From Affordable Housing to Emergency Bonds – A Full Night for Berkeley Heights
Berkeley Heights Council meets tomorrow- Tuesday, August 19 – starting with a session on the Connell rezoning. Two ordinances are up for a final vote. The council is set to vote on an ordinance that evens out the affordable housing rules for new developments. Currently, for-sale projects of five or more homes must include 20% affordable units, while rentals only...
Deadly Discretion: What New Jersey’s Use-of-Force Reforms Still Leave Unanswered
Earlier this month the New Brunswick police were called to a senior apartment building after getting calls about a woman walking in the hallway with a knife. At the end of that encounter, 68-year-old Deborah Terrell was pepper sprayed, tased, and shot multiple times. The incident led to her death, Terrell is the fourth Black resident to be killed by...
This Week at NJ21st: Flood Fail, Turf Tale, School Ready, Debt Steady
Oooh yeah — serving up alliteration, rhythm, contrast and a dash of parallelism in one epic newsletter title. You’re reading high-class material, baby. Flooded Out, Fed Up Our continuing coverage of the 07/25 flood event starts with a powerful call to action from one of the many families impacted. Michael Leblond took matters into his own hands, documenting ongoing neglect...
The 201 Billion Dollar Burden Explained…A Deep Dive into New Jersey’s Debt
New Jersey’s long-term debt hit $201.0 billion – steady from last year, according to the state’s 2024 Debt Report. That massive number includes everything from pension liabilities to bonds. Here’s a look at where that debt comes from — and why it matters. Bond Debt at $39.7 Billion $39.7 billion of the debt is bonded – money the state borrowed...
Bond Blow-Up, Freelance Shake-Up, Police Records Battle, and Residents Speak Out
Like. What. The. Actual… This week’s newsletter starts with a saga that could fill an entire article. On August 3, NJ21st reported that the Township announced an “emergency” bond meeting for August 4, tied to the July 14, 2025 storm—without attaching a project list. On August 4, the Zoom-only meeting began with no project list available. It was quickly derailed by pornographic...
Berkeley Heights Township Provides Further Details on Emergency Bond
For the first time, the Township released a list of projects it says will be funded by the bond during today’s Council Meeting. This follows days of us asking that details be made public. The July 14, 2025 Storm Damage Assessment names more than a dozen streets slated for roadwork, including Russo Place, Wentworth Drive, Sussex Road, Bristol Court, Balmoral...
Berkeley Heights Officials Under Fire Over Vague Capital Improvements, Bond and Zoom
Berkeley Heights officials are moving forward with a $3.565 million bond ordinance, citing urgent capital needs. But as the Township prepares for a public hearing scheduled for August 19, 2025, scrutiny has intensified — not only over the specifics of what the funds will cover, but also over how the process has been handled online. In a Facebook comment posted...
Berkeley Heights Resident Flags Major Budget Increases Hidden in Capital Plan
One resident’s comment uncovers a deeper—and still unexplained—layer to the bond plan After the second attempt to hold an emergency bond ordinance meeting on Zoom was derailed by another disruption, one Berkeley Heights resident (Joe Iadanza) sent in a comment that cuts further to the heart of the issue. “For the second time the zoom meeting was hacked. It is...
The Limits of Disclosure… What NJ Monitor’s Supreme Court Victory Means for Police Transparency in NJ
The New Jersey Supreme Court made a big call this week in connection to police transparency. At the center of all this is a Jersey City police officer who allegedly fired his gun while off-duty in 2019 while under the influence. The city launched an internal affairs investigation and The New Jersey Monitor asked for the report a few years...
Take 2: After Zoom Incident, Residents Still Left Without Answers on $3.5M Bond
The Berkeley Heights Town Council is holding an emergency Zoom meeting to introduce a $3.565 million bond ordinance today at 4:45pm. The meeting was supposed to occur yesterday however the Township was unable to manage the zoom meeting where an attendee was allowed to share pornography that then led the township to cancel the meeting altogether despite several residents being...
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