This Week at NJ21st: Columbia Field Questions, School Dashboards and the Threat to Volunteer EMS

Newsletter

This week saw a flood of important information make its way into the public eye so let’s get started.

Laura wrote a revealing breakdown on the ongoing controversies connected to Berkeley Heights’ Columbia Field project with new questions on funding, process and environmental concerns.

School Performance Reports are out, and we started rolling through our 7-District Dashboard data starting with Berkeley HeightsNew ProvidenceSummit and Westfield. Each report compares Districts to prior years, pre-COVID baselines and 7-District Averages and we aren’t done yet.

New Providence EMS published an open letter on a state bill that threatens volunteer EMS units across NJ and may mean higher bills and less effective services for residents. 

This week’s 21st Briefing covered a host of bills connecting to data privacy, utility fees and local EMS costs (the same bill referenced above) along with the state budget revenue hearings.

The Short Hills Association published its third installment of its educational series on Property Taxes and how assessed values, equalization ratios, and local tax calculations impact homeowners.

We wind down to our coverage of two town council meetings that included a Berkeley Heights budget ping pong with the State and Summit’s packed yet vague close session agenda along with a $100k settlement.

On The Socials….

NJ21st Opposes S1421

Newark Elects an Independent

2026 7-Municipality Budget Analysis Finds a New Home

One Page – Every Way to Subscribe


Top Five Articles for April:

NJ Revenue: The Warning Lights are Starting to Glow

The Hole Gets Bigger: Treasury Expands New Jersey’s Health Benefits Alarm

Why NJ’s Payroll Drop May Matter More Than the Unemployment Dip

The 21st District Face-Off: How Seven Towns Stack Up on Per-Household Spending

Legal But Opaque Part 2: A Case Study of the Berkeley Heights Recreation Hire

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NJ21st is an independent nonprofit civic journalism project focused on transparency, public records and accountability in both local and state government.

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