LACK OF GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY CONTINUES IN  N. Bergen;

Commission Spends $4 million in 90 Seconds

North Bergen NJ -- Against a backdrop of a federal investigation into the town’s alleged misuse of public works employees, the town commissioners continue to hide their official actions behind a wall of secrecy, say members of the North Bergen Concerned Citizens Group.

The NBCCG, which last month said the town routinely violates the Open Public Meetings Act by withholding information from the public and called for more transparency in government, said the Board of Commissioners continues to run their government in secret with little or no information provided to the public. 

“Is there any wonder that the attorney general is forced to investigate the operations of the North Bergen Public Works Department when the town is run so secretively to the benefit of the few rather than the many,” said Mario Blanch, the attorney for the NBCCG.

NBCCG members attended the February 29 Commission meeting at  11 a.m. and again were greeted with a meeting agenda that gave no specifics on what the commissioners were voting on or why.

At that meeting the commissioners approved more than $4 million in spending with no debate or questions, said Blanch.

“There was a 15 page bills list that the town clerk read through and the commissioners approved in about 90 seconds,“ said Blanch. “It should take longer than 90 seconds to spend $4 million.”

The bills included nearly $1 million for health benefits for municipal employees and tens of thousands of dollars for lawyers, consultant fees and  $14,746 for Verizon wireless service.

The bills list was acquired only after  the meeting was over by persistently urging the town clerk to provide the documents. “What good does it do the taxpayers to get a $4 million bills list after it has already been approved by the commissioners,” asked Blanch.

NBCCG co-chair  Marissa Suarez, said the commissioners rush through their monthly meetings that are often held at inconvenient times and take votes on important issues without any explanation to the public and no documentation for public inspection.

With Commission meetings varying from 5 p.m. to 11 a.m. most residents are precluded from attending said Suarez. “People work. They have jobs during the day and very few can go to a town meeting at 11 a.m. and most people are driving home from work at 5 p.m.  Obviously the meetings are scheduled to be as inconvenient as possible for the public,” said Suarez.

The NBCCG renewed its call for more open government, saying the town Commission should post clearly defined agendas online at least three days before a public meeting and provide copies of detailed agendas at the  meetings.

Last month the organization called upon Mayor Sacco – who is also a state senator -- and the town commission to provide more information to the public about town meetings and  to support legislation sponsored by State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D- Bergen) that would strengthen the public’s right to know how local governments operate.

“Mayor Sacco and the commission are  violating the spirit and the intent of the Open Public Meetings Act by producing agendas that are worthless to any citizen who has an interest in the actions of the commissioners,” said Blanch.

Residents wishing to express an opinion on the lack of transparency in North Bergen Government are invited to visit the NBCCG on Facebook or go to the organization’s web site at www. http://www.nbccg.org.