Good evening, Members of MCANJ:
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:
1. The OPRA Reform Bill does not take effect until 90 days from today which we are
being told will be after Labor Day.
2. The NJLM will be hosting a Lunch & Learn of the new OPRA Reform Bill, Tuesday,
June 11th- More details will be announced and additional trainings will be made
available.
3. You must continue to handle OPRA Requests until September 4th as you currently do.
4. Municipal Clerks are going to be challenged by advocates-remain vigilant these next
few weeks and stay strong.
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)
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
Show replies by date