Tag: Bergen County Freeholders

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Bergen County freeholders introduce measures needed to meld County Police into sheriff’s force

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Bergen County freeholders introduce measures needed to meld County Police into sheriff’s force

FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 8:03 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 8:03 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A plan to consolidate police services provided by Bergen County moved another step closer to fruition Wednesday with the county freeholders giving their initial approval to measures that rename the nearly 100-year-old County Police and put strict limits on the number of patrol officers and higher-ups it can have going forward.

The swift action shows that combining the county police with the county Sheriff’s Office remains on the fast track for the Freeholder Board and the administration of County Executive James Tedesco.

“It’s a good day for Bergen County, for the taxpayers of Bergen County and for law enforcement,” said Tedesco, who attended the meeting.

The two ordinances introduced Wednesday say the county force, when absorbed by the Sheriff’s Office, will be known as the Bureau of Police Services, take away the position of chief of police and slice its overall numbers by roughly half, to 49 officers.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-freeholders-introduce-measures-needed-to-meld-county-police-into-sheriff-s-force-1.1264419

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Democratic Freeholders Put on Notice and fire back Alan C. Marcus over letter

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Democratic Freeholders Put on Notice and fire back Alan C. Marcus over letter

OCTOBER 9, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The attorney for the Bergen County Freeholders has notified a lawyer for public relations consultant Alan C. Marcus that the freeholders won’t be “intimidated or restrained” by a letter warning them not to make any defamatory statements about Marcus during the current political campaign season or thereafter.

Freeholder Counsel Edward Florio wrote that the letter delivered last week from Marcus’ lawyer “appears to be a baseless preemptive strike designed to chill the free and open exchange of political expression which is germane to the exercise of the Board’s legitimate legislative function.”

Marcus is a former volunteer adviser to Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan who served as campaign strategist to her successful 2010 campaign. He also served as chairman of her transition committee.

He came under fire in April 2013 from several Democratic freeholders after the trustees of Bergen Community College awarded his firm a $7,500-a-month public relations contract. Two days later, Marcus turned down the contract and offered to have his firm do the work for free, saying he did not want the college to become “a political piñata.”

Florio was responding to a Sept. 26 letter sent by Joseph B. Fiorenzo, a lawyer representing Marcus, which was delivered to all the freeholders as well as the candidates for county office and the chairmen of the county Democratic and Republican parties.

Fiorenzo’s partner Leon Sokol said Wednesday that the letter was not intended to muzzle or inhibit anyone’s freedom of expression.

“The purpose of the letter that was sent to them was to put everyone on notice as to what the facts are so that if they’re going to be making any political statements that they are factual,” Sokol said.

“That was the only reason. Alan has no interest in any campaign. He’s not involved in any campaign,” Sokol added.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/freeholders-fire-back-over-letter-1.1105691#sthash.aE1NuZe9.dpuf

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Bergen freeholder hopefuls debate centers on Sheriff Departments use of MRAP’s

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living in a Police State ….

Bergen freeholder hopefuls debate centers on Sheriff Departments use of MRAP’s

“I don’t want them on our streets,” Candidate Bernie Walsh 

SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 7:55 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014, 10:06 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
NORTHJERSEY.COM

The four candidates for Bergen County freeholder sparred in their first debate Tuesday over the budget, armored vehicles, and consolidation of law enforcement.

In the 90-minute forum at the Teaneck Library, Republican candidates Bernadette Walsh and Robert Avery took issue with how the Democratic-controlled freeholder board avoided a tax increase this year by dipping into county trust funds.

Avery contended the move would leave the county in the red at the beginning of 2015.

But Democratic Freeholder Chairman David Ganz said only about $1.5 million of the nearly $100 million in the trust funds was tapped as revenue this year.

Fellow Democratic Freeholder Joan Voss said those funds will be replenished next year.

The mostly civil debate came amid a campaign in which control of the freeholder board is at stake. Democrats hold a 5-2 majority.

