Open Government Advocacy Project
The Open Government Advocacy Project is a committee of the NJ Libertarian Party. Its goal is to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels of government. Articles posted here are a subset of the work of the committee. For more information visit the Open Government Advocacy Project blog.
If you would like to demand accountability and ensure that your local governing body or school board adheres to the Open Public Records Act we can help you request information from them. Contact John Paff, the project chair here.
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- Written by: John Paff
New Jersey Herald
July 9, 2008
Advocate wants more transparency
By SETH AUGENSTEIN
SPARTA -- A letter from a renowned New Jersey open government advocate has requested some changes to how local board of education meetings operate.
For the complete story, click here.
Wow, I'm considered "renowned" 
. My letter to the
Board is on-line here.
John Paff
Somerset, New
Jersey
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- Written by: John Paff
The Libertarian Party's Open Government Task Force's efforts to increase the Warren County Freeholder's Open Public Meetings Act compliance was reported in a June 16, 2008 Express Times article.
The OGFT's letters, referred to in the article, are available here.
Advocate goes after minutes
He claims Warren County freeholders are violating Open Public Meetings Act.
Monday, June 16, 2008
By SARA K. SATULLO
The Express-Times
WHITE TWP. - An open government advocate is challenging Warren county's policy of not releasing closed-door meeting minutes without freeholder board approval.
John Paff, chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open
Government Advocacy Project, initially challenged the county for
being too vague when going into closed session. Instead of the board just saying it is discussing pending litigation, Paff advocates specifying the litigants' names.
Read the full article here.
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- Written by: John Paff
Libertarian Attorney Walter Luers is doing some good work opening up Interlaken Borough's local government (Monmouth County). As reported by the June 4, 2008 Asbury Park Press:
Luers cited three examples to prove that the council did indeed break the law. In January, Luers said that members of the council met at the home of Councilwoman Elizabeth Brown with Ocean Township Police Chief Antonio Amodio to discuss a possible contract with the township for police services.
Read the story here.
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- Written by: John Paff
Advocate questions closed-door policies
John Paff concerned White Twp. Committee too vague. He also wants Web site created.
Monday, June 02, 2008
BY SARA K. SATULLO
The Express-TimesWHITE TWP. | A state advocate for open government is raising questions about the township's closed-door session policies and its lack of a Web site.
John Paff, chairman of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project, is concerned the township committee is being too vague when it goes into closed-door sessions.
See the rest of the story HERE
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- Written by: Jay Edgar
Thanks to John, the Upper Freehold Board of Ed will be now be providing more detail as to the reasons it is going into executive session.
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- Written by: John Paff
After reading a Press of Atlantic City article that said that an employee in Atlantic City destroyed public records, I asked the Atlantic City Prosecutor to investigate the employee--Marisol Rosario--for a possible violation of the Destruction of Public Records Law, a crime of the third degree. See the letter and news article HERE.
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- Written by: John Paff
In a May 19, 2008 letter, Piscataway Township Clerk, Ann Nolan, backed away from her previously held position that $25 was the proper charge for a compact disc (CD) of a Township Council meeting. She agreed that the cost should be $1, which is closer to the actual cost of a blank CD.
Nolan's change of position came after the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project challenged the $25 charge. All relevant correspondence is on-line at the Open Government Task Force Site.
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- Written by: John Paff
I learned today that Salem County, New Jersey Prosecutor John T. Lenahan wrote a May 16, 2008 letter to every municipal clerk and municipal attorney in that county "strongly suggesting that [they] review the policies and procedures relating to [their] Open Public Meetings Act compliance [and that] full and complete compliance is absolutely necessary to avoid the possibility of monetary sanctions . . .".
Prosecutor John T. Lenahan credits the New Jersey Libertarian Party for prompting this action.
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- Written by: John Paff
Court Says OPRA Request Is Valid Even If Identifying Data Is Minimal
By Maria Vogel-Short
New Jersey Law Journal
May 12, 2008An Open Public Records Act request specific enough to identify a dossier must be granted, even if the requester provides only a bare-bones description and some research by the responding agency is required, a Mercer County judge says.
Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg ruled that a request giving only a party's initials — since the name was not known — was limited in scope, sufficiently detailed and not unfairly burdensome.
Feinberg gave the state 10 days to produce the document and awarded counsel fees to the requester, John Paff of the New Jersey Libertarian Party's Open Government Advocacy Project.
For the full story, click HERE (requires subscription!).
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- Written by: John Paff
This is a follow up to an earlier article posted HERE.
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Mercer County Assignment Judge Linda R. Feinberg ruled in my favor today in my Open Public Records Act case against the Division of Law. The NJLP is mentioned on the first page of the Court's opinion, which is on-line HERE
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My case against Edison, originally scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, has been postponed to a date yet to be determined.
The case documents, including briefs, are on-line at the NJLP Open Government Division of Law Page.
I was ably represented by Richard Gutman, Esq. of Montclair and the Division of Law was represented by Deputy Attorney General Sarah B. Campbell, Esq.
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- Written by: John Paff
An article concerning the NJLP's Open Government efforts in Washington Borough (Warren County) appeared in today's Express-Times.
The party's letter to the Mayor and Council, the Borough's new form of closed session resolution, and a memorandum by the Borough attorney are all on the NJLP Open Government Website.
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- Written by: John Paff
In a Friday, April 25, 2008 editorial, the Express Times (covering Warren County, New Jersey) wrote favorably about the NJLP's Open Government Advocacy Project's work.
Officials should know laws about open government
Friday, April 25, 2008Shining a light
Most elected officials in New Jersey cringe when John Paff shows up at public meetings. He's been hop-scotching across the state pointing out the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which municipalities and school boards fail the public when it comes to open government. ...
Read the entire story HERE