New Jersey Foundation for Open Government
Shining a light on local government
A lawsuit filed against the New Jersey DEP seeks the release of a taxpayer-funded report that addresses how Liberty State Park can bring in revenue and that may shed light on privatization plans. An OPRA request for the report has been denied on the grounds that it “is not considered a government record pursuant to Read More …
Interpreting the term “agenda” in the the outdated OPMA, the Appellate Division ruled on Aug. 18 in Opderbeck v. Midland Park Board of Education that the board does not need to provide supplementary documents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 However, the Court called for modernization of the outdated law to coincide with today’s simplified means of Read More …
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 …
The Appellate Division on August 18 reversed a lower court ruling that required the Midland Park School Board to provide more documentation with its meeting agendas. The upper court said the outdated OPMA law did not require it but called for modernization of the OPMA to coincide with today’s simplified means of communication and document Read More …
UPDATE (9/28/2015) – The decision was for the defendant in this case, unfortunately. Public access to up-to-date court records remains an area that needs improvement. — The Promis/Gavel System is the state’s criminal case database. There is limited information available online or using a public access terminal at a courthouse. Further, the public portal may not list all Read More …