Tag: Bergen County

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Freeholder Candidate John Mitchell celebrates his efforts in getting Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli to step down

John Mitchell

October 27, 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, Former Freeholder Chairman and current Freeholder candidate for the Bergen County Board of Freeholders, Republican John Mitchell, released a statement following news that County Prosecutor John Molinelli confirmed reports he will be resigning from office.

Mitchell states , “I’m happy that the pressure I helped bring in this situation worked, and only wish the Democrat Freeholders had joined my call for action long ago,” Mitchell said. “Even though the Democrat Freeholders tried to hold onto the last vestiges of the corrupt Ferriero days, the public interest has prevailed.”

Mitchell,is running with fellow Republicans Ken Tyburczy and Daisy Ortiz, and has made a campaign issue of the scandal over Molinelli’s controversial handling of the case of a Teaneck doctor accused of sex crimes relating to his patients. Mitchell criticised the Democrat-controlled freeholder board who ignored the scandal until OPRA requests by the Bergen Dispatch forced the issue.It’s an interesting story you can find linked here.

After the Bergen Dispatch broke the story Mitchell called for his Democrat opponents on the Freeholder Board to ask New Jersey’s Attorney General to step in.  OPRA requests by the Bergen Dispatch were answered with no communications to the Attorney General from the Democrat Freeholders as existing , but mysteriously, days later, undated letters were provided to the Dispatch containing the Freeholders’ request to the Attorney General. (Bergen Dispatch, 10/23/15)

“The Democrats refusal to act in this situation – despite overwhelming evidence of the need to do so – extended this disgraceful situation much longer than it should have,” Mitchell said. “I would have immediately called for the Attorney General to step in and correct this situation.  Thankfully, it looks like this cloud will be lifted from our justice system and we can begin to rebuild the trust of the people of Bergen County.”

“The fact that the Democrat Freeholders refused to act in this situation until it began to threaten them politically is inexcusable.  As Freeholder, I will never put the integrity of our courts, or the safety of our citizens, in danger,” Mitchell concluded.

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Bergen County Prosecutor Molinelli told Christie intends to replace him, will step down

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OCTOBER 27, 2015, 9:39 AM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015, 10:39 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN AND JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said Tuesday that Gov. Christie’s office has signaled its intent to replace him and name an acting prosecutor.

“I’m not resigning today,” Molinelli said in a brief voice mail message.

In a subsequent email, the veteran prosecutor wrote, “I have been advised by the Governors office of his intent to appoint a replacement and have been asked to provide a timeline for my retirement but that’s all.”

He referred further questions to the Governor’s office, but he added, “I plan on being here for a time yet but not in a position right now to say when I will retire,”

It was not immediately clear who would succeed Molinelli in the post.

The action comes amid a series of high-profile setbacks for Molinelli and questions about possible political influence in his office over the case of a Teaneck doctor accused of sex crimes who was permitted to sidestep prosecution.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-prosecutor-molinelli-told-christie-intends-to-replace-him-will-step-down-1.1442093

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Bergen County Prosecutor Molinelli Likely to Resign Today

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Sources: Bergen County Prosecutor Molinelli Likely to Resign Tuesday

There is considerable speculation about the fate of Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli. According to sources, Molinelli will likely announce his resignation on Tuesday. PolitickerNJ Editor, PolitickerNJ Read more

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Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno Joins Republican Freeholder Campaign focusing on Reducing Property Taxes

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Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno Joins Republican Freeholder Campaign focusing on Reducing Property Taxes

October 25,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Park Ridgewood NJ, John Mitchell  and the Republican Bergen County Freeholder team was joined by Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno at our District 39 headquarters. Her straightforward message was this: Stay on point about reducing property taxes and continue to work hard until the polls close on November 3rd.

As for reducing property taxes ,it’s interesting that the Democrats claim to have saved The Bergen County Taxpayers $200 Million on the Police Merger when it was then Freeholder John Mitchell who started the wheels moving on that project.

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The 4.3% Budget Passed yes at 7-0 but if not for the efforts of Republicans John Felice and Maura McMahon DeNicola that number would have been closer to 6%. Easy to call it a Bi-partisan Budget Solution when you outnumber 5-2.

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How Do Property Taxes Vary Across The Country?

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October 16, 2015
By Alan Cole

Property taxes vary substantially around the United States, both among states and even within states. Property taxes are levied at the state and local level, but they are also typically deductible on federal returns as an itemized deduction on Schedule A for taxpayers who elect to itemize their deductions.

