Bill To Eliminate 'Freeholder' Title Passes Through State Senate

FREEHOLD, NJ – Thursday saw two bills aimed at addressing racial justice pass in New Jersey’s state Senate, one of which seeks to abolish the term freeholder.

The other bill passed designates Juneteenth – a commemoration of June 19, 1895 when the last slaves were notified of their freedom – as a state holiday.

Discussions surrounding the removal of the 'freeholder' term began earlier this month, when Gov. Phil Murphy announced his support to eliminate the “outdated” title on July 10. Yesterday’s measure was approved with a vote of 31-6.

New Jersey serves as the only state in the country that still uses the title freeholder for county officials. Each of the state’s 21 counties elect county officials who serve a board of chosen freeholders, which approve taxpayer-funded budgets for public projects.

The title originates as an old British legal term and refers to a debt-free landowner. The freeholder title was a requirement to hold public office at a time when only white men could own land. Critics of the term call it a vestige of the state’s colonial past, where property during the period could have also constituted slaves.

“I’m not saying that someone who has the title of Freeholder is someone invested in structural racism,” said Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway in an online briefing about the term, which the governor later shared on Twitter. “But I am saying that the title itself has a legacy that grows out of denying people access, denying people the right to have a voice.”

Amid the national reckoning to remove painful symbols and references of oppression, New Jersey is on the cusp of eliminating the term “Freeholder” from governance.

Thank you @RutgersU President and historian Jonathan Holloway for your powerful insight. pic.twitter.com/yjVt3AWw4Z
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 30, 2020

While state and local officials have attempted to do away with the term in the past, the title has gained attention in recent months as conversations about racial inequality and police brutality have stirred in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25 elicited protests attended by millions around the world.

Murphy is slated to review the measures next. The governor has stated previously that he is in support of both initiatives.

"As our nation tears down symbols of injustice, we must also tear down words we use in New Jersey that were born from racism," Murphy, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin wrote in a joint statement earlier this month. "It's past time for New Jersey to phase out the term 'freeholder' from our public discourse — a term coined when only white male landowners could hold public office. This is not a matter of political correctness; it is a corrective action to replace an outdated designation that is rooted in institutional prejudice."

In addition to strides made at the state level, Burlington County Freeholder Director Felicia Hopson announced her support of eradicating the term on July 14, announcing plans to phase out the term from county materials, signs, letterheads and communications. Read More: Burlington County To Consider Ending Use Of Term 'Freeholder'

It was not immediately clear what the fate of municipality names such as Freehold Borough, Upper Freehold or Freehold Township would be.

Earlier this month, Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone wrote in a statement that the state’s announcement to change the term was “mind blowing”.

“This is not the time for grand standing and changing the title of elected officials is not going to help anyone,” wrote the official. “Not only will it not help, but changing the title right now is actually going to cost our taxpayers money, when so many are already struggling. We have businesses that cannot open, hundreds of businesses who are closing permanently, and more than 1.3 million people on unemployment, not to mention the thousands of residents who are being furloughed.”

Under the new bill, freeholders will be referred to as county commissioners.

“They say actions speak louder than words and the actions of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have been and will continue to be done in the best interest of our residents—no matter what we are called,” the Freeholder Director wrote.

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