Committee Assignments

• Budget/Finance (Chair)
• Community Development
• Information Technology
• Labor and Personnel (Chair)
• Law & Public Safety
• Parks (Chair)
• Transportation

Commissioner Board Representation

• BC Open Space Trust Fund
• Board of School Estimate
  - Vocational Schools
• Flood Advisory Council
• Improvement Authority Liaison
• Veteran Liaison

Biography

Steven A. Tanelli was first elected to the Bergen County Board of Commissioners on November 6, 2012 and is currently serving his 11^th-consecutive year as a Commissioner. He has served as Chairman of the Board both in 2016 and 2021, as well as Vice Chairman in 2015 and Chair Pro Tempore in 2020.

Steve takes a different approach to governing, one that is built on personal contact, win-win resolutions, and positive results that leave residents with a renewed confidence in their elected officials.

As a Commissioner, Mr. Tanelli has many legislative accomplishments:

• Steve continues to be a strong advocate for improving public open space and increasing recreation opportunities for County residents.
  • In 2016, Mr. Tanelli, along with County Executive James J. Tedesco III, hosted the county’s first Winter Wonderland festival at Van Saun County Park. The festival expanded four season access to the Bergen County Parks system and has become a holiday season mainstay for County residents.
  • Steve championed the first-ever Bergen County Parks Master Plan in the 72-year history of the parks system along with County Executive James J. Tedesco III and Director of Parks and Recreation James Koth. The Parks Master Plan adopted in December 2019 will ensure the open space needs of future Bergen County residents are met for generations to come.
  • In 2023, Riverside County Park stood out among the other enhanced Bergen County Parks, showcasing upgrades such as new pickleball courts and a new amphitheater. It proudly led the way in bringing the County’s Master Plan to fruition.  
  • In 2018, Steve worked with his colleagues to preserve 1 acres of open space and to repurpose and create courts exclusively designed for Pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
  • In 2019, over $18 million in Open Space grants were allocated to fund 74 projects across Bergen County. The projects included open space land acquisition, recreation development, historical preservation, and floodplain protection.
  • In 2020, Steve oversaw the start of a $5.6 million habitat restoration project at the Teaneck Creek Park. The project will enhance the site’s natural resources, increase biodiversity, and improve flood management.
• Steve is a staunch supporter of employment, housing, and social programs to assist our Bergen County veterans.
  • In 2016, as chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, Steve worked with County Executive James J. Tedesco III, to end veteran homelessness in Bergen County. As a result of their combined efforts, Bergen County was recognized by the White House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for effectively ending homelessness among veterans.
  • Steve was instrumental in bringing the “Moving Wall,” a replica of the Vietnam Memorial, for one week in May 2016 to Overpeck County Park in honor of the Military Appreciation Month and Memorial Day.
  • During his tenure as chairman, Bergen County completed renovations at the Alfred J. Thomas Veterans Home in Garfield increasing transitional housing and support services for our brave veterans.
  • In 2020, Steve created a novel program called Bergen County Veteran of the Month. The program is Bergen County’s way of honoring our residents, who have bravely and heroically protected our freedom and way of life by serving in the United States Armed Forces. Each month a different veteran is highlighted via social media for their service to our nation. In November 2023 in recognition of Veteran’s Day, for the first time since starting the program, Commissioner Tanelli was proud to host the Veterans who were selected throughout the year for an in-person ceremony.
• Commissioner Tanelli’s work on the Law & Public Safety committee was responsible for the merger of the Bureau of Police Services (formerly the County Police) into the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department. The merger finalized in 2020 brought closure to the outstanding issues from the 2015 realignment. The merger has saved the residents of Bergen County $19 million since 2015 while removing duplication of services and enhancing public safety for Bergen County residents. It is estimated to save taxpayers nearly $200 million over the course of the next 25 years.
• A proponent of open government and transparency, Steve modernized the Bergen County Board of County Commissioners' caucus and public meeting room to allow for the livestreaming of all Commissioner public meetings.
• An advocate for health and addiction services, Steve brokered the replacement of Bergen County’s for-profit hospital CarePlus Bergen with New Bridge Medical Center, Bergen County’s public hospital, a non-profit partnership including CarePlus New Jersey, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and Integrity House on October 1, 2017.

A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Steve has always been an active member of his community. A former little league and recreation basketball coach, he was first elected to the North Arlington Mayor & Council in November 2004. During his nine-year tenure on the North Arlington Council, he was a councilman, council president, and acting mayor. He resigned his position in 2013 to assume the office of Bergen County Commissioner.

Currently, Commissioner Tanelli is employed as a senior art director for Movado Group Inc. He and his wife, Sharon, are homeowners in North Arlington. They have three sons and three grandchildren. He is a Eucharistic Minister, usher, and Holy Name Society member with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish located in Lyndhurst.