As a result, the IRS has substantial data on property taxes around the country. The map below shows the average property tax deduction taken on the Schedule A, per tax return, for each county in the United States.

While this is not exactly equivalent to the average property tax collections at the state level (which are higher because some taxpayers don’t itemize) the map shows a pretty good, broad, apples-to-apples comparison of property taxes across the country.

Looking at the map, some obvious things stand out. For example, the border between Pennsylvania and New York stands out; this should come as no surprise to readers of ourState Business Tax Climate Index, which puts New York fourth overall in property tax collections per capita. The most heavily-shaded state is New Jersey, which has the highest property tax collections per capita. And lastly, even within states, property taxes can vary a great deal from county to county. For example, they vary a great deal within Illinois, as we pointed out in our latest study of taxes in the state.

While this is not exactly equivalent to the average property tax collections at the state level (which are higher because some taxpayers don’t itemize) the map shows a pretty good, broad, apples-to-apples comparison of property taxes across the country.

Looking at the map, some obvious things stand out. For example, the border between Pennsylvania and New York stands out; this should come as no surprise to readers of ourState Business Tax Climate Index, which puts New York fourth overall in property tax collections per capita. The most heavily-shaded state is New Jersey, which has the highest property tax collections per capita. And lastly, even within states, property taxes can vary a great deal from county to county. For example, they vary a great deal within Illinois, as we pointed out in our latest study of taxes in the state.

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Paramus and Fair lawn Top Bergen’s Influential Local Races

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10 of the Most Influential Local Races in 2015

With the November 3 election expected to draw low voter turnout, some local races seem to be the best hope for driving people to cast their ballots. Here is a list of ten races that have the potential to influence the election. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJRead more

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Desperate Bergen Dems Go for What they Hope is Coup De Grace with Tea Party Tag in Freeholder Race

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FACT : In the last 13 years taxes have been raised 115 times by nj state legislators. Yet career politicians like Tim Eustace and Joe Lagana believe that they are doing a good job. Are you kidding me? On November 3rd it’s time to make a change. The old way just doesn’t work. 

Is this childish rhetoric from the author of this piece of drivel or from these excuses of public servants themselves ? Threatening political violence on groups of patriotic senior Americans by a failed economically socially and morally corrupt political party is way beyond the pale in any election cycle. Paul A. Duggan 
Everyone who is paying attention knows that the Dems control the Freeholder Board 5-2 ,so how is it possible that the Repubs are responsible for these terrible situations portrayed in this contrived Political piece? John Criscione

Bergen Dems Go for What they Hope is Coup De Grace with Tea Party Tag

The intense portion of the least intense campaign season in years has the two parties reaching for the heavy ammo. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more

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Bergen Freeholder candidates discuss taxes, cost of new DPW facility at first debate

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OCTOBER 15, 2015, 9:48 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015, 9:53 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The candidates for Bergen County Freeholder sparred on taxes and the costs of a new Public Works facility in Paramus on Thursday in their first debate of this year’s campaign.

But they found agreement, for the most part, on the need to do more about an epidemic of heroin addiction.

The Republicans and one Libertarian candidate argued that the county needs to do more to cut spending.

GOP candidate Ken Tyburczy contended that more Republicans were needed on the Board of Freeholders to question spending by the Democratic-controlled county administration.

“We do need a check and balance,” Tyburczy said. “If there’s not a check, how can we possibly control the spending?”

Democratic Freeholder Steve Tanelli noted that in 2014, the Democratic-controlled board passed a budget that had no tax increase.

Tanelli also noted that this year’s budget — which included a 4.3 percent tax increase — won unanimous bipartisan approval from the board.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-freeholder-candidates-discuss-taxes-cost-of-new-dpw-facility-at-first-debate-1.1433602

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Bergen GOP effort to replace Anthony Cappola’s name on the LD38 assembly ballot Continues

Bob-Yudin

Bergen County GOP goes to court in bid to replace Assembly candidate

The Bergen County Republican Organization went to court Monday in an effort to replace an Assembly candidate who suspended his campaign last week over a controversial self-published book that contains racial slurs and stereotypes. John C. Ensslin, The Record Read more

Yudin: Cappola Incident Nobody’s Fault

Last week, a book written by former LD38 assembly candidate Anthony Cappola that featured offensive and bigoted writings led him to drop out of the race. Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin said the situation is a “contrary reflection” on the GOP and on the chairman himself. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more

