The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, in coordination with the Citizens’ Campaign, has launched its own countywide call to service to increase public participation in county government. This effort joins a statewide New Jersey call to service led by the Citizens’ Campaign.
Monmouth County’s call to service officially kicked off Feb. 26 with the adoption of a resolution by the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, according to a press release. The county used the spirit of the “Citizen Service Act” provided by the Citizens’ Campaign model ordinance. Specifically, the resolution provides for the expansion of the public directory of boards and commissions available on the Monmouth County Internet Web site.
Over the course of the coming months, Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow will be recognizing and promoting ways that Monmouth County residents can become active citizens and make a difference in their communities and at the county level.
“Monmouth County’s call to service will focus on getting people involved in their communities,” McMorrow said. “Our goal is to develop an environment that will cultivate a community of leaders – people who want to make the county a better place and need either encouragement or the tools to take the first step.”
Future call to service events in Monmouth County will include leadership forums to teach residents about service opportunities in the county and establishing a Citizen Service Day to honor the county’s exemplary volunteers, according to the press release.
The Citizens’ Campaign developed the program so that municipalities and counties can all develop a leadership culture. The call to service focuses primarily on identified paths to service: serving on an appointed board or commission; becoming a citizen legislator by devising a constructive common-interest proposal and presenting it to a relevant government body; serving as a neighborhood-level party committeeperson; and serving in the increasingly important area of emergency response, such as the first aid squad or auxiliary police.
The Citizens’ Campaign, a nonpartisan community of private citizens with experience in politics, law and government, devises innovative constructive government solutions and recruits and educates citizen leaders, according to the press release.

