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Bergen County Freeholder Steve Tanelli.
Steve Tanelli
Affiliation: Democrat
Resident: North Arlington
First elected to the board in November 2012
Currently serving first term.
Occupation: senior art director for Movado Group Inc in Paramus.
Past positions: North Arlington councilman for 9 years, former director North Arlington Recreation Commission.
Little known fact: an avid photographer, Tanelli got his first camera as a sophomore in high school.
Quotable quote:
“It’s really sad. And I’m disgusted that the only time the county executive shows up at a freeholder meeting is to do a drive-by, make a statement blaming the previous administration and taking shots at anyone that does not agree with her position, warranted or not.”
-Tanelli reacting in February to County Executive’s Kathleen Donovan’s call for him to recuse himself from matters involving county law enforcement because his son works for the Sheriff’s Department. He noted his son was hired long before Tanelli became a freeholder.
The Q&A
My main goal as freeholder for 2014 is:
We need increased participation on the Board of Freeholders from seven to
nine members like neighboring Hudson and Essex Counties. Increasing the
size would put us at par with the other First-Class counties of New Jersey
while offering a more energetic and diverse governing body.
But most importantly the dynamics of representation change from seven
at-large members to nine members with specific geographic boundaries.
The net result would be a freeholder board that is more responsive
geographically while representing the true diversity of Bergen County.
This structural shift in representation would drastically reduce the costs
of countywide elections and give greater political accountability to these
districts to choose its county leadership from the grass roots.
My proudest accomplishment in public life is…
Standing up against and defeating the corrupt development scheme known as
ENCAP which would have destroyed home rule and turned south Bergen into an
extension of Jersey City. By fighting the notion of regional
redevelopment, local communities like North Arlington, Lyndhurst and
Rutherford have a second chance without the density proposed by EnCap
Holdings.
Last book read:
Dan Brown, Inferno
Favorite movie from 2013:
Saving Mr. Banks
Favorite television show:
Chicago Fire
If I could change one thing about county government it would be:
It’s general ineffectiveness to respond to problems in a time sensitive
fashion, but more frustrating is its inability to respond to change.
Government can be awkward and slow, as in its response to Sandy, or other
disasters that require faster service and attention.
The thing I like best about this job is:
County government serves as a safety net for the most vulnerable, the
homeless, the mentally ill and the most in need just to mention a few.
This government offers educational opportunity, public safety and
recreational services that make Bergen County a desired venue to purchase
a home and raise a family which I have done like so many others.
The thing I like least about this job is:
With such great resources and manpower county government fails to have
stated goals and objectives like any private sector corporation or
business.
I¹m employed for a timepiece manufacturer and each year we have specific
goals and objectives we need to meet and are held accountable both
individually and as a collective organization. That kind of logic needs to
be part of what county government provides to the seventy municipalities
or customers we serve each and every day.
In government things move slowly and accountability is sometimes lacking.
A perfect example would be the police merger that has been going on even
before I took office.
In the private sector could you imagine the United & Continental airlines
merger being so slow to remove redundancies and increase value for their
customers?
At the end of the day, taxpayers and homeowners need to be treated as
customers first.
Besides home, my favorite spot in Bergen County is:
My favorite spot is the newly renovated Riverside County Park that borders
North Arlington and Lyndhurst on the Passaic River. That is my proudest
accomplishment thus far and we finished it on time with all the promised
upgrades and amenities. This project is a perfect example of bipartisan
cooperation between the board, the County Executive and the elected
officials from those communities.
The person I consider my mentor in politics is:
Former United States Congressman Steve Rothman.
His approach to constituent services and remaining accessible all of the
time was greatly appreciated when I served as a local councilman. He
treated all with great courtesy and respect and his knowledge of local,
county and federal government was obvious because he served as a local
mayor, county surrogate and a member of the United States House of
Representatives.
His high standards are the template for good government.
If I could have dinner with one historical figure, it would be:
An audience with Pope Francis would be an incredible honor.
His leadership is changing the world regardless of one’s faith or lack of
it.
He is a welcoming presence to the world stage and I’m proud of the
direction he’s providing for all.