Court Hearing Possible Today Over LD38 Ballot

The GOP effort to replace Anthony Cappola’s name on the LD38 assembly ballot may be heading to court as early as today according to Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more

LD38 Case File ‘Pending’ In Judge’s Chambers

According to an source, the LD38 case file is currently pending and is being held in the chambers of Judge Ernest Caposela. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more

 

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Beware of the ticket blitz: Bergen County eyes drivers, pedestrians in safety push

October is Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month

OCTOBER 6, 2015, 11:10 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2015, 6:54 AM
BY JOHN CICHOWSKI
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD

After 45 pedestrian deaths in two years, the Bergen County sheriff, prosecutor and dozens of other public officials gathered in Hackensack on Tuesday to put walkers as well as drivers on notice:

Starting this month, whether on foot or behind the wheel, obey pedestrian laws or expect a ticket.

“I’m asking all police departments to issue summonses even for jaywalking,” Sheriff Michael Saudino announced to a crowd at a news conference on the steps of the county Justice Complex.

The reason: “A week doesn’t go by that I don’t get a phone call about a citizen being struck and killed in our county,” added Prosecutor John Molinelli.

Death counts explain much of this rationale:

A total of 21 lives were lost while crossing county thoroughfares in 2013 (more than double the 2012 count of 9) and 24 more deaths were added in 2014 — the most in at least 16 years, according to state police records. The percentage increases accounted for a higher rate of carnage than the statewide pedestrian death toll, which reached 170 last year, the most since the 2002 count of 176.

“We have to do better,” Saudino said in an interview. “Drivers and pedestrians both need to be better educated, and our engineers have to look closely at some of our roadways to make them safer.”

For two weeks starting now, motorists will begin seeing “Focus here” billboards that picture a family at a crosswalk alongside a photo of a phone that accompanies this slogan — “Not here.”

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/road-warrior-beware-of-the-ticket-blitz-bergen-county-eyes-drivers-pedestrians-in-safety-push-1.1426649

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John Mitchell just Might be the Hardest Working Freeholder Candidate this County Has Ever Seen

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October 5,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Unlike past years this years Freeholder contest is all about meeting and getting to know Bergen county. Candidate John Mitchell has been making the rounds non stop from months listen to what people in the county are concerned about .
It was a “Win-Win” at the Ridgewood train station this morning…

…It was a “win” that I was able to help a commuter understand the intricacies of the unfair school funding formula and how it impacts his ever rising property taxes. And it was also a “win” that I had a chance to meet hundreds of residents in this beautiful town.

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“I’m always nervous when speaking to a large group of women and particularly beautiful women”…

…was my quote at the Republican Women’s Annual Candidates Showcase. In all seriousness though, the Bergen County Republican Women are the BCRO’s heart and soul and I very much appreciate their tireless hard work and support!

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What is a Freeholder?…

…That was the operative question of the morning at the Oradell train station. When I explained that the The Board of Chosen Freeholders acts as the legislature for Bergen County and controls what county government can spend, things became a bit clearer…and certainly the commuters were happy to hear that my running mates and I have specific plans on how to reel in the ever burdensome property taxes hoisted on the backs of our hard working citizens.

…The Oradell train station also accommodates surrounding towns including the great town of New Milford. I was joined by New Milford Council Candidate Matt Seymour along with Oradell Council President Donna Alonso. Our tag teaming of commuters from the various towns was very productive indeed

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“The Junior Statesmen of America”…

…were NJ Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s and my audience at Dwight Morrow High School. The subject today was how state and county government works followed by a rapid fire Q&A covering everything from the presidential election, Planned Parenthood, to how we entered politics. They kept us on our toes but is was very enjoyable for all.

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“I love Bergen County but I know when I retire I will no longer be able to afford to live here.”…

…This has been a common sentiment as I campaign across the county, and River Edge was no exception. For that very reason my running mates and I have made it our top priority to tackle this problem, with property tax reduction at the top of the list.

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“Paramus is a great place to live but please help us keep it that way!’…

…That was what I heard from the hard working commuters/voters at the Paramus Park & Ride this morning. Business attraction, business retention and the elimination of unnecessary business regulations summarizes the conversations I had. Will do!

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Freeholder Candidate John Mitchell :Voting is at the heart of democracy. A vote sends a direct message to the government about how a citizen wants to be governed.

