DeAngelo & Benson Bill to Require On-Line Transparency From Local Commissions & Authorities Advanced by Assembly Panel

(Trenton) - Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Daniel R. Benson to combat the lack of basic online budget information about many local commissions and authorities was released Monday by the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee.

The bill (A-3908) would implement changes recommended by the Office of the State Comptroller in its report entitled, "An Analysis of the On-Line Transparency of New Jersey's Local Authorities and Commissions."

"Democracy relies on open and transparent government that hides nothing, and unfortunately, New Jersey taxpayers aren't getting that in many cases," said DeAngelo (D-Mercer/Middlesex). "Failing to post fiscal information is bad enough, but it's horrendous that only 8 percent of these agencies post their schedule, agendas and minutes of public meetings. It's unfortunate that we need a bill like this, but clearly these agencies won't provide transparency on their own, so it's time to take action."

"It's just flat out wrong that only seven of the 587 local authorities and commissions satisfied all the transparency measures tested as part of the comptroller's analysis," said Benson (D-Mercer/Middlesex). "Taxpayers deserve better. Open and transparent government is always the best approach, and that's what this bill will accomplish."

The comptroller's report identified 587 local agencies with independent fiscal authority responsibility for the expenditure of public funds.

The agencies subject to the state comptroller's review were local authorities and commissions, fire districts, housing authorities, joint insurance funds, workforce investment boards, soil conservation districts, Urban Enterprise Zone development corporations, regional health commissions and county park commissions.

The report found that even when local agencies establish websites, the websites often lack basic and significant information about the operations and fiscal affairs of local commissions and authorities.

According to the report, 377 local agencies have established a web presence. Of these agencies, only 15 posted a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report or other similar information on their website.

Only 8 percent of these agencies post the schedule, agendas, and minutes of their public meetings, 53 percent make one of those three documents available and the remaining 40 percent do not post any meeting information.

The sponsors said the bill requires all local authorities and commissions to maintain an Internet website for the purpose of providing increased public access to each entity's operations and activities. The following information must be posted on each website:

-a description of the entity's mission and responsibilities;

-the adopted budget for the current fiscal year and three preceding fiscal years;

-the most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report or other similar financial information;

-the annual audit for the most recent fiscal year and three preceding fiscal years;

-the entity's rules, regulations, resolutions, and official policy statements;

-notice, posted at least five business days prior to a meeting of the entity's governing body or any of its committees, setting forth the time, date, location, and agenda of the meeting;

-the approved minutes of each meeting of the governing body and its committees; and

-the name and phone number of a principal executive officer having overall responsibility for the operations of the entity.

The bill was released 5-2 by the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee, with Democrats supporting and Republicans opposed.