Background:
The state requires every municipality to complete a
best practices questionnaire in order to receive their last percentage of state
aid. A poor score can result in a
penalty of some aid being withheld. The state requires each municipality to make
their completed questionnaire an agenda item to be discussed at a public meeting. The first year, Lodi had the worst score in three counties reviewed by the Record newspaper for North Jersey. To avoid a penalty for having such bad practices, Lodi submitted a dishonest questionnaire last year.
In the past, Lodi never made their completed questionnaire an agenda item to be discussed at a public meeting.
Now:
Marc Schrieks was asked the following question at tonight’s regular council meeting, “Your Best Practices Questionnaire is due October 15th. At what council meeting do you plan on making it an agenda item and discussing your responses to it?”
A timeline was explained to the council that tonight would be the last regular council meeting before the questionnaire must be submitted. Marc Schrieks refused to discuss the questionnaire at tonight’s regular meeting or any regular meeting for that matter. He said it would only be discussed upstairs at an “Executive Meeting” on October 8th.
Marc Schrieks was told that “executive meetings” should
be used to prepare for the regular meetings and not as a substitute. Marc was asked why Lodi’s CFO doesn’t attend regular
council meetings anymore to discuss these matters. Lodi’s full time CFO (on a tenure track and
earning $97,500 a year) doesn’t work in the borough hall during the day and
Marc claims he works in the borough hall at nights. Council meetings are at night so Marc was
unable to explain why the CFO cannot attend regular meetings. He said previous administrations didn’t have their
CFO at regular public meetings.
The difference is previous administrations didn’t
vote on and discuss everything controversial at their workshops upstairs. A workshop used to be a workshop and regular
public meeting used to be a regular public meeting.
Marc Schrieks has been doing things so wrong for so
long and getting away with it, he doesn’t want to change course. He wants to continue voting on everything controversial
upstairs in a small room behind the public’s back. Marc says there is no hearing of the citizens
upstairs but sometimes he is so kind to allow the public to say something at
the end. But he doesn’t have to.
This is unacceptable!
Solution:
The Record reporter for Lodi doesn’t cover important items occurring at meetings. The Community News reporter has been informative but she should not be the only one in attendance. Residents should attend October 8th.
The Record reporter for Lodi doesn’t cover important items occurring at meetings. The Community News reporter has been informative but she should not be the only one in attendance. Residents should attend October 8th.
Links to Older
Articles on this Matter:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJs_new_checklist_on_thifty_efficient_local_government_gets_mixed_reviews.html?page=all
http://www.northjersey.com/news/204619811_Resident_questions_Lodi_s_answers_to_questionnaire.html?page=all
