Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-November 11, 2009 Issue

Mahwah November 11, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Hermansen to leave seat on township council by Frank J. McMahon Mahwah Councilman Robert Hermansen intends to give up his township council seat now that he has been elected to a three-year term on the Bergen County Board of Freeholders. Hermansen confirmed his intention to leave the council after last week’s election in which he and John Driscoll Jr. of Paramus defeated incumbent Freeholders Vernon Walton of Englewood and Julie O’Brien of Ramsey by a few thousand votes. He emphasized, however, that he will first meet with Mayor Richard Martel and Township Council President John DaPuzzo to discuss the best way to conduct his transition from the Mahwah Council to the freeholder position. Hermansen said it is his understanding that he is not allowed to serve in two positions and, if that is the case, he will step down and resign from the council when he is sworn in to the freeholder position in January. If not, depending on the current rules on dual office holding, he could stay on in his council position beyond that inauguration until the May municipal election in Mahwah when his term expires, and the township’s reorganization meeting on July 1. “I want to make sure that whatever we do, it is the right way to do it, and it is handled properly,” Hermansen said last week, “and, in the end, the people who are taken care of first are the people of Mahwah.” “I don’t want to put them (Martel and DaPuzzo) in a position that would jeopardize anything in Mahwah,” he continued. “I want to make sure I do the right thing and it is a smooth transition.” The day after the election, Hermansen said the hardest thing about winning the election to the Bergen County Board of Freeholders is that he will have to give up serving the people of Mahwah whose votes in the freeholder election provided his margin of victory. “Without Mahwah, I don’t win the election,” Hermansen said. “The Township of Mahwah said yesterday (Nov. 3) that that they believed in me enough as their councilman to go and serve them in the county, and from the bottom of my heart that means more to me than you’ll ever know.” The board of freeholders acts as a legislative body giving advice and consent to the actions of the Bergen County Executive. Each freeholder is a county-level legislator. While the county executive handles the day-to-day operations of the county, appointing the county department heads and overseeing the activities of all departments and divisions, the freeholders act as the county’s legislative body, much as the U.S. Congress or the New Jersey State Legislature, giving advice and consent to the actions of the county executive. The freeholder board provides a check on the county executive’s powers and acts as a formulator of policy. Its powers include the ability to adopt the county’s administrative code; pass ordinances and resolutions; review, modify, and adopt operating and capital budgets; and contract with municipalities. The board also studies and evaluates the county’s annual budget before approving it and they oversee the provision of funds for the nine county departments including Bergen Regional Medical Center. They also supervise the funds for Bergen Community College, the Bergen County Special Services School District, Bergen County Technical Schools, the Bergen County Jail and police department, and the county parks, roads and bridges. We Now Carry Available in Mahwah store only �� Paul Banach Construction, LLC Home Remodeling Waldwick • 201-689-0765 • Windows • Doors • Garage Doors • • Finish Carpentry • Crown Moldings, Cabinetry, Walk-In-Closets, etc... • Kitchen & Bathroom Renovations • Take advantage of the Energy Tax Credit in 2009 www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits Speak to your tax advisor to ascertain if you qualify, as these credits will make a project more economical for you! Over 20 yrs. exp. • Senior Citizen Discount • Ref available upon request All work performed by owner • Free Estimates • Paulbanachconstruction.com �� Coupons not accepted for Ugg purchases �� 10-21-09....Mike....from Janine PaulBanach2x2(10-21-09) 2x2” HEARING AIDS �� Get the Right Information in a Private Consultation � Have a Complimentary Hearing Evaluation � FREE Hearing Aid Trial Call for Your Appointment 201-934-7755 www.HearNJ.com ADVANCED HEARING SERVICES, INC. 119 Interstate Shopping Center, Ramsey, New Jersey Intersection of Route 17 & Franklin Turnpike Supervising Licence. NJ Hearing Aid Dispenser * Licence # 743 Thomas J. Higgins, BC-HIS*, ACA** *Board Certiﬁed by the National Board for Certiﬁcation in Hearing Instrument Sciences. **American Conference of Audioprosthology