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Kathe Donovan : The Days of Wine & Roses in Bergen County are about to come to an end
Republican candidate for County Executive Kathe Donovan pledged today to take personal responsibility for the official actions of every agency and office of County government adding, “my opponent incumbent Dennis McNerney’s greatest failing is his refusal to be accountable for the reckless conduct of his administration.”
According to Donovan, “Mr. McNerney has attempted to distance himself from charges of corruption and incompetence at the Bergen County Improvement Authority suggesting that the agency is independent of his office. That’s simply not true. The County Executive can assert total control over the BCIA by vetoing the agencies minutes. Mr. McNerney never registered a veto in his eight years in office and the result is hundreds of millions of dollars of bonded indebtedness, a hundred million dollar cost overrun at one park where a toxic landfill may have been created by lack of oversight or sheer incompetence, tens of millions of dollars of consulting and other contracts to politically connected friends and runaway spending on easy to manage issues like expense accounts.”
Ms. Donovan said that in addition to using her veto power whenever appropriate she will appoint herself or her designee to serve on every County board and agency. “It’s the responsibility of the County Executive to guard against abuses and lapses in judgment. Agencies will not be responsible if they are not accountable and the best way to achieve this is for the County Executive to be an ongoing presence. Absentee management will no longer be the norm in County government.”
She continued, “Through strict governance we will end the corrupt practices uncovered and reported by the Record which cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in questionable contracts to consultants and vendors with close political ties to the County Executive. Our Office of Asset Recovery will for the first time aggressively review all contracts and seek cost recovery when warranted. If consultants were paid for a service we will want proof that the service was provided. Without proof of service we will move to recover those ill-gotten gains.”
Donovan added, “McNerney’s failure to take responsibility and allow reckless practices has allowed the County’s debt to more than double to $1.1 billion leaving each Bergen County family a bill for over $5,000. I have taken responsibility for the running of the County Clerk’s office and been fully accountable. As a result, we have managed savings amounting to $300 for every Bergen County family. That’s the difference been McNerney and me.”
She concluded, “On the day I announced for the office of County Executive I said that the days of wine and roses would soon be over. By requiring accountability and assuming responsibility taxpayers should have every confidence that I will produce on that commitment.”
