In Dumont's bill paying process, all bills are categorized and given to the respective council committee for processing approval at the monthly executive or work session of the Mayor and Council.  Each voucher is reviewed and then requires at least 2 signatures from any one of the 3 members of the appropriate committee before a payment can be processed.  Approved vouchers are then processed and checks are issued.  Before checks can be released, a check listing is presented to the entire Mayor and Council at their monthly public meeting for their approval.  

     All bills for utilities, garbage disposal, pension, health benefits and insurance are presented to the finance committee.   Remember, in 2004 and 2005, the finance committee consisted of all 3 of the Council Democrats and was chaired by Councilman McQuade. 

     Borough records must be made available to anyone upon any OPRA (Open Public Records Act) request.  Bills are certainly no exception.  Please check for yourself and take a good look at the dates of the invoices and the date on which the bills received the required 2 signatures from the Democrats' finance committee members.  Ask any of them why they refused to approve and sign them when they were initially presented.  Then, ask them why they had to be presented to them again, and again? 

      Don't be too surprised if you encounter resistance to the release of certain public records or feel that you are being stone-walled with excuses.  Too many people have had an extremely hard time receiving public records and that includes requests from the Bergen Record.

         Less than a year ago, on November 11, 2007, the Bergen Record sent a team to visit town halls seeking complete 2006 payroll information on all employees. State law requires that pay records be available for "immediate access".  Dumont's official said "the borough does not have time to create a file that no one may ever request.  It is hard to anticipate what everyone wants, plus you have your regular work to do.".

      "Does not have time" ???  The fact of the matter is that the Record's request was the absolute easiest to produce immediately.  Not only does Dumont have such numbers available at all times, the payroll processing company provides a full listing of all payroll checks along with year-to-date totals for all employees.