Ridgewood NJ, sources say Bergen County Sheriff Mike Saudino aka the “double dipper in chief” is about to change his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. This puts Saudino Bergen County’s top double dipper, $267,987 – $138,000 salary + $129,987 pension as an Emerson Borough police retiree in Democrat hands .
The anticipated party switch came as no surprise, given recent history. In 2014, Saudino back stabbed incumbent Republican County Executive Kathe Donovan and made known his preference for the Democratic candidacy of challenger James Tedesco.
Tedesco ultimately won the County Executive office and Democrats in Bergen armed with Union money have bucked national trends further consolidated power in Bergen under the leadership of Bergen County Democratic Committee Chairman Lou Stellato.
Early this year Saudino claimed “I think I have shown that I am not a political guy,” Saudino told PolitickerNJ. “I don’t intend to change. I don’t want to be a political guy. I understand that I am in an elected position but I want to keep politics as much as I can out of it. There is no place for politics in law enforcement. I try to maintain that attitude. To me, it is not about the party. It is about who the best people are, who has the best ideas.” ( https://politickernj.com/2015/12/bergen-sheriff-saudino-there-is-no-place-for-politics-in-law-enforcement/ )
Well I guess this proves there is room for Politics in law enforcement after all and the question remains is will his new affiliation instill confidence from his new boss County Executive James Tedesco giving his disloyal history?
Nobody cares…county partisan politics is a joke.
Must be a financial advantage. Man is a slime ball anyway.
You can take the boy out of Emerson….
What does Bergen County Republican Organization Robert Yudin have to sat about all of this? He successfully leaned on Sheriff Saudino to back off the latter’s surprise endorsement of the Democratic candidate for County Executive. Did Yudin try and talk Saudino out of this party switch, and if so, why did Saudino resist those advances?
It also says a lot about Yudin’s party leadership.
“Nobody cares…county partisan politics is a joke.” your right 12:32 and we are about to head deep in politics buy have the Bergen County Parking Authority float the bond for Ridgewood parking garage.
1. Republican party in Bergen County is on life support.
2. Bergen County is becoming more Democrat.
3. Saudino doesn’t believe he could win as a Republican.
4. Yudin is a complete and total failure (Wyckoff & Saddle River are just 2 examples)
5. Saudino is a turncoat piece of garbage, surrounded by a crowd of double-dipping pensioners that love to suck off the Bergen County taxpayers. Additionally, he will be a the beckon call of Lou Stellato, but obviously doesn’t mind prostituting himself so long as he gets to keep feeding at the public trough.
Ridgewood taxpayer….. SPOT ON AND WELL SAID…. now the next move is to get Garrett out of office, yes?
not a chance
Get Garrett out of office…….Bwhahahahahah……..good luck doing that.
I wonder how many Turn Key Sheriffs Officer switch to the Dem party. If they want to keep their job they should put in the paperwork asap.
Number one on the list.
By order of annual incomes, the double-dipping posse includes:
Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino (R), $267,987 – $138,000 salary + $129,987 pension as an Emerson Borough police retiree
The campaign took a bizarre turn when Saudino briefly endorsed Tedesco last month — but clarified his remarks soon after.
The endorsement was captured on a video and posted online. Saudino is seen during a labor campaign event at a union hall in Paramus saying, “I’m here to tell you as a Republican that the Democratic candidate Jim Tedesco that you picked is the right man for the job.”
Tedesco is also seen giving the sheriff a hug.
Saudino backed off two days later. “In no way were my comments intended to be a public endorsement of any candidates for office this year,” Saudino said in a statement.
But PBA Local 134 — which represents sheriff’s officers — made its position clear. A billboard across from the county jail bears an American flag and the union’s endorsement of Tedesco.
Don’t worry folks this kind of thing is coming to your town soon if not already. The county need more of your money to play with. Ridgewood resident beware of your Democratic Mayor and the deal he will make with the Bergen County Parking Utility. Once the County get their foothold in town there is no stoping. I also been told the your Village Manager is found of County and what they can offer Ridgewood but does the County want back?
James… like hillary (lower case intended) on the you know what side, Yudin is an embarrassment to the folks that want to vote GOP… c’mon, ya gotta admit it… if not, your serve :)… but good God, cash this guy out…
problem goes a lot deeper than Yudin
Speaking about the County. Does anyone know how much they are going to charge Ridgewood to float the bond? Roberta said at the meeting that they don’t know. How can that be? Don’t you think that Roberta or the 3 Horseman of the Apocalypse asked the county. They know how much they want to bond and any one in their right mind would ask before discussing it at Council meeting. Well if the garage doesn’t work out the could alway put bars up on the garage and Saudino could turn it into a jail. This would satisfy the Chamber member because of all the business that a jail would bring to town. Such as people that are visiting the inmates may want to buy new close are have lunch and maybe take some food to go. Imagine all the Turnkey jail guards that will eat a shop in town. Sounds like a win win for Ridgewood so Paul V, Ed S better jump on this. Don’t let this get away from you.
James… bull’s eye…
Donovan not surprised by the announcement.
“Mike’s always had a double standard. Mike’s always been about Mike, not anybody else,” said Kathleen Donovan, former Republican county executive.
Saudino and Donovan ran together as a team when they were first elected in November 2010. Their relationship turned frosty shortly after they were sworn in and it became increasingly bitter. By March 2012, they had stopped speaking to one another after Donovan claimed Saudino had referred to her by a vulgar term.
“The first time he ran, he ran with me when I ran for county executive and I helped pull him into office,” Donovan said Friday. “When he ran for his re-election, Governor Christie won the county by 55,000 votes and he won again. And now I guess when he has to do it on his own he can’t face it.”
“Police officers are supposed to be honorable people,” Yudin said. “He’s shown that his word is meaningless.”
Yudin promised to run an aggressive, hard-hitting campaign against Saudino.
“We now have ammo to run against this man,” Yudin said. “We will retire him from public office.”
Other Republicans pointed to the control of the county amassed by Democrats over the past five years.
“I am sure the allure of the power of the Democratic Party in Bergen County is difficult to resist,” DeNicola said in a prepared statement. “I am sure Chairman Stellato made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. But there are those of us who believe in fighting for what is right and what we believe in regardless of the outcome.”
Saudino denied that the Democrats recent victories in county elections had nothing to do with his decision.
“My name is Mike Saudino,” he said with bravado. “I think I win no matter what team I run on.”
With all the democratic limousine liberals moving here, it’s gone in the shitter