Bentz to Lagana and Bellinger: 'Don't Play Politics'

Councilwoman Cathy Bentz and  said she was disappointed with her Tuesday, but expressed pride in what she and fellow outgoing Councilwoman Maureen O'Brien accomplished in their three years on the governing body.

The Republican defeat in Paramus was part of a trend that saw Democrats win races on the county and state levels. O'Brien said greater turnout might have changed the outcome.

Because of that, Bentz said she didn't take the defeat personally.

"I don't feel that it was any reflection on Maureen and myself," she said.

O'Brien agreed, saying she had no regrets about any of the decisions she made during her term.

"It wasn't about me," O'Brien said. "It was about Paramus."

Bentz said there was still work for the council to do before her term ends in January. She hopes the council can hire police officers and make more promotions before the year ends.

But she said she was proud to leave the in the hands of Chief Christopher Brock, whom the council in February.

"There's now a man leading the department who has the utmost integrity," Bentz said. "He's absolutely competent and it hasn't been that way in a long time."

During the campaign, eventual winners Maria Elena Bellinger and Joseph Lagana took issue with Bentz's support for Brock, noting that Bentz's son-in-law, Michael Guglielmo was soon after Bentz voted to award Brock a new contract. Bentz abstained from the vote to promote Guglielmo, but mailers from the campaign referred to the promotion as an abuse of power.

The Democratic campaign literature also mentioned Bentz's husband John at the Bergen County department of law and public safety, which Bentz said had nothing to do with her campaign.

"The other side ran a despicably dirty campaign and they should be utterly ashamed of themselves and the lies and inaccuracies they put in their mailers," she said.

Mayor Richard LaBarbiera, who was the lone Democrat on the governing body this year, said both campaigns were clean, especially compared to Paramus elections in years past. Everything in the mailers was a matter of public record, he said.

When he took the office of mayor in January, LaBarbiera said he would to steer the council in the right direction, despite his lack of a vote. He said his role wouldn't change with the divided council taking office next year.

"While there's two different parties, at the end of the day everybody who comes into that room will be challenged to put that label aside and do what's in the best interest of Paramus," LaBarbiera said.

Bentz offered similar advice to Bellinger and Lagana.

"Don't play dirty," she said. "Don't play politics. Work together. That's the only way to get anything accomplished."

As for her future, Bentz said this was likely her last campaign. She said she planned to volunteer and spend more time with her children and grandchildren when her term ends.

"Being on the council is a wonderful experience, but it's what I did," she said. "It's not who I am."