Bergen was one of the four original counties in New Jersey. Its early borders reached into what are now Passaic and Hudson counties. Bergen County today is a 239-square-mile parcel of land in the northeast corner of the state, with a population of over 900,000 people.

Although Bergen was designated a “judicial district” in 1675, it was not until 1683 that the Provincial Assembly passed an act creating the counties of Bergen, Essex, Middlesex and Monmouth.

In 1710, Hackensack was designated as the county seat. The oldest records of the Bergen County Board of Freeholders and Justices are dated May 19, 1715. At that meeting, it was decided to build a combined courthouse and jail which was erected on Hackensack’s historic Green in 1716.

Bergen County observed the 300th anniversary of its founding on March 7, 1983. In 1985, the voters approved a governmental change which had been recommended by the Bergen County Charter Study Commission, elected a year earlier to assess the freeholder form of government.

In November 1986, Bergen’s form of government changed. Instead of nine freeholders, voters chose a County Executive and seven freeholders.

The County Executive is elected to a four-year term and the seven members of the Board of Freeholders are elected at large to three-year staggered terms. All take office early in January following their election in November.

BERGEN’S GOVERNMENT 

Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney was elected in 2002. He had previously served as a member of the Bergen County Board of Freeholders from 1998 through 2002.

The County's first Executive, William D. McDowell, served from January 1987 through January 1991.

The County Executive handles the day-to-day operations of the county government, appointing the department heads and overseeing the activities of all departments and divisions.

The Board of Freeholders acts as a legislative body giving advice and consent to the actions of the County Executive. Its staff consists of the Clerk and Counsel to the Board, freeholder aides, and secretarial and clerical personnel.

Members of the Board are appointed by the Chairperson to oversight committees and three are named to each County Board of School Estimate.

On April 3, 1987, the Board of Freeholders adopted an Administrative Code reorganizing Bergen’s then 304-year-old “freeholder” form of government.

The county’s 58 departments, which were operating prior to the charter change, were reduced to eight, without eliminating any services to county residents.

The Department of Administration and Finance encompasses the divisions of Data Processing, Fiscal Operations, Personnel, Public Information, Purchasing and Treasurer.

The Department of Health Services is responsible for the Animal Shelter, Behavioral Health, Environmental Health, Health Promotion, Public Health Nursing, Planning and Emergency Preparedness, Senior Care Services, and Special Child Health Services.

The Department of Human Services consists of the following divisions, offices and agencies: Alternatives to Domestic Violence, Children, Community Transportation, which schedules rides for elderly and disabled persons, Disability Services, Family Guidance, Senior Services, and Veterans Services.

The Department of Law is headed by the County Counsel, who represents the County Executive and the county’s constitutional officers, the County Clerk, County Sheriff and County Surrogate, in all legal matters. The Counsel has a staff of assistants handling legal matters for the county departments and divisions. The County Adjuster’s office is also part of the Department.

The Department of Public Safety has these divisions: Consumer Affairs, County Police, Emergency Management, Medical Examiner, Highway Safety, Weights and Measures, and Public Safety Education at the Law and Public Safety Institute.

The Department of Public Works encompasses the divisions of Administration, Engineering, General Services, which is responsible for the maintenance of all county buildings, Mosquito Control and Operations.

The Department of Parks is responsible for the divisions of Cultural and Historic Affairs, Parks and Recreation, and the Extension Service.

The Department of Planning and Economic Development divisions include Community Development, Engineering and Administration, Land Use & Development Review, Open Space, Public/Private Partnerships, Data Resources & Technology, Regional Planning & Transportation and Master Planning.