Former Councilman, Council President, and Acting Mayor flourishes as freeholder as he gears up for an unprecedented third-term!
North Arlington will have a reliable hand and familiar face representing them at the county level as former councilman, council president and acting mayor Steve Tanelli was easily reelected to a third term on the Bergen County Board of Freeholders.
First elected locally in 2004 and reelected in 2005, Tanelli was elected to a third term in 2008 and reelected again in 2011. In 2012 he was chosen by county Democrats to be their nominee for freeholder and the only true South Bergen resident to serve on this prestigious county legislative body.
Tanelli has never lost an election in seven successful campaigns.
He has earned the trust and respect of his all-Democratic freeholder colleagues and is known for his strong support for labor, public education and law enforcement at the local and county levels. He is a former board chairman and vice-chairman.
In fact two of Tanelli’s sons are law enforcement officials. One is employed by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the other is a local police officer here in Central Bergen.
Tanelli’s passion is kids and recreation as he served as North Arlington’s Recreation Director and began many innovative programs that children still enjoy today. During his two terms as a Bergen County freeholder Tanelli has dedicated a large portion of his time to the renovation and redevelopment of the Bergen County Parks System that resulted in new ball fields and a state-of-art football field at Riverside County Park in Lyndhurst.
Tanelli, who served with former North Arlington mayor Pete Massa worked closely with local officials to guarantee the expansion of new facilities for local residents and their children.
Massa and Tanelli had previously served together on the Mayor and Council so the interaction between the municipality and Bergen County was easy.
North Arlington has had the political distinction of electing several local residents to high profile county positions such as sheriff, county clerk, county executive and freeholder.
In fact North Arlington has the distinction of electing three residents to the board in William McDowell, Leonard R Kaiser and Tanelli.
McDowell also served as freeholder and freeholder director under the old county charter. He would serve as Bergen County Republican Chairman and Sheriff, and in 1986 run and win as Bergen County’s first county executive under the new charter.
Longtime North Arlington mayor Len Kaiser would serve as McDowell’s Chief of Staff after serving two years a freeholder. Kaiser is a former councilman and North Arlington’s longest serving mayor from 1983-2003.
Alexander Allan also a former mayor was the Bergen County Clerk and served in that position longer than any other in Bergen County history.
No other of the 70 Bergen municipalities can boast this kind of representation in Hackensack like North Arlington, the county’s southern most community.
Tanelli, the only Democrat of the four is a media executive for a Paramus based time piece manufacturer and Third Street homeowner with his wife Sharon. The Tanelli’s are parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel located in Lyndhurst.
Freeholder Tanelli will be sworn to a third term in Hackensack come January 2nd. For more information about Freeholder Tanelli, visit him online at www.SteveTanelli.com
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