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September 26,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Woodcliff Lake  NJ,  Voting is at the heart of democracy. A vote sends a direct message to the government about how a citizen wants to be governed……..That direct message was sent to the commuters/voters by a group of us at the Woodcliff Lake train station early this morning. There is too much at stake not to vote this year and in fact every year. Election Day is November 3rd. The experts are predicting a very low voter turnout. Let’s defy the experts. PLEASE VOTE!

…Pictured with John Mitchell are Woodcliff Lake Council President and Mayoral Candidate Carlos A. Rendo, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, Council Candidate Kristy Herrington, and my Freeholder running mate Daisy Ortiz Berger.

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Watch Bergen County’s first LIVE open house broadcast on Sunday, 9/13

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Starting at 12pm next Sunday, September 13th, I’ll be hosting the first LIVE open house in Bergen County. The broadcast will feature my listing at 126 Cortland Drive in Saddle River Grand, a 5,210 square foot townhouse offered at $2,200,000.

You can tune in from any mobile device. Just download Persicope, a free app, onto any mobile device and follow me @buyinginbergen. You’ll receive an alert when the broadcast begins. FYI, the event will not be open to walk-in guests as Saddle River Grand is a gated community.

Be sure to watch until the end when I’ll make a special announcement.

For home sellers, a live open house tour offers many benefits. It helps get your listing in front of more people, introduces buyers to your property in a more intimate fashion and creates word of mouth publicity among agents and buyers.

For those interested in technology, my live open house tour will offer a smooth video experience free of camera shake – I’ll be using a Swiftcam M3s handheld gimbal with my iPhone 6.

I hope you can join me on September 13th. If you’re not available at 12 pm, the video will be available on Periscope and Twitter for 24 hours. After that, look for it on YouTube.com/mshetler.

– Michael Shetler, Keller Williams Village Square Realty

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Bergen Regional Medical Center seeks N.J. approval to expand detox unit

Bergen_regional_medical_center_theridgewoodblog

SEPTEMBER 6, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The operators of Bergen Regional Medical Center have applied for state approval to add 10 beds to its drug- and alcohol-detoxification unit in the face of an epidemic of heroin-related cases in North Jersey.

News of the move came less than two weeks after three freeholders urged Bergen County Executive James Tedesco to “pursue a dialogue” with the private operator of the county-owned hospital in Paramus to expand its 54-bed detox unit.

Bergen Regional CEO Susan Mendelowitz responded in an Aug. 26 letter to Tedesco, noting that the hospital had already applied to add 10 more beds to the unit. She said the additional beds were in response to what she called “the intensity of the drug and alcohol epidemic we face.”

She also noted that the hospital has two other longer-term units, including one for patients who also have mental-health disorders plus an outpatient treatment program for substance abuse.

“I believe we are all on the same page with our commitment to provide appropriate care and treatment options for this ever increasing epidemic,” she wrote.

Tedesco spokeswoman Alicia D’Alessandro called the hospital’s decision “a step in the right direction.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/hospital-seeks-ok-to-expand-detox-unit-1.1404681

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Big bet on Dream project; risk, reward weighed on $1B bond sale

xanadu

SEPTEMBER 5, 2015, 10:58 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015, 12:16 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG, LINDA MOSS AND JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

What does it take for a developer to borrow a billion dollars to build a mall in New Jersey?

It takes winning over people like Lyle Fitterer, an investor in Menomonee Falls, Wis., who controls $17.5 billion in other people’s money. He invests only in government bonds, including the type that Triple Five, a Canada-based conglomerate, expects to sell soon to complete American Dream, the long-stalled shopping and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands.

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So what does Fitterer think of American Dream? Well, it’s complicated.

Demand for such high-risk, high-profit bonds is stronger now than it was two years ago, when Triple Five first received government support for a bond sale, Fitterer said, but the market remains weak. Whereas the original deal offered only tax-free bonds, the revised proposal includes both taxable and tax-free bonds, a mix that he said will broaden the pool of potential investors.

But because the bonds are not backed by taxpayers in New Jersey or the borough of East Rutherford, where the project sits, Fitterer would avoid losing money on the deal only if American Dream succeeds.

And since few have ever attempted a project quite like American Dream, that makes Fitterer and many of his deep-pocketed peers nervous.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/big-bet-on-dream-project-risk-reward-weighed-on-1b-bond-sale-1.1404658