Almost as important as the Bergen County Executive race, three seats – along with majority control - on the county freeholder board are for the taking in November.

Republicans Frank Valenzuela, Maura DiNicola and John Felice, backed by the Bergen County Republican Organization, are trying to capitalize on a growing GOP sector and wrest control of the county board away from the Democrats. The trio hopes to join Republicans Robert Hermansen and John Driscoll on the board to give the GOP the control it lost following a 2002 Democratic surge.

County Clerk Kathe Donovan will make another bid to become county executive, putting the county’s checks and balances at stake.

Incumbent Democratic Freeholders Elizabeth Calabrese and James Carroll will ride a ballot headlined by U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, who is likely to pull Democratic voters out of their houses in November. Freeholder President Tomas Padilla is retiring and Northvale Mayor John Hogan will run on the party line in his place alongside incumbent County Executive Dennis McNerney.

Although taxes may be the most important issue in Bergen, another element of the debate this election season will be the troubled Bergen County Improvement Authority. The authority, like many others in the state, is a quasi-governmental financial mechanism for towns and counties to borrow money. Its chairman – Ronald O’Malley -- has resigned after he was linked to fraud charges within the authority.

Carroll said the BCIA is not likely to be a villain in the upcoming race. Municipalities have saved over $1.6 million by refinancing bonds through the BCIA’s top-notch bond rating.

On the BCIA as a selling point for his opponents, Bergen County Republican Organization Chairman Bob Yudin said, “Talk about reinventing the wheel.”

“The Democrats are in denial,” Yudin said, predicting a county-wide sweep for the GOP.

Forget about saving $1.6 million, Yudin said the BCIA deal with bankrupted EnCap development project cost the county $50 million. “The voters are wise to this,” he said.

Carroll is pushing a direct connection between GOP candidates and Gov. Chris Christie, who restructured state aid for municipalities. Carroll said it cost county towns $121 million, and another “couple of $100 million” in school aid. Plus, he argues, voters will respond to the Hanson Report’s either/or pitting Atlantic City v. Meadowlands.

“The governor wants to help Atlantic City and turned his back on Bergen County,” Carroll said.

Don’t forget tax rebates: “Seniors are being hit with the largest tax increase. They lost their rebates and millionaires are getting tax breaks,” he said.

Yudin downplayed any negative impact the governor might have in Bergen County. “The Blue Laws are not an issue anymore,” he said. “The residents now understand how corrupt the Democratic Party here is.”

He also noted a recent poll that had the governor’s favorables 10 points above his unfavorables in Bergen.