The forum — which drew about 50 people — was held by Bergen Grassroots, a citizen activist group best know for successfully pushing the county to adopt pay-to-play reforms that limited campaign contributions by professionals with no-bid county contracts.

That issue came up only at the very end of the forum. Instead, the debate over Sheriff Michael Saudino’s plan to accept a mine-resistant military surplus armored vehicle from the federal government was a much hotter topic.

“I don’t want them on our streets,” Walsh said, to some applause.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-freeholder-hopefuls-square-off-in-debate-1.1099511#sthash.FCPUgugw.dpuf

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Bergen County freeholders discuss guidelines for military vehicles

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Bergen County freeholders discuss guidelines for military vehicles

The debate over the militarization of law enforcement in Bergen County reverberated at Wednesday’s Freeholder Board meeting, where a full-throated discussion took place over the wisdom of the Sheriff’s Office accepting two military surplus armored vehicles. (Ensslin/The Bergen Record)

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-freeholders-discuss-guidelines-for-military-vehicles-1.1076873

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Bergen County Farm saved

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Bergen County Farm saved

JUNE 22, 2014    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2014, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD

CONSIDERING how congested Bergen County is, the idea of preserving whatever open space remains always sounds good in theory. Sometimes, though, the details can prove difficult.

It’s nice to see that the Demarest Farms in Saddle River and Hillsdale will be preserved. Seeing other farm properties in the area close and redeveloped as retail or housing shows that this outcome can’t happen in every instance.

The Bergen County Freeholders voted unanimously last week to spend about $2.6 million in open-space money for the development rights to a 17-acre section of the Saddle River property. The money came from the county’s share of a state farmland preservation program, with an additional $1.15 million from the Garden State Trust Fund.

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The owner, Peter Demarest, said he and his family, who have owned the farm property since 1886, probably could have made up to $1.5 million more if they sold it to a developer.

But they instead chose to sell the county the development rights, which allows two of the farm’s longtime employees to take over the operations going forward. The Demarest family sold development rights to a 10-acre portion in 2004 and will move on from the area after selling the rights to the remaining section.

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The new portion of Demarest Farms is Bergen County’s eighth successful farm preservation project, with a total amount of about 331 acres in permanently preserved farmland.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-editorials/farm-saved-1.1039448#sthash.kMVZMwiE.dpuf

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Bergen County freeholders introduce 2014 budget with no tax hike

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Bergen County freeholders introduce 2014 budget with no tax hike

JUNE 4, 2014, 9:34 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014, 9:42 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The Bergen County freeholders on Wednesday introduced a $507.6 million county budget for 2014 that will result in no property tax increase.

The freeholders cut $6.8 million in spending from the budget proposed by County Executive Kathleen Donovan, a proposal that would have called for a 1.9-percent tax hike.

Donovan’s budget would have increased annual taxes by $6.49 on the owner of the average home, assessed at $324,200. That led to some partisan comments from Democratic freeholders, who criticized the budget presented by Donovan, a Republican who is running for reelection.

“If this were up to the county executive, your taxes would have gone up,” said Democratic Freeholder James Tedesco, who is running against Donovan this year.

But Jeanne Baratta, Donovan’s chief of staff, criticized the freeholder budget as “smoke and mirrors” for an election year in which control of both the Freeholder Board and the county’s executive’s office is at stake. She predicted the budget would result in the county running short of funds by the time the election is over.

“They’re playing a shell game with the taxpayer’s money,” Baratta said after the meeting.

However, Republican Freeholder John Felice said he was proud to vote for the budget, calling it an example of bipartisan collaboration. In particular, he cited the freeholders’ decision to tap into trust funds maintained by different departments to cut the budget.

“It’s the people’s money, not our money,” Felice said.

The board used about $1.7 million in trust funds to offset an increase to the county’s contribution to Bergen Community College of $1.8 million.

