To the editor:

The council meeting of July 20, 2011 lasted over five hours.

Did you know council broke for “executive session” at 9 p.m. and returned at 10:30 p.m.? When they returned they voted to lift the wage freeze on nonunion workers.

There was no mention of lifting the wage freeze prior to the executive session meeting.

Before the executive session meeting they said they were going to discuss a “personnel matter.” What they apparently discussed was ending the wage freeze.

New Jersey’s Open Public Meeting Act, “The Sunshine Law,” is designed to ensure that the decision-making government bodies in the state conduct their businesses in public.

Council can meet in private only in specific circumstances where exclusion of the public is needed to protect the privacy of individuals, the safety of the public or the effectiveness of government in such areas as negotiations or investigations.

Discussion of lifting the wage freeze does not meet this criteria. This executive session was illegal. Discussion of lifting the wage freeze should have been on the agenda and discussed at the open council meeting in the presence of citizens of Brigantine.

Citizens of Brigantine have the right to hear and discuss such important matters that affect their taxes before they are voted on in the middle of the night.

It is time that the mayor, council and their attorney Tim Maguire followed the law.  We do not want to hear Mr. Maguire say this is a “gray area.” The law regarding what can be discussed at executive session is very clear.

Your actions undermine the public trust. We are watching

For years the Democrats objected to these hidden executive sessions, but are out numbered by Republicans who prefer to do their work outside of public view. 

Remember this next time you vote. With one more Democrat on council we can be assured that all public business will be done out in the open.

Barbara Dragon