BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
HACKENSACK, N.J.—Bergen County Executive James J. “Jim” Tedesco III delivered his fifth State of the County address on Feb. 26, praising county employees, plugging his achievements of the past year, and laying out a vision for his second four-year term, which he said includes a countywide “3-1-1” non-emergency hotline.
It was Tedesco’s first such address since the Democrat’s landslide re-election in November 2018.
In the same election, voters swept in Anthony Cureton, the Democratic nominee for Bergen County sheriff, and Democratic freeholder incumbents Steve Tanelli and Tracy Zur.
In his address, Tedesco celebrated the transformation of the county’s Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, saying its nonprofit operator—Care Plus Bergen Inc., an alliance of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Integrity House, and Care Plus NJ Inc.—brings increased oversight, a renewed commitment to core services, and expanded access for veterans and residents struggling with addiction.
He spoke of county efforts to support populations in need, including eliminating homelessness for veterans and those who were chronically homeless; establishing an advisory committee and county-sponsored programming for the LGBTQ community; and embracing the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, an affiliate of the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Program.
Tedesco promised to continue his administration’s work to share services, budget responsibly, and reflect and support “the diverse communities who live and work throughout Bergen County’s 70 municipalities.”
He also outlined ongoing efforts “to enhance public safety in schools and on county roads and bridges.”
Tedesco said safety work includes funding new school buses to meet the latest safety standards, adopting technology to map and monitor school buildings in the event of an active shooter or attack, and public health initiatives to keep children and families safe.
“Early last year, we launched the Childhood Lead Program, taking a regional leadership role in preventing, tracking, and responding to lead exposure in children,” he said.
He added, “We work with pediatricians and children’s health clinics to educate the public on the need to screen children’s blood for lead. Our county health department manages their cases to ensure follow up medical care and testing occurs.”
Looking forward, Tedesco shared plans to modernize county government to improve the delivery of services.
He called on the Board of Chosen Freeholders to support the creation of a Department of Transportation to unite all transportation-related county services, and a Department of Economic Development, Tourism, Historic and Cultural Affairs to bring together county employees whose work aligns across the shared mission of promoting Bergen County.
He also said “We will continue to invest in our parks so that all residents of Bergen County may enjoy the splendor, tranquil beauty and recreational opportunities they offer while preserving open space, enhancing environmental health and protecting significant cultural and historic sites for current and future generations.”
Tedesco shared plans for a countywide non-emergency “3-1-1” hotline.
“We will be the first in New Jersey to establish a 3-1-1 non-emergency hotline. By dialing 3-1-1, residents will have a single point of entry for information about county resources, services, and support,” he said.
Calling himself “a broken record,” Tedesco continued his call for federal and state investment in critical transportation infrastructure projects.
He also called upon the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders to pass a resolution demanding that NJ Transit remove “Bergen” from the name of the Bergen-Hudson Light Rail.
“The long-promised Bergen portion of the light rail does not exist and is not being prioritized by those who could make progress on the project,” he said.
— Reporting based on county press release