Marlboro Resident Ross Licitra Seeks County Freeholder Seat

MARLBORO, NJ — With the news that Pat Impreveduto will not seek re-election when his term expires at the end of 2020, there will soon be a vacancy on the Monmouth County Freeholder board.

In response, this week Ross Licitra announced he plans to run for the open seat.

Licitra is a longtime Morganville resident, and for the past several years has been the executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA.

“I am excited to announce my candidacy for Freeholder," said Licitra in a statement he gave to Patch. "I am a lifelong resident of Monmouth County, dedicating my entire adult life to public service as a law enforcement officer."

Licitra has a lifelong career in law enforcement: He got his start as a municipal police officer for several years, and then as a detective with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office for 25 years. When he retired as a county detective, he took the job of running the county SPCA.

Licitra is well known in Monmouth County, and widely respected in the head SPCA job. It is his job to not only rescue animals that have been abused or abandoned, but also to bring criminal charges against the people responsible for it.

“Upon my retirement from the Prosecutor’s office and appointment as the Executive Director of the Monmouth County SPCA, it was my experience in 30 years of public service that I drew upon to reorganize the SPCA, turning it into the most well respected animal welfare organization in the state of New Jersey,” said Licitra in a statement.

Licitra will run as a Republican and he will seek the support of the Monmouth County Republican Party when they meet at their annual nominating convention on February 8. All the Monmouth County freeholders, plus Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, are Republican.

Licitra also currently serves on the Monmouth County Board of Health and the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey. He has worked side by side with county officials and state legislators to formulate new laws and help guide the State of New Jersey to be recognized as a leader in animal welfare.

The seat of Freeholder Lillian Burry is also up for election this November. She has not yet decided if she will run for re-election, according to More Monmouth Musings.