LVH Participates in Landmark Shared Services Project Between Fairview and Cliffside Park

June 15, 2007 ... Fairview, NJ ... State, county and local officials gathered recently to formulate plans for the new $12 million Department of Public Works complex that will be shared by Cliffside Park and Fairview. The project, the first of its kind in New Jersey, is an example of the type of shared services promoted by the state and county, noted Edward H. Hynes, Executive Director of the Bergen County Improvement Authority. Bergen Executive Dennis McNerney, Fairview Mayor Vincent Bellucci and Cliffside Park Mayor Gerald Calabrese were on hand to discuss details of the landmark project. Dieter P. Lerch, CPA, of Lerch, Vinci & Higgins, who served a critical role in developing the project’s finances, was also present.

Officials believe sharing services is vital for property tax relief, a growing concern in the county and state. They hope this project will encourage other municipalities to consolidate services. This has been a goal of McNerney’s administration, not only for cost savings, but for efficient delivery of services.

Groundbreaking for the new two-story 38,000 square foot DPW complex took place in late September. Dennis McNerney was quoted in The Record as saying, "This is historic not only for the two towns but for the entire county. Out of 70 municipalities, these are the two towns that stood up to the plate and said, 'You know what, we're going to start merging our services.' This is the future of Bergen County." Reportedly, Fairview and Cliffside Park will cut costs by combining services and equipment, and will benefit from a $1 million construction grant from the state's Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.