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Bergen GOP Freeholder Candidates Blast $48 Million Spending Increases by Bergen County

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County Tax Levy Now Hits $437 Million; Debt Rises

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, The Bergen County Democrats inexorable effort to raise taxes and increase spending continues in 2019, according to the Republican Freeholder candidates Corrado Belgiovine, Alyssa K Dawson and Katie Cericola.

“Like governor Murphy, the Bergen Democrats continue to spend taxpayer money recklessly,” said Corrado Belgiovine, a Republican freeholder candidate from Woodcliff Lake. “And homeowners and renters are paying for the freeholders lack of fiscal restraint.”

Continue reading Bergen GOP Freeholder Candidates Blast $48 Million Spending Increases by Bergen County
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Bergen County Democratic freeholder incumbents reelected

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NOVEMBER 3, 2015, 11:40 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015, 11:50 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD.

Bergen County voters swept three Democratic freeholders back into office Tuesday, ensuring that their party will control county government for at least the next two years.

Incumbents Steve Tanelli and Tracy Zur easily defeated Republican challengers John Mitchell and Ken Tyburczy and Green Party candidate Richard Siegel for the pair of three-year seats that were up for grabs.

And Thomas Sullivan Jr. outpolled Republican Daisy Ortiz-Berger and Libertarian Peter Rohrman for the one-year unexpired term that was created when former Freeholder James Tedesco resigned to become County Executive in January.

With all precincts reporting, Zur was the top vote getter with 63,114 tallies. Tanelli was close behind, with 63,059 votes.

Trailing them were Mitchell with 50,805 votes, Tyburczy with 48,879 and Siegel with 4,085.

In the contest for the one-year term, Sullivan led with 62,746 votes, followed by Ortiz-Berger with 45,748 and Rohrman with 4,496.

Reached Tuesday night, Mitchell said he was preparing to call the Democrats to congratulate them on their victory.

“It doesn’t mean that we didn’t get out and work as hard as we can in getting the vote out,” he said. “But clearly, the Democrats have done a better job in doing that.”

Zur said the victory meant that voters approved of the work done by the Democratic majority on the freeholder board over the last three years, including consolidating the Bergen County Police force with the Sheriff’s Office.

“I think we put forward a vision of where we want to move this county and I think that resonated with the voters,” Zur said.

All three Democrats said their biggest challenge will be steering the future of the county-owned Bergen Regional Medical Center, where the contract with the current operator expires in March 2017.

Their victory means the Democrats will maintain a 5-2 majority on the board. The two incumbent Republicans are up for election next year, so county government will remain under Democratic control at least through January 2018.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-democratic-freeholder-incumbents-reelected-1.1447657

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10 Must-Watch Bergen Races on Tuesday night

cosgrove team

First Responders are my Heroes……and that certainly applies to this brave group from Fair Lawn. The Cosgrove Team hosted a wonderful event recognizing their fabulous EMS personnel, fire fighters and other stand outs for the life saving work they do. Bravo! — with Ken Tyburczy, John Gil andJohn Cosgrove at Fair Lawn AC.

 

Posted by Matthew Gilson On November 02, 2015 0 Comment

By Matthew Gilson | The Save Jersey Blog

#1 – Freeholder Race

The main attraction county-wide is yet another annual Freeholder Board control battle. The race for two three-year terms is growing increasingly competitive with former Freeholder John Mitchell looking to return to the post he held for three years and Ramsey CouncilmanKen Tyburczy mounting a strong showing. For the Democrats, Steve Tanelli is the stronger of the two incumbents and will be challenge to beat, but look for Republicans to pick off at least one of the two with Tracy Zur being exceptionally vulnerable. For the one-year term, union strongman Tom Sullivan takes on Daisy Ortiz-Berger. Ortiz-Berger would bring desperately needed diversity as the five old white Democrats currently on the board do little to address the needs of the county.

#2 – District 38

What can be said that has not been said? All that aside, District 38 remains our strongest opportunity to pick up a seat north of the Atlantic City Expressway. It is unknown what kind of impact Anthony Cappola remaining on the ballot will have in the race to replace Assemblymen Timothy Eustace and ‪Joe Lagana, but a strong showing even in a loss could set Mark DiPisa up nicely for a rematch in 2017. Which brings us to our next race…

#3 – Fair Lawn

Mayor John Cosgrove and his team can take complete control of local government with a sweep on Tuesday. Cosgrove himself is a heavy favorite to win re-election, and his team of John Gil and Marc Zharnest has made an aggressive push to incumbents Kurt Peluso and Lisa Swain. The signs say “The Cosgrove Team” for a reason; he is incredibly popular and has a tremendous record as the mayor and decades of community service. Looking ahead to 2017, Cosgrove, the favorite to take on Senator Bob Gordon, would be hard-pressed to pass on a run with a strong victory tomorrow.

https://savejersey.com/2015/11/10-must-watch-bergen-races-on-tuesday-night/

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Freeholder candidate John Mitchell visited Ridgewood Train Station this morning

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September 16,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Freeholder candidate John Mitchell visited Ridgewood Train Station this morning  after attending the GOP Candidates night in Hasbrouck Heights pushing a Tax Reduction and Strict Budgeting strategy .

