Morris sheriff critical of solar projects
Saying the county has money to spend on solar energy projects but not on raises for officers and employees, Morris County Sheriff Edward Rochford on Sunday delivered a "public service announcement" through robocalls that urged attendance at a special meeting tonight where the status of solar projects will be discussed.
Rochford, sheriff since 1993 and intent on seeking his ninth, three-year term next year, said Monday that he accepted an invitation from the New Jersey Taxpayers Association to speak using a scripted robocall that urges attendance at a 6:30 p.m. meeting of the Morris County Improvement Authority at the county Administration and Records building in Morristown.
"They're considering building more controversial solar projects even though the current projects are losing millions of your dollars," Rochford said in the recorded message.
Association Vice President Dan Pagano said the robo calls went out Sunday evening to a potential 10,600 homes but he doesn't know yet how many calls actually made contact with a landline.
"Ed has always had his finger on the pulse of the taxpayer and he's always been very supportive of the association," Pagano said.
Rochford said he agreed to the announcement because "I'm interested in doing the right thing for Morris County."
He said he has been trying for several years to make salaries for his officers competitive with wages offered in municipal police departments but the county freeholders are resistant.
"I don't believe in wasting money and I've never gone over budget," said Rochford. He said he will not be able to attend Monday's meeting on solar projects because of a prior commitment.
The freeholders over the summer voted to take the county jail away from the control of the sheriff as of Sept. 1, a move they said was preceded by unexplained overtime costs at the jail and Rochford's decision to negotiate, without county labor counsel involvement, new contracts for officers in the bureaus of law enforcement and corrections. The contracts were never approved but, as proposed by Rochford, would have each amounted to overall spending hikes over three-year periods of between 22 and 27 percent.
The meeting's purpose is for a "Build-No Build" committee comprised of freeholders and Improvement Authority officials to present preliminary findings on the viability of construction of un-built solar sites in the county.
In 2011, the Improvement Authority sold $33.1 million in bonds to finance a renewable energy program to install solar panels at 30 municipal and school sites. Seventeen have been built and 13 are not built. Work on the projects halted in 2013 after cost overruns and lawsuits between the contractor and developer that affected 71 solar projects in Morris, Sussex and Somerset counties. Morris County in March settled its share of the lawsuit for $7 million.
Freeholder David Scapicchio called it "odd" that the sheriff was delving into the arena of solar projects and making a public service announcement about the meeting.
"It's great, he advertised the meeting for us. It's odd, but Ed has done a lot of odd things this past year," Scapicchio said..
Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.