Dennis McNerney
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Dennis McNerney is the County Executive of Bergen County, New Jersey.
Dennis McNerney is currently serving his first term as County Executive, the highest elected office in Bergen County. He took office in January 2003 after being twice elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1998 and 2001. McNerney was reelected to a second term of office as County Executive in 2006, defeating former Freeholder Todd Caliguire. [1]
During his first term as County Executive, McNerney has placed the sharing of services as a goal to help control Bergen's spiraling property taxes. He has worked with local and county officials to find ways to work cooperatively to provide the residents of Bergen County with essential public services while helping to lower the tax burden.
McNerney has fought for the resources needed by our emergency response personnel and to place more police officers on the street. 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 has also directed the Bergen County Police Department to work with local police to secure our county's transportation hubs.
As County Executive and previously as a Freeholder, McNerney has worked 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.
In 2003, McNerney 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 Meals-on-Wheels programs and also at the county's twelve senior activity centers.
During his tenure on the Freeholder Board, County Executive McNerney was instrumental in passing the first county-level campaign finance reform ordinance in New Jersey. In 2001, McNerney served as Vice Chairman of the Board and as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and cut $7 million from the County budget and led the crusade to abolish frivolous Freeholder perks such as the Freeholder car allowance.
McNerney is a lifelong resident of Bergen County. He graduated from Bergen Catholic High School, attended Bergen Community College and the University of Delaware, and went on to receive an M.P.A. 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.
