Frederick Underwood sr.
Guest Column
Councilman Stephen Acropolis’ eagerness to be part of county GOP machine speaks volumes
Editor’s Note: Gerry Little was appointed James Mancini’s replacement on the Ocean County Board of Freeholders on Dec. 9.
It is evident that Steve Acropolis would like to become an Ocean County freeholder. At this point in time it is an internal argument of the Republican Party as to who should replace the recently re-elected, and deceased, Jim Mancini. Jim Mancini was a good man and served with distinction, but the Republican leadership knew he was dying with a terminal illness. Last year, they knew Franklin Fisher, also a good man who served with distinction, was dying of a terminal illness. So, last year the voters of Ocean County elected a dead man to the office of surrogate and this year they voted a man to the office of freeholder who was only days away from death.
You might ask why the Republican leadership does such a thing. Simple; they determine, among themselves, who will hold office by appointing the replacements for the dead candidates. Steve Acropolis wants to be part of this backroom politics and be appointed freeholder. Normally, I wouldn’t comment on Republican chicanery, but in his eagerness to get the great gray faces of the party to anoint him freeholder, he is speaking mistruth and impugning my reputation.
Steve said that no one currently represents the highly populated northern municipalities of the county and no one from Brick has been a freeholder from 1990 through 1992. Joe Vicari is a freeholder and lives in Toms River. Jim Lacey is a freeholder and lives in Brick. I wonder if there is any correlation between their major role in Republican politics and their new positions. Joe Vicari was appointed superintendent of schools in Berkeley Township and Jim Lacey was appointed the administrator in Point Pleasant Beach. Steve said he wouldn’t take the paycheck for the job, but maybe he wants something more than a mere freeholder’s paycheck.
Yes, I ran for freeholder last year. He took shots at me during council meetings, saying I couldn’t serve Brick Township and the county at the same time. Oh, well. He said that my run for office and his appointment to office are different because I never even ran for re-election and hadn’t proved myself as a public official. I most certainly did get re-elected. I not only won re-election, Steve, but I ran a positive campaign. Incidentally, the first time I ran, I beat Steve Acropolis. In the first year of my second term, the council elected me council president. That is something his party wouldn’t do for him when they had the majority. He probably will be council president next year, but that is because the other Republicans have less or no experience.
I know that with this recent election we should be having a honeymoon period, but I simply can’t let Mr. Acropolis damage my reputation simply to garner favor from the Republican county bosses. Looking at how they run terminally ill people just to avoid primary battles is like looking at a page from the political manual of the former Mayor Hague in Jersey City. If Mr. Acropolis wants to be part of that game, then that says something about him.
I will resume my silence again because it is up to the Republican bosses to decide who will be awarded the task of carrying out their decisions. I know you just won an election, Steve, and you are full of yourself, but, the next time you talk about me, don’t lie.
Frederick J. Underwood Sr. is a Brick Township councilman.