TRENTON — A bipartisan bill that would force New Jersey’s many local authorities, boards and commissions to use websites to become more transparent to public scrutiny cleared a state Senate committee on today. The legislation would require nearly 600 agencies to maintain websites with information about their budgets, meetings, payroll and other basic items so the public can more...
Sens. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), left, and Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) in file photos. The two senators have sponsored a bill that would require N.J. local authorities, boards and commissions to maintain websites in effort to increase transparency.TRENTON — A bipartisan bill that would force New Jersey’s many local authorities, boards and commissions to use websites to become more transparent to public scrutiny cleared a state Senate committee on today.
The legislation would require nearly 600 agencies to maintain websites with information about their budgets, meetings, payroll and other basic items so the public can more easily monitor their activities.
The measure was introduced in response to a report issued earlier this year by state Comptroller Matthew Boxer that showed nearly 40 percent of the state’s local authorities, boards and commissions maintain no website at all, and only 7 of 587 meet basic standards Boxer set for transparency.
The bill cleared the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee by a 5-0, bipartisan vote during its meeting Thursday morning.
“I think it’s basic information that we’re asking for,” said Sen. Jen Beck, R-Monmouth, who is sponsoring the bill along with Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex.
“I think it’s basic transparency we’re seeking,” Beck told the committee members.
Boxer, who released his report in February, estimates the local authorities, boards and commissions spend about $5 billion annually and are responsible for putting 10,000 employees into the state pension system.
Spending by authorities, boards and commissions has received renewed scrutiny since Governor Christie took office last year and labeled the agencies New Jersey’s “shadow government.”
Committee Chairman Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, said the bill represents the “changing time.”
“This is a new standard,” he said.
The legislation would apply to 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 agencies would have three months after the bill is signed into law to comply with the new transparency standards.
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