs to be fixed. Do I believe it's personally 400? If I got an odd number
like 382, I might have believed that. 400 I have a hard time with such an even
round number 66 and 400. I mean, I look at that and think we've got a problem as
Democrats, Republicans, I don't care who you are, what you are, the problem needs
to be fixed. However we get there, whether it's with
our governor doing an investigation, kudos to her for bringing it out. How
come we didn't know it the year before? It's 2023. This is 2026. Somebody
obviously knew here. Where has it been? Uh, that's my problem. I'm just going to
add in to that, too. This is a nonpartisan issue. Couldn't be any more
non nonpartisan than what it is. I I distrust both sides. I distrust
government. So, I probably agree with you guys on a lot more than you think I
do. Um, so I I don't think this was a glitch. I just think it's sloppy
government. I it happens at every level and I and I if you think it's only 6,600
votes or 400 people that voted, I I beg to differ, but I I can almost guarantee
you that number is going to be significantly higher when this is all
said and done. And and I'm not trying to grandstand or make this any more than
what it has to be. But I I think it is important that we do address it. And uh
we sit here every week, week in and week out, and have people come in and ask us
to uh listen to them vent about things that we really have little to no control
over other than we are your neighbors and we're here for you. Um and this is
one issue where we do have some mod of control over going I am the liaison for
the board of elections and and listen there's issues everywhere. So, uh, you
know, whether it's in our own backyard or or somewhere else, we try to do the
best we can to make things better. And that's what we're doing here today.
» And this is to support every vote counts. Um, every legal vote. Anyone
else? >> And resolution B. We were asked to do
resolution B. Warren County has passed this similar resolution
um, supporting ICE. And in 2019, Sussex County did put this out to the voters
and had a discussion on it. And the voters overwhelmingly 22,447
voted yes on the referendum and 11,262 voted no. So in my opinion, this is that
was the larger discussion and this is just to reinforce that larger discussion
from 2019.
Anyone else? Okay. Um, we already had the motion and
we had a second. We had the discussion. Uh, roll call, please.
» Commissioner Carney, >> yes.
» Deputy Director Degroup, >> yes.
» Commissioner Henderson, >> yes.
» Commissioner Silverthornne, >> yes.
» Director Space, >> yes.
» Number 15, awards of contract change orders, bids, there are none. 16,
financial, none. 17, personnel, none. 18, administrative report. No report.
Okay. 19, county council report. Okay. Number 20. Do we have any unfinished
business? No. Okay. 21. Any new business? Okay. Number 22. Public
session from the floor. This public session is for those wishing to make
general comments of 3 minutes or less on non-aggenda topics. Please line up at
the microphone and state your name and municipality for the record. Now, I get
a motion to open the floor for public comment. Okay. Commissioner
Silverthornne and a second from Commissioner Henderson. Any discussion?
All in favor? I oppose. A sub abstain. Okay. Floor is open.
» Okay. Raymond same Raymond Win Hampton Township. I find it glowing. However,
it's one thing to say yes, this Sussex County is a Republican county. The
Republican party there. Therefore, the Republican agenda uh will
be made manifest. It is another thing for a board with no Democrats on it to
insist that they are uh implementing a bipartisan agenda. I don't even think
any of you would understand what a bipartisan agenda is. It's
all right. Transparency matters when the owners of
the Sussex Motel Oh, Matthew, sorry, my apologies. Matthew Colback, I was up
here before from Hamburg. Transparency matters. When the owners of
the Sussex Motel drilled holes in my sewer line and report and I reported it
to local event and eventually to state HHS that they expected help that I was
forgotten. All right. No money. I hire an attorney, a state agency unwilling to
help. And I had a professional plumbers's telescopic video proof and
invoices of the sewer line that I posted on social media after no one helped. So
this is Phil Murphy's administration that you know u Mickey had you know
taken on. So this was a while ago back in 2012 2013. So where was the state?
Where was the county? I was a local Tory musician and you you all claim to care.