A public hearing on the budget and a vote of adoption has been scheduled for July 9.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-freeholders-introduce-2014-budget-with-no-tax-hike-1.1029019#sthash.zErNo9de.dpuf

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Bergen County freeholders roll out 2014 county budget with no tax increase

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Bergen County freeholders roll out 2014 county budget with no tax increase

MAY 1, 2014, 8:37 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014, 9:45 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The Bergen County freeholders unveiled a 2014 budget Thursday that would result in no increase to the county tax rate and would trim $6.8 million from County Executive Kathleen Donovan’s proposal.

The final budget, to be introduced by the board on Wednesday, calls for nearly $504 million in spending. Besides the $6.8 million in cuts, it includes an additional $712,900 in anticipated revenue compared with Donovan’s proposal.

The plan would result in a $117,077 reduction in the county’s overall tax levy, meaning that the average homeowner’s tax bill would remain close to flat.

“It would be disingenuous to say it’s a lot of money,” said Freeholder Chairman David Ganz, chairman of the board’s budget committee and the longest-serving current freeholder.

But Ganz said the total cuts are about 10 times greater than the average amount the freeholders have imposed during his 12 years on the board.

“We all think as taxpayers that we’re paying too much,” Ganz said. By keeping the tax rate close to flat, he said, the budget will provide some relief.

“It’s a small amount, but it’s a start,” he added

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-freeholders-roll-out-2014-county-budget-with-no-tax-increase-1.1007221#sthash.HyysbCXy.dpuf

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Bergen County freeholders appoint ‘blue ribbon’ panel to study police merger plan

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Bergen County freeholders appoint ‘blue ribbon’ panel to study police merger plan

APRIL 5, 2014    LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Freeholders appoint

‘blue ribbon’ panel

The Bergen County freeholders have appointed a “blue ribbon” committee of law enforcement officials to help plan for the merger of the county police force into the Sheriff’s Office — even though a court challenge to block that move is pending.

The eight-member group and three freeholders are being asked to work out “the nuts and bolts” of what a combined department would look like, said Freeholder Tracy Zur, chairwoman of the freeholders’ shared services committee.

“There’s a lot of work to be done here,” Zur said Friday. “We want to be prepared to move forward once we’re legally able to do so.”

The heads of the three main components of county law enforcement — Sheriff Michael Saudino, county Police Chief Brian Higgins and county Prosecutor John Molinelli — have been asked to serve on the panel or send a representative.

Also picked were Cresskill Police Chief Edward Wrixon, retired Tenafly Police Chief Michael Bruno, retired New Jersey State Police Sgt. Edward McDonough, Paramus police Deputy Chief Robert Guidetti and retired Hackensack police Detective Sgt. Louis D’Arminio.

Freeholders Zur, James Tedesco and John Felice also will be part of the panel as members of the shared services committee.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/experts-to-study-police-merger-1.842295#sthash.X1iKqEzC.dpuf

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Bergen County freeholders want hearing with PA officials over GWB lane closings

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Bergen County freeholders want hearing with PA officials over GWB lane closings
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 15, 2014, 11:46 PM
BY  JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The Bergen County freeholders want the Port Authority’s chairman and its New Jersey commissioners to appear before them to explain their roles in the controversial lane closings that clogged traffic at the e George Washington Bridge for four days in September.

The invitation stems from a vote on Wednesday to table a last-minute attempt by the newest freeholder to call for the resignation of Port Authority Chairman David Samson and the New Jersey commissioners.

Freeholder James Tedesco asked the board to back a call for the resignations based on the unfolding scandal over what many see as an attempt to use the closing of the local toll lanes in Fort Lee as political payback against the borough’s Democratic mayor.

Tedesco, a former Paramus mayor, took the unusual step of waiting until last night’s meeting to submit his resolutions. He explained that he had spent 12 to 14 hours leading up to the meeting preparing the resolutions and could not get them to the board sooner.

But after several freeholders said they needed more time to consider the resolutions, the board unanimously voted to table them for 30 days so they could hear from Samson and the commissioners.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/Bergen_County_freeholders_want_hearing_with_PA_officials_over_GWB_lane_closings.html#sthash.5FRG8tz5.dpuf