A group of concerned Jefferson Township residents has filed a lawsuit against the township, claiming that officials violated key transparency and public record laws when they passed a controversial salary ordinance earlier this year.
The lawsuit, filed in Morris County Superior Court, accuses the township of breaking the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act (also called the “Sunshine Law”) and the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
The focus is on Ordinance 03-24, which was passed in March 2024 and included changes to salary ranges for township employees.
Residents argue that township officials failed to properly inform the public about what was in the ordinance before voting on it.
According to the complaint, the ordinance lacked details about which employees were affected, how much their salaries would change, or what the new salary ranges would be. The lawsuit says that the ordinance was passed with vague language, leaving citizens unaware of its real impact.
The group says this is not just about salary changes, but about being shut out of important public information. They claim that the way the ordinance was handled violated state laws that are meant to keep government actions open and transparent.
Residents also say they tried to access public records related to the ordinance, including any drafts or earlier versions, through OPRA requests.
However, the township either denied the requests or said no such records existed. According to the lawsuit, this is a clear violation of the Open Public Records Act, which is designed to give citizens access to government documents.
The lawsuit was filed by residents, including Councilman Josh Kalish, Jason O’Donnell (former Bayonne Police Captain and state Assemblyman), and attorney Raj Mukherji (former Assembly Majority Leader). Kalish said that even as a sitting council member, he was left in the dark about details of Ordinance 03-24.
Kalish and the other plaintiffs say the way this ordinance was pushed through reflects a pattern of secrecy by township officials. They believe this is just one example of how residents have been denied proper access to information and government decision-making.
Their legal team argues that the township had a responsibility to clearly state what changes were being made in Ordinance 03-24 and to allow public input before passing it. They are now asking the court to nullify the ordinance and to require Jefferson Township to follow proper procedures in the future.
The lawsuit also claims that by not disclosing information ahead of time and failing to respond properly to OPRA requests, the township prevented citizens from participating in local governance.
Morris County Superior Court has not yet scheduled a hearing, but the case is already attracting attention from other New Jersey municipalities and transparency advocates.
Many say this case could set an important example for how salary ordinances and other significant decisions must be handled in public.
Township officials have not publicly commented on the lawsuit yet. However, the plaintiffs say they hope the legal challenge will lead to better transparency and accountability in Jefferson Township.