You love neighbors and here you know here I am. Love your neighbors and yet I
was totally forgotten a veteran. Call Marks and Solinsky would be so proud. So
here are the facts. The Trump administration and federal investigators
launched probes into the incident demanded unredacted voter data and Shur
has refused to hand over this information. The Adema Global Software
Company being cited in these errors is actually fighting back right now and no
one has actually mentioned that. So maybe the commissioners need to look at
that too. I made it back from Afghanistan and ideologies hide and
vulnerable and weak. Afghan freedom fighters and and interpreters we
employed were implored to wear some type of face covering after being forgotten
by the VA over 20 years. But the state could care less about veterans like
myself and focus on everybody else. So, you know, when we ran away from
Afghanistan, I cried thinking about all those interpreters that are probably
murdered and dead with all their family in front of their eyes. So, that's the
type of thing that you guys are, you know, it isn't. This is public comment.
Iran murdered over over 40,000 protesters in a 2-day period during
these blackouts in January. You find yourselves fortunate that you do not
know what true atrocity looks like. So I ask literally someone admitted that
their illegal immigrants can come into this commissioner meeting and it doesn't
matter. President of Sussex County educators believes that this meeting is
mood and has no value. Election uh and elections and who wins can control it
all. So election integrity does matter. Why would anybody say that would there
be uh there is also unfounded evidence exists that we now know that the former
FBI director Christopher Ray lied to Congress about the over 200 embedded
plane closed FBI agents in January 6th protest. Not to mention there were
50,000 hours of tapes held back during the prosecutions. Singer songwriter John
Schaefer was swept up in the aftermath of that and called a domestic terrorist
and stripped of due process. John is not a and the demon de uh January 6
demonstrators are not insurrectionists. Given the comments I heard from the
mainstream media that are summer love in 2017, I find that a very bad
characterization. And so we say the Southern Poverty Law Center is the
Democrats. So, subject change. Some cha challenges uh politicians offering
legislation to end prisons nationwide. I'm sorry. Some challenge politicians
offering legislation. Some people challenge that there isn't legislation
uh being presented. But Rasheed Talib and Ana Presley both uh authored the
Breathe Act which proposed closing all federal detention centers in a 10-year
period.
» Hello, my name is Rebecca. I am a resident of Harris and I am here tonight
to celebrate the legacy of the Americans with Disabilities Act and to advocate
for how social county can better support its disabled residents. 3 days ago on
July 26th, our nation celebrated the 36th anniversary of the ADA. That
landmark law promised equal access, community inclusion, and the right to
for individuals with disabilities to live full independent lives. To make
that promise right here at home, there are two crucial areas where Substance
County can lead the way. First, we urgently need more accessible and
affordable housing options across our country county [clears throat]
residents deserve to live independently in the communities they know and
[clears throat] love with real housing choices that honor
their nominee and keep them connected to their support systems. Second, we need
more county sponsored social events and inclusive community programs. Social
connection is vital for mental health and quality of life. Having regular
accessible activities where disabled adults can gather, build friendships,
and stay active and in the community helps prevent isolation and builds
[clears throat] a stronger, more connected such as county. As an advocate
for disability rights, I urge the board to prioritize accessible housing and
expand only social program for adults with
disabilities. [clears throat] Thank you.
Suzanne Oliver, Roxberry, New Jersey. I heard you reference um a vote from seven
years ago. Um seven years ago I lived in Sparta. Seven years ago, my daughter was
a senior at Sparta High School. A lot has changed within seven years. I think
you should repole or re uh, you know, re revote on this with your constituents.
But one thing that hasn't changed in seven years is that Sussex County is by
far the most racist place I've ever lived in my life. I I have lived across
this country. I've lived in the South. And I want to tell you a story about
what happened to my black daughter at Sparta High School. She was harassed and
she was driven off the road after the 2016
um election by by several grown ass men in a Trump truck. They harassed her.
They forced her off the road. They screamed the n-word at her. She was a
17-year-old girl. She was terrified. She called me in tears. She did not know
what to do. This is what goes on in Sussex County. This is what you stand
for. This is still happening 7 years later. Get your together.
