The ABCs of a Rule Change – How the DOL Could Upend Freelancing in New Jersey
New Jersey is considering a rule that could seriously limit how organizations — especially smaller ones — work with freelancers, part-time contributors, and even volunteers who receive an occasional stipend. The rule, proposed by the Department of Labor, is based on what’s known as the “ABC test,” a legal standard used to decide whether someone should be treated as an...
Without a Project List, Council to Introduce $3.5M Ordinance for Road and Bridge Work — Questions Residents Can Ask
The Berkeley Heights Town Council is holding an emergency public meeting to introduce a $3.565 million bond ordinance this Monday (08/04) at 3:30 pm. The meeting is being held over Zoom, with a hard stop at 4:30 p.m., and is labeled as an emergency under N.J.S.A. 10:4-9b — the law that allows public bodies to meet with less than 48...
The Week at NJ21st: Berkeley’s Bottom, Water World, Rajoppi’s Games and Help a Watchdog Out
Top of the class, bottom of the curve An educator in our community breaks down the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA), drawing from a recent presentation at a New Providence BOE meeting. Out of the nine districts, Millburn and New Providence sit at the top while Berkeley Heights remains at the bottom. Sink or swim John takes an in-depth...
Fanwood’s Drainage Study Aligns With Union County Hazard Mitigation Plan
The second in NJ21st’s series examining whether towns hit by repeated floods have followed through on the commitments they made in the Union County Hazard Mitigation Plan. Much like Scotch Plains, Fanwood has dealt with flooding issues, especially in low-lying areas like Westfield Road and North Ave. Fanwood provided a Drainage Systems Study, prepared in October 2023, in response to...
Scotch Plains Meets State Stormwater Rules, Broader Flood Strategy Seems Seems Unclear
Background Scotch Plains sits within the Green Brook watershed, a region that has been the focus of federal flood mitigation planning since 1986 through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The town has been hit by at least three major flood events in the last ten years:. -August 2015 -September 2021- Hurricane Ida -July 14, 2025 Scope of Review The...
Berkeley Heights Has Six Candidates Running for BOE, New Providence Shows None and Union County Makes More Mistakes
The six candidates running for Berkeley Heights BOE are as follows: CANDIDATE ADDRESS SLOGAN TERM EMAIL ADDRESS Gale D. Bradford 34 Mea Dr. Berkeley Heights, NJ Commitment to Community 3 Yrs [email protected] Helen Gabara 62 Burlington Rd. New Providence, NJ 3 Yrs [email protected] David T. Moore 245 Mountain Ave. Berkeley Heights, NJ 3 Yrs [email protected] Javier Morales 125 Lawrence Dr....
The Week at NJ21st: Referendum Breakdown, Turf Field Ghosting and Kindergarten for Everyone
Referendums… After John’s months-long battle with BHPSNJ to obtain details on the proposed referendum, he finally received documents connected to the District’s submission to the state and breaks it down. The result: more questions than answers. The District still has a lot to explain before asking voters for $50 million. We’ve published the full file. Libraries… A local educator weighs...
Understanding the Real Battle Over Your Energy Bill…New Jersey v. PJM
Governor Phil Murphy and other state leaders didn’t mince words after PJM Interconnection released its latest auction results. They said the outcome shows a system that rewards profit and outdated infrastructure, while leaving regular people with bigger utility bills. Analysts are raising red flags too. PJM’s costs for making sure there’s enough electricity on hand jumped from $2.2 billion to...
BHPSNJ Referendum Breakdown…. Soft Costs, Maintenance, and Inflation Risks?
The Berkeley Heights Board of Education has submitted a $50.3 million pre-referendum budget estimate to the New Jersey Department of Education for review. We requested this information through OPRA which led to another display of willful ignorance and petty bureaucratic power plays — but that’s for another article. One of the documents received was a Scope/Budget Analysis of what the...
What 10 Years of Wage Data Tell Us About Living in New Jersey
Over the past decade, wages in New Jersey have gone up—but in many cases, not enough to keep pace with the rising cost of living. NJ21st looked at state and federal labor data to see how different industries have fared since 2013, adjusting for inflation using local cost-of-living data from the New York–Newark metro area. Some sectors did well. Others,...
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