This Week at NJ21st- Unanswered Questions, Hidden Revenues, and a Simple Transparency Solution

Jul 5, 2025

The Sewage Deal Smells Worse John did a write-up on the fifth and final addendum to the Berkeley Heights Sewage Plant RFB, as already-weak job protections continue to shrink and the public is left holding the bag on a long list of unanswered questions.

Show Us the Summary… and the Money Shauna provided a summary of the 06/26/2025 Town Council Meeting that, in true Berkeley Heights fashion, crammed a lot of major decisions into a single meeting—once again, with no real discussion or dissent. John also shared a concerning analysis of construction code fees collected by the Township and the legally permissible—but highly opaque—way the revenue is being tracked.

Where Does NJ Government Shop? John breaks down state vendor data released by the Department of Treasury, showing which companies receive the most public dollars, and provides a tool for residents to explore top vendors by agency.

Calls to Strengthen the Open Public Meetings Act NJPEC founder Michael Gottesman offers a brief history of how School Boards increasingly obscure public agendas and proposes a simple, legislative fix to restore basic transparency.

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