>Bergen County Executive Race : McNerney said that, despite the indictment, it is inappropriate to describe the BCIA as “scandal-plagued.”
Bergen County Exec McNerney defends finance agency at senior picnic
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Last updated: Tuesday September 14, 2010, 6:39 PM
BY MICHAEL GARTLAND
The Record
STAFF WRITER
Senior citizens gathered Tuesday for food and politics at the annual Bergen County Senior Picnic in Paramus, where the county’s funding agency was the hottest topic not on a grill.
About 2,500 seniors attended the event at Van Saun County Park, chowing down on sandwiches, cookies and political rhetoric, not to mention the various pens, stickers and other campaign items distributed by candidates and their aides.
Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney gave a heated response when asked about the Bergen County Improvement Authority’s $450 million debt and the indictment of Ronald O’Malley, its former chairman.
McNerney said that, despite the indictment, it is inappropriate to describe the BCIA as “scandal-plagued.”
“It’s not scandal-plagued,” he insisted. “I did the right thing for the taxpayers … I’m doing good public policy.”
He also said that the agency’s debt is conduit debt for which municipalities, not the county, are responsible for paying off.