» Williams, hack. Hopefully I can run this through without being interrupted this
time. Um, I just want to say I am a US veteran, Army veteran. I come from a
long line of veterans. My grandfather was a cook in the Navy for reasons that
because he couldn't be anything else. My father was a first sergeant in the
United States Army. My brother was a sergeant in the Army and he is currently
he did 13 tours in Afghanistan and came back with a brain tumor. Um my niece who
just recently graduated from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the same place
that I did. I got a chance to tap her out last year. But I just want to say in
the words of Tupac Shakur, you know, you got money for wars, but you can't feed
the poor. So when you say that you care, I don't think that you do. I can bring
up racism. I could bring up profiling. I could bring up all of those things, but
I don't think that you care. So what I will say is this. I'm actually glad to
hear that in a Republican county, in a Republican stronghold of 30 plus years,
that you are admitting to voter fraud. At least the GOP can say that much this
time around. I applaud you for that. All right. Now, the second thing, um,
actually, I actually wouldn't mind our New Jersey police officers. They're very
fine gentlemen here that are getting overtime this evening. Welld deserved. I
wouldn't mind them being babysitters for the incompetent agents. Right? So, if
that's where we're going with that, go right ahead because at least then maybe
they won't kill American citizens, right? I know you guys don't care about
private prisons. I know you don't care about the taxpayers in this county and
lowering the cost of the utility bills or the utility bolt poles that are
falling down. The people who have been without power for weeks and cable and
internet so they people that work from home about the train station to get to
back and forth to New York City because there's a lot of us that do do that. Not
me. I own a business here in Sussex County for the last 8 years. I've lived
here over 25 years. I've raised my kids here, right? And I've dealt with
raising. So what, right? Big deal. Ain't going to cry about it cuz I'm a soldier.
That's what we do. We suck it up and we move on, right? Nothing's going to
change. I don't know about the most racist place I've ever lived because
I've lived a lot of different places and I've seen a lot of different things and
I've seen a lot of people that don't care on both sides of the aisle. So, no.
Am I surprised by your vote? Absolutely [clears throat]
not. I almost was pretty sure that you would, right? But like I said, I'm happy
that you guys are admitting that the GOP in Sussex County has failed.
Kathy Brennan, Hampton Township. I I just I honestly didn't have anything to
say, but I had to come up here and speak again because I have to question what
happened to our humanity. The things that are going on in this country are
inhumane. Yet, everyone sits here and thinks it's a good idea. I don't
obviously you have not been witness to these things. I have been witness to
things. I have been to Delaney Hall. I have seen families. I have seen children
waiting outside for hours to see their fathers and then they've been denied
because there's something happened in their unit that ICE didn't like or Geog
Group didn't like and they said TOO BAD YOU'VE BEEN WAITING 3 HOURS GO HOME WE
DON'T CARE AND THE CHILDREN go home crying and and as I've said before most
of these people are there for no reason if these people are all supposedly the
worst of the worst which they are not Why are they not deported? Why are these
in in these detention centers for months, years, whatever? It's inhumane.
And I think we all need to look at ourselves and say, "What is going on in
this country?" We need to have humanity back.
Um, ask me Hawk Patkong. Um, I'm disgusted, but I'm not surprised because
we all know that you're deplorable human beings. From a younger person, I am even
more disappointed, bro, because you know better. There are some things that we
just sat here and told you what we want. We're not scared of people from from
other countries. We're not scared of of voter fraud. Those are non-issues. You
don't give a about what we're talking about. And I don't know what's
funny. What? Cussing? Didn't some Wasn't somebody in here talking about saying
the N-word with the hard R and I can't I can't Don't tell me what I can and can't
say. I can say what I need to say. I have freedom of speech. Okay. Okay,
that's fine. I'm glad that you think that it's funny. I'm glad you think that
it's funny. The biggest threat to America is white men that look like you,
you, me, you, you, you, you, all these cops here. And something, by the way, I
don't even think it's worth talking to a lot of you, but I urge all the white
people here because a lot of people have said that you're surprised. You don't
know what's happening, what's going on. Because we have been so deeply beaten
with propaganda that we are the greatest country in the world. We have always
been this way. Imperialistic, genocidal. I'm not looking at you. You're not
special. Okay. I'm not looking at you. I'm looking around. Yeah.
