Wantage politician joins governor's cabinet

Freeholder moves up to state government, By Robin Mills Wantage — Harold Wirths Jr. will leave the Sussex County Freeholders for a place in the cabinet of Gov. Chris Christie. He was sworn into office Monday, Feb. 1 as New Jersey’s acting Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. He expects to assume the title in full within a few months, once the formalities are completed. Now the county’s Republican party will select his replacement on the Freeholder Board, where his term, which began Nov. 10, 2000, was to expire on Dec. 31 of this year. He had been named Deputy Director of the Freeholder board when they reorganized on New Year’s Day. While a replacement is sought, he has offered to continue as acting Freeholder, for as long as needed, without pay. Wirths credits his rise to state government to his efforts on Gov. Christie’s campaign, when he helped introduce candidate Christie to Sussex County voters. He said he helped acquaint the candidate with the county, detailing Sussex County’s strengths and needs. Campaigning for Gov. Christie gave the two a chance to work very closely together, Wirths said. He believes that Christie was impressed by the Sussex County government. He said that his appointment was not just about him, but “reflected the hard work of the [Freeholder] Board and employees of Sussex County over the nine years.” Next step While he has been sworn in as acting commissioner, Wirths must still undergo a confirmation hearing, which starts in judiciary committees before moving to the full state Senate for confirmation, a process that generally takes from 30 to 90 days. Wirths entered politics in 1984, holding many positions in the local Republican Party. He won a seat on the Board of Freeholders in 2000. During his time in office, Wirths said, he played a lead role in negotiating labor agreements, union agreements and recruiting people for top management positions within the county. Wirths, 44, known as “Hal,” and his wife Debbie owned and operated two locations of the Oak Shop Furniture Store for almost 20 years. In 2005, he was involved in opening Highlands State Bank, which now has three locations: Vernon, Sparta and Totowa, and he serves on its board of directors, is former chairman of the Wantage Economic Development Commission and is a former member of the board of trustees for Upsala College, where he earned a business degree.

This is a huge honor and a huge lifestyle change to adjust to.” Hal Wirths Newly appointed state Commissioner of Labor