Camden County Official Supports Ending Use Of Term 'Freeholder'

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young voiced support for proposed legislation that would change the use of the term “freeholder” for county officials in New Jersey on Thursday.

On Thursday, the New Jersey State Assembly voted 61-12-4 in favor of bill A-3594 and the State Senate voted 31-6 in favor of bill S-855 that would replace the term “freeholder” with “county commissioner” on Thursday.

The legislation will now head to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for his signature. With Murphy expected to sign the legislation, Young said Camden County will begin changing their websites, stationary and letterheads to reflect their new title: Board of County Commissioners.

“Thank you to Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and the rest of the leadership in the legislature for supporting and bringing this long overdue change to fruition,” Young said. “Today’s pair of historic votes brings us one step closer to retiring an antiquated name rooted in the disenfranchisement of people of color and women, and which symbolizes the centuries-old dismissal of minority voices in America. Today’s votes are about more than a simple change in terminology, they are symbolic of the progress we continue to make as we strive to live up to the ideals enshrined in the constitution and upon which this country was founded.”

The word "freeholder" has come under fire recently because it is an Old English term that dates back to the American Revolution that means "landowner who is free of debt." It was a requirement to hold public office at a time when only white men could own land and serve. It is now only used in New Jersey for anyone who is elected to county governing bodies.

“For a long time, our culture shrugged off or ignored the impact of certain words and phrases — either because it was tradition that they be used, or because we were ignorant of their origin — and this of course extends far beyond the titles bestowed upon elected officials,” Young said. “I’m proud to see legislative leaders, as well as members of our community across New Jersey, stand up and say that those excuses aren’t going to cut it anymore. The language we use has an impact, and that language should be representative of the inclusivity and diversity that we strive for, not the subjugation that we left behind.”