Category: Meetings

We need OPRA reform

Keith Kaplan / / Meetings, Teaneck

Tomorrow, I’m requesting the Council put forward Resolution 204-2018 to: Call for the Legislature to Amend the Open Public Records Act to Permit Municipalities to Rely on the Government Records Council as a Defense to Attorneys’ Fees or to Abolish the Government Records Council Altogether.

The Open Public Records Act is an extremely important step towards transparency in NJ.  It permits residents to seek information from their elected representatives and to know, relatively quickly, what is happening at the municipal and county levels1.

But like any legislation, there are some exemptions and calls to be made.  The exemptions are few, with an emphasis on disclosure.  If you have an issue regarding an OPRA request, there’s also a place you can turn: The Government Records Council. Continue reading “We need OPRA reform”

Save the Date: Teaneck Council Reorganization on July 2, 2018

Keith Kaplan / / Elections, Meetings, Ordinances, Teaneck

On Monday, July 2, 2018 at 6:30 pm, the Teaneck Council will hold the semi-annual reorganization meeting at the Teaneck Town Hall.
We will be swearing in Gervonn Romney Rice, Elie Y. Katz, Keith Kaplan & Jim Dunleavy.

In addition, Council will elect the Mayor & Deputy Mayors, among others.

For those that may not be familiar with the way the Teaneck Council operates, I’d like to offer some additional information:

How does our system work?
Teaneck utilizes the Council-Manager form of Government under the Faulkner Act.  What that means in practice is that residents choose their council-members “at-large” (i.e. you vote for everyone, as opposed to a ward system like neighboring Englewood) and the Council as a body, once elected and seated, chooses a mayor from among the council-members (as opposed to municipalities where the Mayor runs separately). Continue reading “Save the Date: Teaneck Council Reorganization on July 2, 2018”