MORRISTOWN (11/02/06) - Democratic Freeholder Candidate Dana Wefer today called on the Freeholder board to pass a resolution disallowing freeholders from receiving taxpayer paid for health benefits.

" A freeholder is a part-time position," Wefer said. "Part-time employees generally do not receive health benefits in the real world and it shouldn’t happen in county government either."

Wefer said her research found that Morris County paid almost $50,000 for health benefits for freeholders last year.

"The worst part of this is that several of the freeholders who are accepting health benefits have full time jobs elsewhere from which they could receive health care coverage," Wefer said.

Two Freeholders, Margaret Nordstrom and John Murphy are enrolled in the HMO Family Health Plan; John Inglesino receives the Wraparound Family Plan and Doug Cabana takes the Wraparound Single. Two others have dental options. Freeholder Jack Schrier doesn’t receive health benefits from the county. He gets his health care costs paid for by residents in Mendham Township, where he sits as a dual job holder on the Township Committee, she said.

"It’s absolutely ridiculous that the taxpayers of Morris County are paying for health benefits for part time elected officials," Wefer said. Her running mates, Mayor Rich Leary of Mine Hill and Jack Hartford, a committeeman in Chatham Township, are in agreement.

"If elected, I will not take health benefits and will immediately propose a resolution disallowing Freeholders from taking health benefits," Wefer said.

Wefer is making her second run for Freeholder after an impressive showing last year. She is the sole female candidate in a field of six candidates seeking election to the Freeholder Board next Tuesday. Her running mates are Mine Hill Mayor Rich Leary and Chatham Township Councilman Jack Hartford. The Democrats are widely regarded as having an unprecedented opportunity to win a seat on the Freeholder Board for the first time in over three decades this year.