February - March 2003 Edition

One Office For Two Positions  By Chris Neidenberg Mayor David L. Ganz will be allowed to use his Borough Hall office for some county freeholder work, the Borough Council decided.   Though no official vote was taken, Ganz' four Democratic colleagues voiced no opposition to the mayor's request at a recent council meeting. Ganz, who is up for re-election on the council in 2005, was elected in November for a three-year term on the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders.   Ganz can remain simultaneously in both positions as have other freeholders, including Elmwood Park Mayor Richard Mola.  A mayor is the only local council member afforded his or her own office in the municipal building.   For the first time in his five-year tenure, Ganz will now have to find some way to juggle his borough and county responsibilities, which could overlap on occasion. At the very least, Ganz's win gives the borough direct access to the county body even if it will place more demands on his time.   Yet Ganz will have to also find some way to balance the borough's own interests against those of 69 other municipalities.   In making his pitch, Ganz, who made no direct reference to himself, said "there is a (new) freeholder" seeking permission to use the mayor's office for county constituent work.   While no limits were formally placed on how the office can be used; the mayor told his colleagues he did not anticipate using it for county purposes more than one night a week.   In justifying the need, Ganz explained that having a Fair Lawn office will increase convenience for county constituents living in or near the borough - who will not have to make the extended trek to Hackensack.   All freeholders have their own offices in the county administration building. Ganz, in fact, will represent county residents in all 70 municipalities.   "I don't have a problem with it, though there are other people in town who might," said Councilman Vic Amato.   He was referring to the possibility that the mayor's local critics could use it as an issue. Ganz acknowledged this point,   But Acting Borough Manager Joanne Kwasniewski maintained that increasing convenience for county residents, who would be able to confer with the new freeholder locally rather than in Hackensack, puts Borough Hall to good use.