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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 freeholder candidates play to local strengths in county-wide battle

WalshB

Bergen freeholder candidates play to local strengths in county-wide battle

By Mark Bonamo | March 26th, 2014 – 12:12pm

HACKENSACK –  The nomination last week of Ridgewood Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh and Ridgefield attorney Robert Avery to run for two freeholder seats this year on the Bergen County Republican Organization line helped set up the chessboard pieces for the county-wide battle for control in November.

Walsh and Avery will go up against freeholder incumbents David Ganz, of Fair Lawn, who has been on the freeholder board since 2003, and Joan Voss, of Fort Lee, who has been on the board since 2012.

The freeholder electoral struggle will play out against the bigger battle for Bergen County Executive to be waged between Republican incumbent Kathleen Donovan, of Rutherford, and Freeholder Jim Tedesco, the former mayor of Paramus.

Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin felt that the GOP freeholder candidate picks from Ridgewood and Ridgefield “can only help” the Republicans’ chances in the fall.

“Ridgefield is in the heart of a Democratic area, yet the delegates picked somebody from that area, a former council president, who we believe can win,” Yudin said. “Ridgewood is not necessarily a Democratic town, but lately has voted Democratic. So running a candidate from Ridgewood is a good thing for us. Bernadette Walsh is an incumbent councilwoman, and she is a proven vote-getter.”

https://www.politickernj.com/72256/bergen-freeholder-candidates-play-local-strengths-county-wide-battle