BERGEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE

DENNIS McNERNEY

 

 

Dennis McNerney is serving his second term as County Executive, the highest elected office in Bergen County. He captured the County Executive’s office in November 2002 and was reelected in November 2006, after twice being elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1998 and 2001.


County Executive McNerney has placed the sharing of services as one of his top priorities. Believing it is crucial to find solutions to Bergen's spiraling property taxes, he has worked with local and county officials to cooperatively provide the residents of Bergen County with essential public services while helping to lower the tax burden. Among his many accomplishments are:

 

In these uncertain times, McNerney has fought for the resources needed by our emergency response personnel and to place more police officers on the street. Through his leadership, Bergen County has installed a Community Notification System that can automatically contact every county household within minutes and provided our first responders with over 1,600 "personal protection ensembles" that can help protect them in the case of a chemical attack. McNerney also has directed the Bergen County Police Department to hire more officers to reflect the ethnic and gender makeup of our communities.  He worked with local police to secure our county's transportation hubs and has worked with various law enforcement agencies throughout the county to design and implement a standardized ID card for all of Bergen’s first responders.

As County Executive and previously as a Freeholder, McNerney has been a pioneer in the fight to preserve open space in Bergen County. During his first year as County Executive, he fought for the reauthorization of the Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, which has helped the County acquire hundreds of acres of open space since its inception in 1998. The voters of Bergen County overwhelmingly approved the referendum, which included increasing the amount of funds available to preserve and protect the remaining parcels of open space in Bergen County. These funds have been used to preserve working farms, historic tracts, and pristine natural resources throughout the county.  Most recently, McNerney authorized the creation of a Bergen County Employee Policing program to teach selected county employees how to recognize suspicious activity and communicate their observations to local law enforcement officers.

McNerney also has committed himself to helping the growing senior population in Bergen County. In 2003, he worked with the Freeholder Board to institute a prescription discount card program that is available to every resident of the county and can save them up to 10% to 50% off the cost of their prescription drugs. In addition, he has worked to improve and expand the services available through the Community Transportation and Meal-on-Wheels programs and also at the county's twelve senior activity centers.

The County Executive remains a strong proponent of improving our sports and recreational opportunities throughout the county.  During his first fours years in office, he:

 

 

Dennis McNerney is a lifelong resident of Bergen County. He graduated from Bergen Catholic High School, attended Bergen Community College, the University of Delaware, and went on to receive his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University. Prior to his election as County Executive, McNerney was a vice president for a municipal finance firm. He currently resides in Ho-Ho-Kus with his wife Catherine and their two children.