» Right. Thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. We've always been
Shush. We've always been genocidal. We came to this land. We We We genocided
the indigenous people. I don't want to look at you. I don't like looking at
you. We genocided the indigenous people when we came here. We killed them. We It
It's Why are you interrupting me? I'm still talking.
Are you threatening me? Like Like
I'm I'm not Nobody's throwing me out. Nobody's touching me. Okay. Um I don't
know. Like I just urge you all to take a look at what we've done because this is
not a surprise. We we we brought black people here to do slave labor. We ate
them. White people were cannibals. We fed their babies to alligators. This is
not a surprise that we do this. The problem is now it's affecting us.
So, we're all like, "Oh, no. What's going on?" And I'm not trying to insult
you. We're not We're ignorant to it, but this is not new. We We started the
Iranian war by bombing 168 little girls in school. This is what we do. This is
the American way. And when somebody was up here saying that they
don't feel threatened by the police. Uh well, I do, but I know I'm privileged,
but I don't know if y'all have seen the news. Like, they're shooting black kids
left and right. A little boy called the cops the other day. He had a water
bottle in his waistband and they shot him. He called the cops for help and
they shot him. Nolan Wells. The whole I'm not talking to you. Okay. You want
to Okay, I'll look you in your eyes when I say it. Okay. Nolan Wells. Black
people don't hang themselves from trees after they broke their bones.
Okay, we have a major problem. It's not immigrants. It's not black people. It's
not indigenous people. It's the white people. Okay, we we don't want AI data
centers. We're in drought and we're do we want a future and young people like
me and this guy right here, he we don't have a future, okay? We're telling you
what we need and you don't give a damn. And I'm so sick and tired of you old
people not giving a about what we're telling you because we don't have
a future. Do you understand that? I'm looking at you now because you wanted so
badly to make romantic eye contact with me. Okay.
» Sandy Pender, Freeden Township. I am going to try to bring it down a notch a
little bit. Uh but I am going to say I'm incredibly disappointed with all of your
comments following all of the comments from your constituents. I want to thank
everybody who showed up here tonight and who spoke or either came and sat in
solidarity. And I want to address the audience and just say when people show
you who they are, believe them.
» Bernie Green Monu. So, I just want to remind you that, you
know, you are an all Republican county commissioners. Um, but not all of Sussex
County is Republican. You do represent the other party as well. They are also
your constituents, right? So, we've come here and
you're probably assuming what political party we are, which I don't think that
you should do. Some of us are not Democratic Party. Uh,
you represent everybody. This is not just like a small minority. We're coming
here. We told you how we feel about all of this. Somebody even made a great
suggestion to table it, open the discussion back up because the
information that you cited is 7 years old. A lot of people move in that time.
The con the makeup of Sussex County changes.
Everything changes in seven years. But you guys are afraid of that. You're
afraid of the change, right? You're afraid
of the people that are different from you.
You're you're afraid of all of this, right? But when your entire life is
driven by fear, fear of others, fear of change, you will never feel safe. Safety
comes from understanding, knowing, connecting. [clears throat] It doesn't
come from the government. It doesn't come from violence. It doesn't come from
family separation. It comes from love, not hate, not fear. When we know love,
we know peace. I don't need to force roots in this land. I choose to be part
of this country by standing with the people who built it. The black slaves
that we abuse, the immigrants we vilify, they built this country. When we stand
with them, we show true love for our country and its peoples. That's what
Renee Good and Alex Py understood. They were white like me and they died for our
immigrant neighbors. They died because people like Johan Sebastian Guerrero and
Lorenzo Sagato Arao are dying every day. It's not I do or I don't see color. It's
not what about about what you see with your eyes. It's about what you see with
your heart. See the person, love your neighbors, and be kind.
We will save this world with love, not hate,
not fear. And that's what you guys are doing. By
passing resolutions, performative resolutions like this, you are making
people fearful of things that are not that don't exist. fears that you're
coming up with some random boogeyman. It's not. Immigrants are not the
problem. You're more focused on them than you are
on the people that are robbing you blind.
