Budget Withheld, Questions Unanswered
A prior version of this article incorrectly indicated that the year to year increase on security spending was 62%, this is incorrect- that actual percentage is 42% from the 2023-2024 actual amount. (04/24/2025) How budget opacity, inflated security costs, and stalled academic progress are failing our students. In both 2023 and 2024, I was able to secure the line item...
Private Tour, Public Questions: Does Recreation Department Invite Lead Council & BOE to Violate OPMA?
The New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) 10:4-7 clearly states: Legislative Findings and Declaration: “The Legislature finds and declares that the right of the public to be present at all meetings of public bodies, and to witness in full detail all phases of the deliberation, policy formulation, and decision-making processes of public bodies, is vital to the enhancement and...
Turf Fields and Tutoring: Who Gets What in NJ’s Broken System?
The real tax issue in New Jersey isn’t about funding critical services for underserved communities—it’s about the relentless churn of money between politicians and special interests. Take Berkeley Heights as an example: the Township received a $250,000 grant for a turf field, pays $30,000 annually to a public relations firm, and brought in over $2 million in PILOT payments—with not...
Smiles for the Camera, Silence Behind the Scenes
An ongoing crisis of transparency and trust in Berkeley Heights The work of our elected representatives is arguably difficult—and often thankless. But lately, the endless parade of staged photo ops and plastered-on smiles pushed out by the Township feels increasingly out of sync with the outright hostility and dysfunction that rears its head during election season. So what’s real—those smiles...
Devanney’s Campaign, PR Spending, and Public Wellness Initiatives
Mayor Angie Devanney has already raised over $6,000 for a potential re-election bid— despite that election being more than a year away. A substantial portion of her contributions so far comes from Senator Vin Gopal, who raised more than $1.6 million in 2023 for his re-election campaign in Legislative District 11, a Central Jersey district with some overlap into the...
Council Passes Lease in Special Meeting as Residents Raise Transparency Concerns
The Berkeley Heights Town Council held a Special Meeting over Zoom this past Tuesday at 3:30 PM. The only item on the agenda was the lease agreement with the Board of Education for Lower Columbia property. Councilmember Margaret Illis was absent, and both Council President John Foster and Vice President Susan Poage—who are employees of the school district—recused themselves due...
Journalism in New Jersey Is Under Attack—And Berkeley Heights Just Joined the Pile On
Arik Samson is a resident of Berkeley Heights and was a 2024 Candidate for BOE In a deeply troubling move for civic transparency, The New Jersey Monitor reported on March 21, 2025, that Governor Phil Murphy’s latest budget proposal would eliminate funding for the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium—a bipartisan initiative he launched in 2018 to support community-based journalism. Over...
John’s Notes on the 03/18/2025 Town Council Meeting: Affordable Housing, Fire Prevention, Storm Water on the Agenda…
Here’s a brief synopsis of each resolution on the agenda and questions resident can ask… ORDINANCE NO. 2025-144 Affordable Housing After negotiations with Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), the township agreed to a prospective need obligation of 240 affordable housing units while maintaining a present need obligation of zero. Questions Residents can Ask: How will the township meet the...
7- District Budget Comparisons – All The Snaphots 2025
7- District Budget Comparisons – All The Snaphots 2025 Berkeley Heights, Chatham, Madison, Millburn, New Providence, Summit & Westfield Articles About these Charts Can Be Found Here Subscribe to NJ21st For Free
Laura Kap Live From the Columbia Tennis Courts- Time For the BOE to Convert the Pickleball Courts?
It appears that the courts the Township converted for pickle-ball are actually on BOE property. If this is the case, perhaps the District can remove these and set up tennis courts for our students. Of course, this is a joke; we would never recommend affecting people that way – because we don’t take pride in power plays for personal or...
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