Retired Freehold Twp. clerk says committee meetings were not secret

On Oct. 8, I was shocked to read statements in the News Transcript, attributed to a Democratic candidate for the Township Committee in Freehold Township, implying that the members of the governing body held “frequent private meetings before the public meetings.”

She went on to surmise that the governing body was “being secretive” and alluded to wrongdoing on their part. What is especially shocking is that this candidate is an attorney and should know better.

I recently retired as the township clerk after some 31 years in office. As such, I was required by law to attend every meeting of the governing body. I can say categorically that the Township Committee never held “secret meetings” of any kind.

What this candidate saw were legitimate executive meetings to discuss certain matters clearly permitted under the Open Public Meetings Act. The topics discussed in these executive meetings are plainly listed on the agendas available the day before a meeting.

I can only conclude that the Democratic candidates are either woefully lacking in knowledge of the law, or they are deliberately trying to besmirch the reputations of the members of the governing body.

The Democrats, while aiming at their opponents, unwittingly took a shot at me, suggesting that my minutes of the meetings were “incomplete” because they did not include the speeches made at the meetings by the candidates.

The official minutes of a governing body in New Jersey are required to contain the date, time and place of a meeting, which members were present, the matters discussed by the governing body and whatever actions were taken.

Nowhere in the law does it state that the municipal clerk is required to overburden the minutes with long political speeches made during what has become known as “silly season.”

Here again, I can only conclude that the Democratic candidates are either woefully lacking in knowledge of the law, or they are deliberately trying to besmirch the reputations of the members of the governing body.
Romeo Cascaes
Freehold Township