The millionaires and billionaires in this country that buy out our politics,
buy out our news agencies. Those are the people that are
manipulating us because we're too busy fighting amongst ourselves. It drives
the focus away from them. They're the ones running this country.
So, are you going to continue to eat up all of those lies that they're
force-feeding you through in the news?
Hi, Veronica Fernandez. Again, I get a chance to double dip and I really
appreciate that about non-aggenda items and any chance. Um, I also want to
mention that um I'm on the ballot to challenge Corey Booker. I'm an
independent progressive. Uh there are four candidates on the ballot. I'm an
independent. I wish we all were independents. This two-party system is
killing us. We're at each other and we don't need to be. I wish uh you know
that that we could just all be independents and everybody would have to
earn their vote. Uh but any time I get a chance to speak about healthcare, I'm
going to take it because I'm a former underwriter. I was licensed up there at
selective insurance and uh um I know what you guys all are you guys all know
how to read a county in a municipal budget and what we are paying for health
insurance is insane. It's unsustainable and it has to change. It's it's the
reason why we're closing down programs for our children in our schools like
Jefferson Township. We're cutting teachers pay. We're letting go of
teachers. We have the money. It's just how we're spending it. We're sending it
to a handful of insurance companies who provide no medical product, no medical
service, completely unnecessary middlemen kept in office by both parties
by their big donors in the healthcare industry. So I I know what I know the
average teacher salary in New Jersey right now is 81,000. their premium for
2026, their family premium, not including dental or vision, is over
$60,000 a year. And that's in our budgets. That's what we're paying that
could be going to children. And the other thing that I have a minute and a
half and I want to say, and I'm really debating whether to say this because
I've never said this to another person before. I grew up in Sussex County, and
I do believe it's deeply racist. And I know that that's true because anybody
who is my age, I just turned 67 last week. I used to play this like not a
game when I was a kid, but when I was driving around with my parents and I saw
a car car pulled over, I knew it was going to be a black guy. Didn't have a
lot of black people. And anybody who was around my age knows that that's true cuz
if I saw it, you saw it. A lot of times when people were pulled over, more times
than not, it was a black guy. And I thought that we had overcome that. I
thought we had become better than that. But we haven't. And that that is
breaking my heart that we're not better than that. Everybody says they don't see
color. I think that's the problem. You need to see the color. You need to see
the dis difference. Like why her her uh father could only be a cook is because
in World War II they weren't allowed to be sergeants. They they they they could
only be enlisted. They didn't have rank. That's how close we are still to it. The
civil rights they're taking that away. We we have a racism problem and it's in
my in this county that I love so much. And you really got to you can you have
the chance to be on the right side of history. You have the chance to do the
right thing. That's what you have an opportunity here amidst all this hatred.
Sussex County can stand up and say no, we're not having it here. We're choosing
our kids. We're choosing our teachers. We're choosing our cops. We're choosing
our families. We're choosing healthcare. We're choosing Veronica for Senate.
Thank you.
» Sierra Wilson again. uh you know me from Stan Hope. I guess um I'm not surprised
that you passed it. Um but I do want you all to know that you could have voted on
one and not the other. So not only have you told your constitu constituents that
you want to waste their money, but you also are a deeply racist uh council, but
I think again everyone knew that. Um, if you want to see what's going to happen
in your streets and don't feel like making the commute to Delaney Hall, I
guess it's like an hour from here, uh, you should go to Dover and see ICE
agents who are masked up, who are wearing plain clothes, snatching kids
off the street. Yes, literal children riding their bicycles on the street
because they get $2,000 ahead. Uh, regardless if they're a citizen,
regardless if they have a green card. This is confirmed. ICE agents get $2,000
for every single person that they snatch up. Again, regardless if they're a
citizen or not, regardless if they stay one hour or one year in Delaney Hall,
they get paid $2,000 ahead. We've seen this before, they are literal head
hunters. They are slave catchers. This is what you're going to see in your town
because you voted on it. So, shame on all of you. That's all I have to say is
shame. Truly.