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.

John Mitchell , “There are 70 towns in Bergen County and it continues to amaze me how diverse we are but at the same time united in what we want for our children and grandchildren. A good education, the opportunity to work, lower property taxes and a safe environment are what I heard consistently during my recent travels”
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Bergen Freeholders approve $1M contract for parking lot for proposed Paramus outdoor skating rink

Van Saun County Park

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015, 8:04 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015, 8:13 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The Bergen County Freeholders on Wednesday approved a $1-million contract for an overflow parking lot that would enable the county to build an outdoor skating rink this winter in Van Saun County Park in Paramus.

But hold the Zamboni: There’s a rut in that plan. None of the six firms that had expressed an interest in building and operating the seasonal rink submitted a bid, county officials said.

County Parks Director Jim Koth said that as a result, the county plans to re-advertise the bidding for the rink contract after talking with the various firms to see what was it about the specifications that kept them from making bids.

Koth said he suspects some of it may have to do with the timing and the short duration of the rink-operator contract.

Under the terms of the parking lot contract awarded to Applied Landscape Technologies Inc. of Montville, the firm will have 100 days to build the lot. With a bid of $1,030,000, the firm was the lowest of seven bidders seeking to build the approximately 110-space lot on what is now a dirt lot south of the park’s carousel. The outdoor temporary ice rink would be built within the footprint of the overflow lot, Koth said. The lot also will provide additional parking for the nearby Bergen County Zoo.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-freeholders-approve-1m-contract-for-parking-lot-for-proposed-paramus-outdoor-skating-rink-1.1406248

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Freeholder candidate John Mitchell makes the rounds and gets and ear full on the Iran Nuke deal

John Mitchell

photo by Patrick Basel

August 24,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fair Lawn NJ, Freeholder candidate John Mitchell made the rounds in Fair lawn over the weekend and there is nothing like a picnic in Fair Lawn hosted by the Cosgrove Team.

Even on this beautiful warm summer day however, there was a cold chill in the air as the conversation turned to the possibility that Iran will be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, the people I spoke with remain confident that our elected officials “will come to their senses” and reject this deal for the sake of our own U.S. citizens as well as for our long time ally, Israel. Hope springs eternal..!!

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Mitchell: Bergen County Needs ‘Two-Party System’

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Note for the editor : John actually the GOP needs to offer some competitive ideas on how to run the county , not just be the party of  “Democrat Lite “

LYNDHURST—John Mitchell, a challenger in Bergen County’s race for the Board of Chosen Freeholders said he is running for reelection in November for two reasons: 1. He wants to bring Bergen County back to a two party system and 2. He believes his budget methodology can benefit residents of Bergen County. (Alfaro/PolitickerNJ)

Mitchell: Bergen County Needs ‘Two-Party System’ | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis

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MITCHELL READY FOR FRESH BERGEN FREEHOLDER BID

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file photo Freeholder tells Ridgewood group to develop plan to save Schedler House

MITCHELL READY FOR FRESH BERGEN FREEHOLDER BID

DECEMBER 18, 2014

Meeting up with Mitchell at the Bergen County Young Republican meeting in Saddle Brook this week, he confirmed to me that he is now officially a candidate to return to the body he left in 2014.

“Here’s my speech, you can quote me, ‘I am running for freeholder,’” said Mitchell, who won a convincing victory on a ticket headed by Kathe Donovan and Mike Saudino in 2010, but was defeated by a mere 68 votes in 2013 by now County Executive-elect Jim Tedesco.

Mitchell, by far the hardest campaigner I have personally seen in action, will be a force to be reckoned with. Most expect him to enter the convention as one of the favorites, if it even gets that far.

Most are expecting an announcement by Ramsey Councilman Ken Tyburczy in the coming days that he is also running. The field appears to be clearing for the first time in recent memory for the two candidates to enter the general election unscathed.  While some names are being mentioned for the third seat (the unexpired term of Tedesco), none of the four candidates who entered the freeholder race last year – nominees Bernadette Walsh and Bob Avery, as well as Brian Fitzhenry and Dierdre Paul – seem likely to run at this point according to those I speak with around the county.

For the general election, Mitchell has made significant inroads in two areas that Republicans have struggled with. Hailing from overwhelmingly Democratic Cliffside Park, Mitchell shows relative strength in the southeastern Democratic bastion of the county. He has also made strong inroads with the growing Korean community through years of sincere outreach.

https://savejersey.com/2014/12/john-mitchell-freeholder-bergen-county/

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Bergen Freeholders OK new ordinance on tow truck operator assignments

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Bergen Freeholders OK new ordinance on tow truck operator assignments

NOVEMBER 24, 2014, 9:21 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014, 9:21 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The Bergen County Freeholders gave final approval Monday to an ordinance that changes the way that county law enforcement assigns tow truck operators to remove and store abandoned, disabled and illegally parked vehicles.

