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Bergen County, New Jersey

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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials Y
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Administrative Officials Y
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Permits, zoning
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Audits N
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Contracts P
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Lobbying N
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Public records Y
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Local taxes Y
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County websites
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Transparency grading process
Bergen County is one of 21 counties in New Jersey. It has a population of 905,116 that is part of the New York Metropolitan Area and also boasts the 16th highest income per capita as of 2009.[1]

[edit] Website evaluation

[edit] The good

  • Provides a government open records request form.[2]
  • County freeholders are listed with contact information.[3]
  • Freeholder meeting agendas[4] and videos are provided.[5]
  • Includes info on local taxes.[6]
  • Budget summary is online.[7]
  • Current bids posted.[8]
  • Permits and zoning are not applied at a county level in New Jersey.

[edit] The bad

[edit] Budget

The 2011 budget is $487,137,881 which is $525,000 lower than the 2010 budget. $351 million is expected to be garnered from taxes. [9] The vote on the budget was 5-2 with both Democrats being the dissenters.[10]

[edit] Stimulus

Bergen County has received $252,383,083 from the economic stimulus package.[11]

# of Awards Total Amount Reported Jobs
Contracts81$5,247,32127.02
Grants273$199,909,811166.7
Loans0$00
Total354$252,383,083193.72

[edit] Public Employees

[edit] Elected Officials

Term Length[12]

  • 3 years, staggered
  • November elections

Responsibilities[13]

  • Legislative body
  • Check on the executive branch (County Executive)
  • Approves contracts
  • Budget

The Board of Freeholders is made up of 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats.[14]

First Last Position Term Expiration
JohnDriscoll Jr.Chairman2012
MauraDeNicoleVice-Chairwoman2013
JohnFeliceMember2013
DavidGanzMember2011
RobertHermansenMember2012
BernadetteMcPhersonMember2011
JohnMitchellMember2013

[edit] Administrative Officials

The County Executive is Kathleen Donovan. The County Executive enforces the policies passed by the Freeholders and appoints department heads.[15] Donovan has been criticized for collecting her pension from her years as county clerk while receiving her salary as County Executive.[16] Democrats have also called her a hypocrite for buying $1,900 worth of pens and pencils with her name on them when she said she wouldn't use taxpayer funds to put her name on equipment.[17]

First Last Position
KathleenDonovanBergen County Executive
EdTrawinskiCounty Administrator
ElizabethRandallCounty Clerk
MichaelSaudinoCounty Sheriff
MichaelDresslerCounty Surrogate


[edit] Pensions

According to the 2011 budget document, pension costs (PERS) were $1,953,495 and pension costs (PFRS) $2,443,178.[18]

Six Bergen County employees are collecting a pension along with their annual salary.[19]

Offical Position Salary Annual Pension Total
Kathleen DonovanCounty Executive $134,617 $73,228$207,845.00
Michael SaudinoSheriff$138,000.00 $129,987$267,987.00
Steven LibrieUndersheriff$115,000.00 $104,453$219,453.00
Brian SmithUndersheriff $110,000 $106,709$216,709.00
Harry ShortwayUndersheriff $110,000$75,096.00$185,096.00
Robert ColaneriUndersheriff $110,000$93,501.00$203,501.00


[edit] Salaries

  • The median teacher salary in Bergen is $61,096.[20]
  • The Bergen County Community College President, G. Jeremiah Ryan, has a salary of $192,400 along with a $14,000 a year housing stipend, a leased car, possible $4,000 performance bonus, and a $50,000 travel and expense allowance of which he spends half each year.[21]
  • As of 2009 the average police officer's base pay was $103,649 with 68.5% of officers in the county earning more than $100,000 a year.[22]
  • Department heads of parks, public works, and human services earned $121,182 in 2010.[23]
  • County Executive Kathleen Donovan merged Public Safety Director and Police Chief and named Brian Higgins to the position with a salary of $175,555 which will save $288,000 a year.[24]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article:New Jersey taxpayer-funded lobbying

Bergen County has reported more than $150,000 spent lobbying since 2005 (see table).

Reported lobbying expenditures, 2005-2011 [25]
Year Amount spent on lobbying
2011 None Reported
2010 $46,000
2009 $68,000
2008 $30,000
2007 Less than $10,000
2006 Less than $10,000
2005 Less than $10,000

The Bergen County Improvement Authority has reported $620,000 spent lobbying since 2004 (see table).

Improvement Authority, lobbying expenditures 2004-2011 [26]
Year Amount spent on lobbying
2011 Less than $20,000
2010 $30,000
2009 $80,000
2008 $110,000
2007 $140,000
2006 $120,000
2005 $120,000
2004 $120,000

In addition to this, the Bergen County Department of Planning & Development spent $25,000 in 2008 on lobbying.[27] Total, Bergen County has reported more than $695,000 total on lobbying since 2004.

[edit] Transparency & public records

The Open Public Records Act (OPRA) was passed by the NJ State Legislature in 2001 and guarantees citizen access to a wide variety of government documents. For more information on OPRA and public records see OPRA Central. Provides a government open records request form.[28]

[edit] Taxes

Those who pay property taxes in Bergen County have rights outlined the in the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. [29]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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