» Hi, Carrie Stler, Morris County. I just wanted to address something that
Commissioner said. He said, I think you said you
don't like the government or you don't trust the government, but you are the
government. You're a county commissioner and you're here passing resolutions and
creating laws and regulations to benefit the people of your county. And I'm not
one of them, but out because you're obviously here for a
reason. So, if you just trust the government and you don't like the
government, then maybe you should reconsider uh whether you want to be
reelected.
Claire Golden from Andover Township up again. And the only reason I'm coming up
here again is to answer a question that was posed by one of the other speakers.
She asked why is this happening? Why are people being kept in detention in Wayne
Hall? Some of them many of them are months
many of them have been years there. Well, there is one reason and it's the
answer to a lot of why of a lot of this stuff is happening. Money.
EO other companies that run these ice
facilities make a fortune. I mean, you can see they're spending
$125 million to buy a war a warehouse that was valued at 30 thou $30 million
and then they'll cancel it and give it back. There's plenty of money being sent
around to cronies like GEO. So this is like they said it's
trafficking in humans. Lock them up, beat them maggots and make a fortune
doing it. And they're taking that example from the top.
President in in our current administration has made over $2 billion
in office. Put that up against the history that he that preceded him. Every
president before him has not traded socks. Jimmy Carter sold his peanut farm
so that there would be no conflict. That's not what President Trump is
doing. He and his family have made a fortune trading. And and I knew tonight
how this vote was going. I just regret that I didn't bet on Kelshi.
The only reason they kept me from doing that is because the Trump brothers would
have made a a fortune on that. They're making money because Kelshi and Poly
Market were supposed to be regulated, but when they invested it, ah, no more
need to regulate them. It's so corrupt. It's all about money. And it started
with Citizens United, which allowed fortunes to be invested by companies and
politicians. That has to stop. We have to get big
money out of politics or this problem will never ever be solved. It's all
about money.
» And I I just want to clarify what I said. I have distrust for for both
parties. It's not that I distrust what I'm doing or what we're doing up there.
So, just so we're clear. Thank you,
» Amy Len. Um, I just wanted to agree. But it's not just money, greed, and
corruption. It's hatred in blackened hearts. And what happened to love thy
neighbor? Care for thy neighbor. Take care of thy neighbor. Love one another.
I have to end with a quote in German.
Whoever battles monsters should see to it that in the process he
does not become a monster himself. And when you look long into the abyss,
the abyss also looks into you. Thank you,
» Scott. Nol Sparta. Um, my comments a little bit tamer. Um, it's not as
dramatic, a note maybe to end on, but um, I'm a process guy. That's what I I
do for work. Um I first I'll sure I am disappointed,
right? I mean the evidence [clears throat] is extraordinary. I
don't actually believe you guys are that ignorant. I think there's a willful
choice to make a wrong decision. I can't imagine why. It's it's very very clear.
Um but I also can see that it is your decision to make, right? You're the
you're the county, right? So given that the decision's been made, my request
given that ISIS's behavior is a known quantity, that is something that will
put the citizenry, the voters, and the officers at risk. So, I would suggest in
the interim before we get closer to elections,
figure out some SOPs for how the officers will have to interact with ICE
that they take the lead as the members of their community
rather than be tainted by and put in danger by a bunch of clueless
that are out hurting, killing, incarcerating, and abusing people.
Our guy shouldn't be exposed to that. It's wrong to do to the police. The
decision's been made. He's go the next step and figure out how to do it to
minimize the risk to them.
Phil Duffano branch of New Jersey. So I didn't come here tonight
[clears throat] for me. I came here for all these people
cuz I knew this was going to be like this anyway cuz what you're doing here
is grandstanding. Total grandstanding.
This is a joke. There was never going to be any kind of openness in a vote. You
You guys knew when you walked out here how you were going to vote tonight.
You know who I feel sorry for these guys. And I know a lot of them cuz
they're going to be babysitting criminals. They're criminals.
Read the newspapers. Wake up. See how many of those guys are going to jail for
the stuff they do. They're given free reign like terrorists. So what you're
part of here is creating another Nazi Germany. It's happening slowly but
surely. And the other thing you wanted to do tonight is fear-mongering.
