Freeholders No More: Sussex County Commissioners Reorganize

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ - The newly titled Sussex County Board of County Commissioners reorganized last week at an in-person, socially distanced meeting in Sussex County Community College’s Performing Arts Center.

Sussex County Commissioner Dawn Fantasia was nominated and unanimously voted in as the Board’s Director, with Commissioner Anthony Fasano as Deputy Director; and Commissioner Herbert Yardley, who was re-elected during November’s General Election, was sworn back into his seat.

The three former Freeholders, a title in effect since prior to the American Revolution, are historically the first Commissioners to be sworn in for Sussex County, with Yardley, then Fantasia and Fasano, each taking their oaths.

Commissioner Sylvia Petillo, who served as 2020’s Director, congratulated Yardley, Fantasia and Fasano, as well as thanked Sussex County administration and employees for their efforts during the continued unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

“The year 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year,” Petillo said. “Since March, when the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, everything changed, and COVID-19 took center stage.“The COVID -19 pandemic response has been the highest priority of the Sussex County Division of Health since the reporting of the first positive case. The Office of Public Health Nursing dedicated its entire staff to the pandemic response with significant support from the Office of Environmental Health and the Human Services Divisions.”

Petillo noted there was an incredible response from the county staff and community-based agencies as they united in purpose and worked together as one entity to ensure residents were properly cared for throughout the pandemic. For her part, Fantasia also noted the changes.

“A year ago, the tone of this meeting was vastly different,” Fantasia said. “Tonight, is
not myopic, through rose-colored glasses, complete with hearty pats on the back for elected
officials. No politician can use this crisis for self-congratulation. All elected officials cannot stop pushing forward to do better, to be better.”

Fantasia highlighted the ongoing need to provide comprehensive health and human services to residents, addressing Andover Subacute’s emergence on the county’s radar after it fell under siege to the coronavirus, as a result of state orders to place COVID-positive residents back into nursing homes.

“Sussex County followed all New Jersey Department of Health procedures and guidelines while alerting state and federal officials about critical needs within this facility that required urgent, immediate action,” she added. “I commend Sheriff Strada and the OEM, Andover Police Department, and local and county agencies who acted immediately, which in turn prompted overdue action on the part of the state.”

The Board requested Gov. Phil Murphy to deploy New Jersey’s National Guard to assist in the facility via a letter from Fasano, while the County was one of only a few that fought the battle without Federal CARES funds, monies slowly trickling in close to September to deliver services including testing and vaccination.

Fantasia added that a county ethics board, which took a back seat to the pandemic, is planned as a focus in the coming year.

The Board will continue supporting District 24 legislators, who are fighting for residents’
rights in Trenton, in what Fantasia described as an “often forgotten corner of Northwest New
Jersey.”

“Make no mistake: this board is keenly aware that your rights are essential,” Fantasia
said.

As a retired health officer, Yardley addressed the year overall, saying that 2020 in general was a trying year for everyone.

“As Sussex County Commissioners, we faced difficulties that we did not foresee, nor ever could expect, agreeing that our first concern was to meet the needs and the protection and safety of our residents,” said.

Fasano thanked the many arms of county government, working together through the pandemic difficulties.

“The fact is that our staff in Sussex County come to work every day, focused on making Sussex County the best and safest county possible for our residents, and I am incredibly appreciative of it,” he said. “Throughout the year, I’ve referred to COVID-19 as a fight. Sussex County’s collective fight against the virus that absolutely must be defeated so that we can all get back to normal.”

He said the four objectives to the response including saving lives, ensuring safety, continuation of vigilance and prevention and maintaining a commitment to fully reopen county businesses. As part of that, Sussex County, he said, is working with NJDOH to develop a COVID-19 vaccination program, having recently received approval of its CDC COVID-19 vaccination program provider agreement.

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This article originally appeared on the Hopatcong-Sparta Patch