Monmouth County Commissioner DiRocco highlights COVID relief, career academies and fiscal stewardship

Commissioner Nick DiRocco said he got involved in local government to improve the community for his children and outlined priorities he said the county has pursued since he took office.

"We delivered over $109,000,000 in federal grants to local businesses, Main Street businesses, nonprofits, municipal governments, chambers of commerce," DiRocco said, describing the county's role in standing up vaccine centers and directing pandemic recovery funds. He said those dollars were spent "right here in Monmouth County" to help respond to and recover from COVID-19.

DiRocco, who said he began as a volunteer on Wall Township's land use board and later served as planning board chairman, township committee member and mayor, listed several county liaison roles he holds, including work with the county administrator, finance, human resources, information technology, the fire academy and vocational schools.

He emphasized the county's investments in career academies, naming high-tech, allied, communications, biotech and MAS as programs he described as among the best in the state and nation. "We make sure that in our budget every year we appropriately fund those schools," he said, noting priorities such as attracting and retaining staff and providing a strong learning environment.

DiRocco also described operational functions he oversees: the division of weights and measures, which inspects businesses such as food stores and gas stations to protect consumers, and the purchasing division, which handles procurement for plowing, social services and other county needs.

On emergency services, he said the Fire Academy trains thousands of career and volunteer personnel and stressed ensuring they have the tools and resources "to come home to their families at the end of the day."

Framing his approach to county budgets, DiRocco said stewardship of taxpayers' dollars is his "biggest passion," arguing the county must balance investments with avoiding undue burdens on residents. He told listeners the county has cut the tax rate every year for the last 10 years and said Monmouth County holds a AAA bond rating from all three major rating agencies, which he offered as evidence of strong fiscal management. Those assertions were presented as his account of county performance.

He closed by saying public service and effective stewardship are why he entered local government. "That's very, to me, very gratifying, and that's why I got involved in local government service in the first place," DiRocco said.