That's what the Republican party is doing right now. Lots of fear mongering.
Do you know why? because the elections are coming and I'm coming hard, really
hard. This has been the Boys and Women's Club for too long. These are decisions
that are irresponsible and I'm not going to be party to them. These people are
not listened to. You don't listen to them. You sit here like this half asleep
and you let them just talk away. You don't listen to them. That's not my idea
of an elected official. An elected official is somebody who is listened to.
These people have a lot to think about. This is their community, too. Fix some
issues in the county. Not bring these stupid mass terrorists. These guys are
going to be babysitters for these guys. They don't have enough to do. Well, I
hope that they don't come to your houses. I really do. I hope they don't
affect your community and the towns you live in and your children and you
young people. You should be ashamed of yourself. I'm done. I don't need another
name.
John Snider Sanderson. [clears throat]
Wow. Guess we got a lot of very enlightened
people in this room. I feel like a I don't know any of this stuff
that these people are all all experts on.
Heard somebody talking about love, not hate.
A lot of what I heard tonight sure sounds like hatred to me.
Also heard someone talk about fear-mongering and what were they doing?
Fear-mongering. Telling people how this is the end. Your kids are not going to
see this country the way it was. Somebody described you people up here as
being deplorable. And I completely disagree.
I thank you for what you're doing, for giving people the opportunity to speak.
If someone was also talking about how immigrants built the country,
believe they were legal immigrants. I hope we're not alluding
I hope we're not alluding to the fact that the current illegal immigrants in
this country many of them committing crimes all of them obviously not.
But I don't want to work on a percentage of how many are doing it. You had a son
or a daughter that was killed by one. I don't think you would want to hear what
the percentage of crime was.
I also heard someone saying ICE agents get $2,000 for a head for
an arrest to detention. I like to know where that comes from. I've never heard
that before.
Well, once again, what I hear from a lot of people here tonight isn't love, it's
hatred. But I thank you for listening and keep
doing a good job. Thank you
for Hal from Franen. Um thank you for your service to our county. Um having
said that I feel like my heart is it breaks a little bit more every day. It
breaks when my daughter this year and a first year teacher was in a lockdown for
an hour and a half with her third grade specialed students because there was a
person in the gun or with a gun in her building. And we care more about
allowing people to walk around with guns, by the way, it was a white man
than we do about protecting our citizens and protecting our children in schools.
I don't know where we have come. My grandfather was grew up in Newton. He
was a veteran. I traveled to Belgium with him as a World War II veteran and
we were guests of the Belgian government because he was there when people were
released from concentration camps. People thanked us as Americans. And now
we have become a threat to the rest of the world. And I don't know how how you
can sleep at night because I can't anymore. 3:00 every [clears throat]
single morning, I am up wondering where is God? Where is this God that we love
and we and protects us? Because right now, we're living in a place filled with
hatred. And I don't know how you can sleep at night with the decisions you've
made. I don't know how you think it's going to be okay for children to go to
church. Nobody's going to go to church anymore. There's churches that that have
Spanish services here. Do you think those people are going to feel
comfortable going to church anymore? We're isolating them. Do you think
children of immigrants or children of not immigrants, just people who have
brown skin, might feel comfortable going to school and having to walk through
Newton if they know there's ICE agents? You are ruining their chances for a fair
and equitable education. And I don't know where this comes from.
It sickens me. It makes my heart hurt so bad because I believe in the beauty of
human beings. But when I stand here and I see
decisions like this, I question where that beauty is.
Michelle Van Allen, artist in New Jersey. Um,
I have a friend that works for the Colombian consulate and she's been
working hard not only for folks um trying to get here legally even though
they've been picked up as they're going through their process being arrested
when they're getting sworn in, but um she uh lives in Dover and she told me
about um how the town has become a ghost town and that's about what we're going
to turn Newton into very soon when we have uh people patrolling streets and
picking everyone else that looks different than them. And actually, a lot
of them look the same. I'm I'm surprised how many Hispanic and black people are
selling out their own souls to um work for ICE and and immigration. But she
said the businesses are closing down. They don't have workers. They don't have
people coming there. They're afraid to come there. The families are afraid to
leave their home. They're afraid to send their children to school. And you know,
considering that we have a highly um uh large population of um people that are
not white in Newton, it thank you for shutting down Newton. That's been
starting to grow and will no longer be able to because a lot of those
businesses are going to fail. Um unfortunately, uh the there the director
of national intelligence um looks like uh Jay Clayton's getting sworn in this
week. uh will be sworn in because he's been confirmed. And the one question he
could not answer when he was asked time and time again uh by John Oaf was was
the 2020 election fair? Was it was it decided fairly? Was it a legal election?