In the past, the county sought bids from companies competing for the contract to tow all vehicles. But county officials say that method was “unwieldy, inefficient and subject to abuse.”

Instead, under the new system, the county will license any tow company that meets the standards and conditions detailed in the ordinance.

Those operators will then take turns, one week at a time, in up to five different regions of the county.

“A lot of us have worked very hard on this,” Freeholder Chairman David Ganz said prior to the unanimous vote of adoption.

“We are in need of having a towing ordinance in effect in this county,” Ganz added, noting that he recently needed a tow of his own vehicle in Paramus.

Ganz said the old system was not working: “The people who were in need of a tow thought it was like the Wild West,” he said. The new system will give the county more control, he added.

Among the requirements imposed:

Towing companies must be able to respond within 20 minutes of any law-enforcement call for service within the region they operate.
The companies must carry insurance policies of up to $3 million for accidents involving more than one driver.
All employees must undergo criminal background checks, and no one with a felony conviction will be allowed to do towing work.
County elected officials or county law enforcement or their immediate family members are prohibited from owning all or any part of a licensed tow company.

The ordinance also sets the rates that companies can charge the owners of vehicles towed or stored at the request of police.

Rates for towing range from $150 for vehicles under 6,000 pounds to $450 for tractor-trailers.

Storage fees vary from $35 per day for outdoor storage of the smallest vehicles to $100 per day for the largest vehicles.

Tow companies can charge $75 for jump starts, lockouts, tire changes or $75 plus fuel costs for vehicles that run out of gas.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-freeholders-ok-new-ordinance-on-tow-truck-operator-assignments-1.1140748

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Bergen Freeholders to vote on funding parking study for Ridgewood

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Bergen Freeholders to vote on funding parking study for Ridgewood

OCTOBER 13, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2014, 3:41 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Bergen County Freeholders are expected to vote on a resolution at their Oct. 22 meeting that would likely fund a $100,000 parking study in the village.

MARION BROWN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Several Ridgewood business owners have claimed that the village’s metered parking lots are full by 9 a.m. Most spots are taken by commuters and employees, leaving no spaces for downtown shoppers, they said.

The village has been in talks with the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) for more than a year about a partnership that would ideally result in the county building a 450-space parking garage at the site of the Hudson Street lot, where there are currently only a couple dozen 12-hour metered parking spots.

The county would own and operate the garage, which the village would pay for over the course of 20-30 years from the revenue from the garage.

To put the plan into motion, the freeholders and the county executive both need to sign off on the transferring of funds from the county’s planning department to the BCIA through the approval of the resolution.

To that end, Mayor Paul Aronsohn invited Freeholder Chairman David Ganz, who sets the agenda for the freeholder meetings, to Ridgewood last Tuesday to view the Hudson Street lot and observe the parking challenges in Ridgewood.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/freeholders-set-vote-on-funding-study-for-ridgewood-1.1108474#sthash.1PJNA6l7.dpuf

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Primary Election Day: Polls Open 6am – 8pm

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Don’t Forget to Vote

Important Primaries – Tuesday June 3rd

Polls Open 6am – 8pm

by NJTPC

These are the candidates on the ballot in the contested primary elections:

2014 New Jersey Republican Primary Senatorial Candidates in alphabetical order.

Winner of the Republican Primary runs against Senator Cory Booker in November 2014

Jeff Bell | New Jersey Senatorial Candidate 

Political consultant, 1978 U.S. Senate nominee, 1982 U.S. Senate nominee

Declared Republican Candidate     Bell campaign website: https://bell2014.com/

Brian Goldberg | New Jersey Senatorial Candidate   

Businessman

Declared Republican Candidate

Goldberg campaign website: https://www.goldberg2014.com/

Rich Pezzullo | New Jersey Senatorial Candidate 

Businessman and 1996 Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. Senate

Pezzullo campaign website: https://www.pezzullo.com/

Murray Sabrin | New Jersey Senatorial Candidate  

Professor at Ramapo College and former candidate for the U.S. Senate

Declared Republican Candidate

Sabrin campaign website: https://murraysabrin2014.com/

Source: https://new-jersey.state-election.info/

5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

Incumbent Republican Congressman Scott Garrett is running unopposed in seeking another two-year term in office. Democrat Roy Cho, of Hackensack, faces LaRouche Democrat candidate Diane Sare for nomination.

Check out other candidates for Congressional Districts here:https://www.politics1.com/nj.htm

BERGEN COUNTY FREEHOLDER

In the Democratic primary, incumbents Joan Voss and David Ganz are unopposed in seeking the nomination for three-year terms. The Republican primary offers three candidates seeking two nominations: Bernadette Walsh, Robert Avery and Deidre Paul.

Source: https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2014/05/bergen_county_primary.html

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

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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