District 12 state legislators will host a Tele-Town Hall on April 28. Residents may participate in the community meeting from their homes.
“We’ve always fought for more transparency in government,” Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said in a press release, “and this is such a great medium for being able to reach people who may not normally have the time or ability to attend one of our town hall meetings in person. We become more accessible as legislators, which makes us more accountable to our constituents.”
Residents of District 12 (which covers parts of Monmouth and Mercer counties) will be able to call in to what amounts to a telephone conference, enter a PIN number and ask questions of their state representatives, according to the press release.
“We all know how hard it is to make it out in the evenings, especially if you have a family. This is a way to bring greater participation to government. It’s an exciting new technology, and I’m anxious to see the kind of response we get. I know other officials who have used this format have had some great results,” said Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande.
“Town hall meetings and satellite offices have always been a part of our strategy to keep up to date with the concerns of the people we were elected to serve,” said Sen. Jennifer Beck. “Those meetings have to be held in the evenings, when people are finished with their work days, but so many people don’t want to then run out to a meeting. This technology has had proven success at allowing a more diverse group of citizens to bring their questions, concerns and suggestions to their government representatives.”
The Tele-Town Hall will take place on April 28 for one hour, from 7:20 to 8:20 p.m. People wishing to participate should call 877-229-8493. The PIN code is 14563, and when prompted, enter No. 1. While active participation is encouraged, people may also just listen in, according to the press release.