Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), a candidate for Jersey City mayor, called on opponent Jim McGreevey to reimburse county taxpayers after he received health benefits over the past 10 years after working a government job for just four months.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
O’Dea explained that McGreevey worked for the Hudson County Correctional Facility for four months in 2015, which allowed him to qualify for lifetime health benefits. The presser was held in front of the county jail in Kearny.
He recalled that he didn’t believe it at first, so he called then-County Administrator Abe Antun, who said he didn’t expect McGreevey to be a long-term employee.
“We didn’t have a minimum number of years to get lifetime health benefits .. His sole purpose for taking that job was to get himself lifetime medical benefits paid for by the residents of Hudson County,” the veteran commissioner declared.
“To this date, we don’t know what he did. He was hired as a lawyer.”
For that reason, O’Dea introduced an ordinance shortly thereafter to close the loophole so that no one else could do what McGreevey did.
“To make it retroactive would have made it punitive for someone who had been hired … I wish I knew someone was going to game the system … He’s the only person who has gamed the system that way.”
He also argued that the precise nature of McGreevey’s legal work is unknown since he and the county has never addressed it.
“I never saw the grant that he wrote. He sought some privilege because of who he was, and that privilege was granted to him. We don’t know how often he came to this facility, though he was assigned to this facility,” O’Dea declared.
He also pointed out that McGreevey was the executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP), which was full time. McGreevey ended up being fired in 2019 after alleged financial issues came to light.
Furthermore, O’Dea said McGreevey’s county health benefits were roughly $15,000 a year, therefore he owes the taxpayers about $150,000. He also called on him to give up the benefits going forward.
He also indicated that McGreevey retired with a state pension, which allowed him to receive even better benefits from the county.
“That’s wrong, that’s gaming the system. That’s a terrible example to set: No one denies the record … If you’re going to game the system, you’re going you hurt the taxpayers.”
O’Dea continued that while what McGreevey did was not illegal, it was clearly improper, reiterating that his job duties are still completely unknown and that time sheets were never filled out.
Additionally, O’Dea said he was not taken a commissioner raise in years and that he would cut the mayor’s salary by 20 percent if elected.
Despite receiving several Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests from O’Dea’s campaign, Hudson County has refused to turn over basic public information related to McGreevey’s county job, according to O’Dea.
McGreevey and his campaign did not return an email seeking comment on Tuesday.
Let’s not lose the plot here, if Jim McGreevey qualified for lifetime health benefits at the Hudson County Correctional Center, it’s because HR policies allowed it. If the county approved it, then the issue lies with the system, not the individual.
If Commissioner O’Dea has a problem with that, he should focus his energy on fixing the policies that make this kind of benefit structure possible, not launching public attacks that feel more political than productive. If taxpayer dollars are the concern, then let’s talk about real solutions: tighten eligibility requirements, mandate timekeeping records, and prevent short-term appointees from qualifying for lifetime benefits. That’s how you protect the public interest, not by pointing fingers at one person.
And let’s not forget who Jim McGreevey is. Regardless of how you view this specific situation, it’s impossible to ignore a lifetime of service:
— He served as Governor of New Jersey, championing education, healthcare, and ethics reform.
— He’s led reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals, helping them rebuild their lives with jobs, housing, and dignity.
— He’s worked with nonprofits and faith-based groups to support addiction recovery and second chances.
— He continues to be a voice for social justice, rehabilitation, and economic equity across the state.
You can disagree with a benefits policy, but you don’t erase decades of meaningful public service over it. Let’s hold systems accountable, not tear down people who’ve dedicated their lives to helping others.
Frankly, this says more about O’Dea than it does about McGreevey. Using cherry-picked facts to tear someone down, while offering no real policy solution, is exactly the kind of politics people are tired of. If he wants to throw others under the bus to look good, maybe he should start by looking in the mirror and deal with the dirt in his own eyes first.