Jason Medina of Bordentown Township, Democratic Candidate for Township Committee
To the editor:
Open government is an issue that transcends political affiliations or ideologies. Whether Democrat, Republican or Independent, transparency in government remains a hallmark of democracy. New Jersey has a long-standing tradition of ensuring openness and access to government information. It is a tradition and principle in which I firmly believe.
Providing residents with access to information regarding township business is the single most important responsibility of our elected officials. Yet, a staggering number of residents with whom I have spoken on the campaign trail have expressed frustration and concern over the lack of information they receive regarding township affairs.
From the status of negotiations with the Turnpike Authority, to the progress of commercial development, and open space revitalization, it seems that residents are in the dark on issues that will ultimately affect their health, property values, taxes, and overall quality of life.
While some on the committee have publicly opined that the lack of resident turnout at township meetings is a clear indication of communal apathy when it comes to these issues, I disagree.
For many residents, the demands for time at work and the responsibilities of running a home make it difficult and often times impossible to regularly attend public meetings. For others, attending or sitting through a three or four-hour meeting is not a realistic option. So what can be done to ensure that residents stay informed about township business? I propose that the township begin videotaping its public meetings for broadcasting to residents via the already available government public access channel.
Presently, there are no technological impediments preventing the township from doing this. In fact, anyone from the public, with advance notice to the committee, can videotape the sessions and submit the unedited videotape to Comcast Cable for broadcasting. I recently spoke with an official at Comcast who assured me that the process is rather simple. The township must be provided with an unedited duplicate of the taped session. Then once a copy is submitted to Comcast, it will be placed on the rotation on Channel 28, which is the township’s designated government public access channel.
While the committee may impose reasonable guidelines to ensure that the videotaping of meetings does not disrupt committee business or other citizens’ right of access, such restrictions must be neutral, reasonable, and limited. As retired Chief Justice Zazzali aptly wrote in the case of Taurus v. Borough of Pine Hill, et. al., “The use of modern technology to record and review the activities of public bodies should marshal pride in our open system of government, not muster suspicion against citizens who conduct the recording.”
With the availability of technology to broadcast public meetings, residents would no longer have to complain about limited access to township information. If this committee is truly committed to openness and transparency in government, they should begin videotaping the public portion of its meetings. The time and cost of videotaping public sessions for broadcasting is far out weighed by the benefit to our residents of staying well-informed on important issues that will impact their lives.

