Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Wayne DeAngelo, Daniel Benson, Ruben Ramos, Jr., and Paul D. Moriarty to combat the lack of basic online information about state, regional and local boards, commissions and authorities is now law.
The new law implements changes recommended by the Office of the State Comptroller’s report entitled, “An Analysis of the On-Line Transparency of New Jersey’s Local Authorities and Commissions.”
The law requires state, regional, and local authorities, boards, and commissions to establish an Internet website and post information related to each entity’s mission, finances, meetings and employees.
”The comptroller’s report identified 587 local agencies with independent fiscal authority responsibility for the expenditure of public funds,” Mr. Moriarty said.
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 parks 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.
