EDITORIAL: Put openness on government’s agenda

Interpreting the term “agenda” in the the outdated OPMA, the Appellate Division ruled on Aug. 18 in Opderbeck v. Midland Park Board of Education that the board does not need to provide supplementary documents with its meeting agendas. However, the Court called for modernization of the outdated law to coincide with today’s simplified means of Read More …

Police Report Links Belleville Councilman to USB Flash Drive Scandal

This is a compelling example of how citizens can root out abuses by accessing public records. Great work by ESSEX WATCH !  -NJFOG EssexWatch.com August 26, 2015 posted by Griff (Full article here.) BELLEVILLE, NJ — Belleville residents have been so shell-shocked by destructive and costly politics recently, it seems almost nothing comes as a surprise Read More …

NJFOG wins judgments against Trenton school board

This is a good article about the issues in the NJFOG v. Trenton School Board case, which highlights the systemic issues with regard to Open Public Meetings Act compliance statewide.  –NJFOG N.J. open records group wins judgments against Trenton school board By Kevin Shea NJ.com June 30, 2015 (Full article here and posted below) TRENTON – Read More …

NJFOG wins its OPMA case against the Trenton School Board

The New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG) filed a lawsuit (Docket No. MER-L-11-15) against the Trenton Board of Education earlier this year.  The suit involves multiple violations of the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).  NJFOG previously announced that OPRA counts were decided in our favor, with a hearing Read More …

Montague Township Board of Education needs to improve meeting notice and opportunity for public participation

Meeting sequencing – going in and out of open & closed sessions at a public meeting – is not uncommon, but is it fair? A 2.5-hour closed session at the April 29, 2015 Montague Township school board meeting resulted in many persons who came to speak leaving before they got the chance.   The board has Read More …