County commissioners to meet for the first time Monday

© Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal/nj.com/TNS The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders holds its reorganization meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020.

Hudson County no longer has freeholders.

Instead, the elected county officials will be meeting as “county commissioners” for the first time on Monday at 4 p.m. in the County Commissioners’ Chamber on Pavonia Avenue in Jersey City.

At the re-organization meeting, the commissioners will appoint board member roles including chairperson, vice chairperson, clerk and more. They will also address finance and administration matters for the new year.

The in-person meeting is limited to 25 people, but attendees can opt for the virtual meeting through Zoom at 4 p.m. as well.

In August, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill to eliminate the title “freeholders” and term “board of chosen freeholders.” The term will be replaced with “board of county commissioners,” which reflects on Hudson County’s website.

© Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/nj.com/TNS County Commissioner Bill O’Dea takes oath of office administered by Mayor Fulop in Lincoln Park Saturday afternoon. Grandson Jameson Perez holds bible with a small group at ceremony.

The changes went into effect on Jan. 1.

For years, critics have labeled the county title as racist.

“Freeholder” stems from a 15th century English legal term referring to a person who “owned land free of debts or legal claims.”

In the colonies, only freeholders could hold a position in office, and the only people who were able to own land free of debt, at the time, were white males.

New Jersey is the last state in the country to eliminate the term freeholder. These elected county officials are chosen by voters in the state’s 21 counties and oversee taxpayer-funded budgets like county parks, jails, roads and more.

© Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/nj.com/TNS County Commissioner Bill O’Dea takes oath of office administered by Mayor Fulop in Lincoln Park Saturday afternoon. Grandson Jameson Perez holds bible with a small group at ceremony.

The commissioners in Hudson County are: Kenneth Kopacz, Bill O’Dea, Jerry Walker, Yraida Aponte-Lipski, Anthony Romano, Fanny J. Cedeño, Caridad Rodriguez, Anthony Vainieri, Jr. and Albert Cifelli.

© Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/nj.com/TNS County Commissioner Bill O’Dea takes oath of office administered by Mayor Fulop in Lincoln Park Saturday afternoon. Grandson Jameson Perez holds bible with a small group at ceremony.

On Saturday, O’Dea took an oath into the Board of County Commissioners administered by Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop in Lincoln Park.

Counties have a year to update letterheads, stationery and other writings to the elected officials’ new title, but signs that display “freeholder” will not be replaced within the year as it would require extra money, NJ Advance Media reported.

© Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/nj.com/TNS County Commissioner Bill O’Dea takes oath of office administered by Mayor Fulop in Lincoln Park Saturday afternoon. Grandson Jameson Perez holds bible with a small group at ceremony. © Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/Joe Shine | For The Jersey Journal/nj.com/TNS County Commissioner Bill O’Dea takes oath of office administered by Mayor Fulop in Lincoln Park Saturday afternoon. Grandson Jameson Perez holds bible with a small group at ceremony.