BHCW 11/27/2023 Newsletter

What’s Important to Know About Berkeley Heights This Week….

This week’s Newsletter looks at two essential items impacting Berkeley Heights residents being passed immediately after an election during lame-duck sessions.

On the state level, legislators are looking to overhaul the Open Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act. All early indications are that these changes make both laws meaningless and present a threat to residents knowing about the decisions state and local governments are making behind closed doors.

The community also discovered the Berkeley Heights Town Council snuck in a redevelopment study right after an election that largely centered on development as an issue with no community awareness or discussion beforehand.

There were other gems we will talk about this week. For example, the Council seeks to pass an ordinance allowing municipal government to erect whatever signs they want while having residents jump through hoops to express their right to support political candidates. We will be writing more on the latter this week and are exploring the possibility of an injunction.

All of this is being passed and approved during the least accountable period possible, representing very concerning moves in both bodies and a disregard for the public’s right to access important information before making significant decisions and their right to exercise free speech.

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