He could not answer that question. He refused to many many times because
um apparently he got uh you know marching orders from the regime. And I I
I'd love to ask all of you, but I know you can't answer me. Um, was the 2020
election fair and legal? Or do you believe that the um the president that
it is now in charge, was he fairly elected? And I guess um you might want
to go back that far if you want to point a finger at New Jerseyy's voting
records. Um what did you feel about the 2020 election? Was that fair? Was he u
unfairly elected? And by the way, I think he's planning on running for 2028.
So make sure you all get your hats and stand up for him. Um I just feel that um
we are not representing everybody in this county. You need to represent all
when you get elected and elections have consequences. In fact, the November
election will have one as well. For our county commissioner that's running, Phil
Stephano, and for our county clerk, Claire Golden. So keep that in mind,
voters at home and what the ones that are here. Please remember that when you
go out and vote that the people that really want to stand up for everyone in
this county, not just the white population or a few, and the ones that
will protect our children and our citizens are those people. So, make sure
you use your voice and vote. Thank you.
» So, I just make a suggestion. How much the county and the state are
required to uh cooperate with ICE will be determined by the courts as you know
under the scrimmage exemption. Um if it's determined that we
must cooperate with them what I would recommend is that um you into negoti you
you meaning the state as well look into negotiating the indemnity of it. It's
not clear, as I see it, that people who are obligated to cooperate with the feds
have this protection of federal indemnities. And so that will fall on
your malpractice, your meaning the the local police malpractice, the
malpractice writers for the county and the state. And the lawsuits will have to
be handled. And so it may there may be an opportunity to negotiate with the
feds an indemnity agreement. They're not going to give it, but there may be an
opportunity. I mean, I would recommend this. This may come up in the future
because that may be what is required. I don't know. I think personally, I think
it's unlikely. I think the supremacy court will allow the states to keep the
laws we have. But if they don't, and we're obligated to cooperate, I would
recommend that. I would secondly recommend negotiating with the feds for
some oversight uh better oversight of the detention centers and better
oversightes of the rules of engagement that um ICE uh operates under. I think
there will be some opportunity to negotiate and particularly if the
Democrats win in November, but even if they don't, I think there'll be an
opportunity for that and I would recommend that people take that
opportunity if we're forced to cooperate with them, which we may. I I'm not sure
how it'll My guess is the laws will be upheld, but I'm not sure. So, that's my
recommendation. I realize there's a lot of people that are very upset here, and
I'm just trying to offer some possible ways that we can make the situation
better if it comes down to it. Thank you,
» Debbie Melo, Freeden Township. Shame on you. Shame on you for calling this
meeting. That was totally unnecessary. Shame on you for bringing these
resolutions. Shame on you for not really listening to
the people who came tonight. Shame on you for passing these resolutions.
I would imagine fully understanding that these resolutions do not supersede
state law. So, they're hollow resolutions in my estimation. Shame on
you for wasting everybody's time tonight.
Anyone else? Can I get a motion to close the floor for public comment and return
to regular business? Secondorn and a second from Deputy Director Degru. Any
discussion? All in favor? I post abstain. Okay. Number 23. Reminders,
please check the county's website at www.sussex.nj.
us for meeting schedules. Number 24, there is no executive session. Number
25, adjournment. Can I get a motion to adjourn the meeting? Okay. Commissioner
Henderson in a second. >> Second.
» Uh, Commissioner Silverthornne, any discussion? All in favor? I. Both
abstain. Meeting is over at 8:24. Thank you everyone.