John’s Notes on the 10/07/2025 Town Council Meeting- Focus on No-Bid Contracts
The corrective action plan we covered on Saturday is the biggest red flag that shows up on this week’s Berkeley...
This Week at NJ21st: Civics, Budgets, Ethics, Audits… All the Things
It’s Time For a Civics Class, Baby We are kicking off the newsletter with the first in our “Know Your...
Buried in the Agenda – Late Audit, Unfixed Finance Failures and a Part-Time CFO
While the 2024 Township audit still hasn’t been posted on the website yet, a look at the agenda packet for...
Questions Sent to Berkeley Heights Mayor and Council on Flood Bond and DEP Permits
On Sunday, we published an article fact-checking the Township’s narrative on DEP permits, FEMA submissions, and the Town’s $3.5 million...
Understanding Your NJ Government: Local Government Forms and Referendum Powers
This is the first in an ongoing series intended to help NJ residents, especially students, understand their local and state...
Union County Bans E-Bikes in Parks
After the death of a 13 year old in Scotch Plains due to a collision involving an e-bike, the County...
Legal But Opaque: A Case Study Mapping the Political Economy of Union County Governance
Harbor Consultants, based in Cranford, has been operating on two fronts in Union County… municipal contractor and political donor. Both...
Morris County’s 2025 Budget- A Flat Rate That’s Not So Flat
Morris County is heading down the same tunnel as Union, Middlesex, and Somerset: budgets are up, outside revenues are down,...
Middlesex 2025 Budget – Same Song, Different County
As expected, Middlesex is following the same track flagged in Union and Somerset: tax bills climb despite a lower rate,...
DEP Permits, FEMA Submissions and Berkeley Heights- What an OPRA Request Tells Us
Continuing Fact Check of the Township’s Flood Response Narrative DEP Permits On 08/31/2025 we drilled down on the Township’s “our...