By Colleen P. Moore

SALEM The Salem County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved a resolution last week to purchase nearly $100,000 worth of office furniture, and at least one freeholder didn’t think it was the right move with taxpayer money.


That’s because she also doesn’t agree with where the furniture is going.

 

“It really concerns me,” said Freeholder Julie Acton during a special meeting of the board last week.

She was talking about $92,762 worth of new furniture to be purchased for the old Acme building in Mannington Township on Route 45, which the county will lease to temporarily house some county offices.

The offices will be there while the Old Courthouse at Market Street and East Broadway and the former surrogate’s office the “white building” next to it are renovated.

Once the lease takes effect, it will cost the county approximately $12,400 a month.

“I expressed in the budget process my concerns about the continuously increased spending,” Acton said in a written statement, adding she doesn’t think the plans to house existing personnel are reasonable.

“I don’t think this is a good business decision,” she wrote.

Acton asked during the meeting why they couldn’t have purchased a building, such as the old J.C. Penney site in downtown Salem, rather than lease a building.

She said owning a property makes more financial sense than renting.