I wanted to let you all know that we have received word that Governor Murphy has signed the OPRA Reform bill this afternoon. This is a huge moment for Municipal Clerks in New Jersey who have been fighting for this change for years. MCANJ fully supports the principled public policy foundation of OPRA, including transparency in local government and the right of residents to be fully informed about municipal operations. However, the law has been regularly perverted in a manner that severely has diminished the noble purpose for which it was adopted and OPRA reform was essential to save the OPRA law from itself.
As Municipal Clerks, what we and our Association have brought forth to many of our elected Officials over the last several years is our personal experiences and data from the Municipal Clerks who hold a unique position on the front line of handling OPRA, and this has been an effective tool to convey the significant problems and abuses that occur when it comes to OPRA. Our Association was involved in a significant Amicus Brief in 2022 that has played a significant role for our Association. It’s been our front-line experiences that have brought us twice before the Supreme Court and won because it’s fact and data based and it’s that experience that other organizations have asked us to share when it comes to them fighting OPRA as well.
In New Jersey, the Municipal Clerk occupies one of the most important and exacting positions in municipal government. In many instances, it is the hub of municipal operations. The Municipal Clerk, by virtue of his or her position, serves as a liaison officer between the governing officials and the taxpayers and between the executive and the general body of municipal personnel. The Municipal Clerk is an important public relations figure in municipal personnel. We do not have 9 to 5 jobs. Many of us find ourselves working 24 hours a day/7 days a week to ensure our work gets done because as the hub of municipal operations you never know what awaits you when you walk through your door each morning and one matter, inquiry, or assisting the public can take up a good part of your day.
The current OPRA Reform bill is not reinventing the wheel, it’s requests that have been sent to our State Representatives since 2019 with the same needed reform nor is it that of cries from municipal employees who do not want to do our jobs. That could not be farther from the truth. As municipal employees we develop community bonds with our residents by working on the front lines. We talk to them when they come into the office, ask how their family is doing, and catch up with them. If a resident is looking for a record pertaining to the Municipality, we are going to go out of our way to get them that document, it’s their document as a taxpayer. But, when commercial entities are constantly emailing OPRA requests looking for the latest list for dogs licensed that month, inground pool permits issued, solar roof permits issued, etc. it causes our residents to not want to license their dog, comply with permits, or interact with the Municipality because they don’t want their information released to the public.
This bill is not impeding one from filing an OPRA request or preventing one from getting the records they are requesting as it's been reported in the news. This bill delivers much needed reform to allow OPRA to continue the way it was properly intended. Though the bill is not perfect, it’s a step in the right direction and we recognize that there can never be a one size fits all when it comes to OPRA.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to your elected officials, shared your stories and experiences of OPRA-it's only going to get better from here on out! We will get there one step at a time!!!
As we learn more from today's bill signing, we will share it with our members.
President Michele Bobrowski & Past President Kim-Marie White (MCANJ OPRA Liaison)