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Bergen Freeholder Felice: I Won't Seek A Third Term

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Bergen County Freeholder John Felice announced Tuesday that he won't seek re-election once his second term expires later this year.

John Felice being sworn to office.

John Felice being sworn to office.

Photo Credit: PHOTO: Paul D. Nickels

"It has been a great privilege to serve as a Freeholder over these past five years and I am pleased to have led a number of transformative changes that have been made by this board to better the quality of life for the residents of Bergen County," the River Edge Republican wrote.

"My eagerness to serve the public in elected office has always been driven by bringing common sense and bipartisanship to governing and a more businesslike approach to government itself," Felice added.

"I am gratified by utilizing, as James Madison once stated, 'the salutary power of the negative'...specifically, not endorsing candidates or policies that I believed were not in the best interest of the people....," he wrote.

Felice said he was also proud of the absorption of county police into the sheriff's office; serving as social services chairman for two years -- participating, in particular, in "positive reform and change to an agency that is a pass-through for $65 million dollars a year of state and federal funds;" being what he called a "lone voice in protecting the right of free speech as it pertains to campaign fundraising,"; continuing the public dialogue to the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline; and securing funding for several projects.

These include the rehabilitation of county parks in North Arlington and Lyndhurst, a Bergen County Special Services School in Paramus, and the renovation and new construction of the Justice Center and new administrative building in Hackensack.

Felice said he looked forward to working with County Executive Jim Tedesco and others in determining the future of Bergen Regional Medical Center, as well as working on various committees and continuing to be "a contributing member of my party."

He thanked his family "for their unwavering love and support throughout my years of public service," the Bergen County Republican Organization and its leadership "for their confidence in me," his fellow freeholders, his campaign supporters and all county residents.

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