The office was inaugurated in 1986 at the same time the Board of Chosen Freeholders, which plays a legislative role, was reconfigured.

The proposal to create an executive branch was approved by a high margin: of the 490,437 registered voters, 116,031 voted for and 70,331 against.

Responsibilities include preparation/submission of operating and capital budgets, introduction of legislation, the hiring and dismissal of personnel, and approval or veto Freeholder ordinances.

[23] McNerney defeated Republican Henry McNamara in the 2002 general election and took office in January 2003 after being elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1998 and 2001[24] McNerney was reelected to his second term of office as county executive in 2006, defeating former Freeholder Todd Caliguire, after outspending the Republican by a 6-1 margin.

Donovan ran for county executive in 2010, and was swept into office with her three Freeholder running mates, in an election in which perceived corruption by the Democratic incumbents, rising spending, and tax rates were the major issues.

[33][34][35] Tedesco was elected to the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders on November 5, 2013 and took office in January 2014.

Before beginning his term as Freeholder, he testified on the citizens' behalf at a Port Authority Board meeting on the Fort Lee lane closure scandal in November 2013.

[36] After winning the Democratic nomination, Tedesco challenged incumbent county executive Kathleen Donovan.

[45] In 2017, Tedesco signed an executive order raising the minimum wage for county employees to $15 per hour.

[46] Tedesco successfully ran for re-election in 2018, handily beating then Bergenfield Mayor Norman Schmelz with a final tally of 204,816 votes to 121,654.

[47] On June 10, 2021, Tedesco announced that he would be running for a third term in 2022, looking to become the second three-term county-executive in Bergen County history; he would successfully do so, defeating Midland Park business/legal consultant, former Freeholder, and frequent candidate since then, Todd Caliguire, 55.7%-44.3%.