2011 New Jersey Local Government Financial Disclosure Statements Due April 30th

New Jersey local government officials are required to file a Financial Disclosure Statement (“FDS”) by April 30th of each year.   Forms are filed at the local level of government and are subsequently forwarded to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Local government officials include: mayors, council members, county constitutional officers, freeholders, county prosecutors, members of local government boards and authorities and municipal attorneys. A roster of 2011 local government officials can be found on the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ website.  The FDS requires disclosure of all sources of income, fees, honorariums, sources of gifts, reimbursements or prepaid expenses received by the local government official and/or his/her immediate family members during the previous calendar year.  All sources of gifts, reimbursements and prepaid expenses with an aggregate value of $400 or more from any single source, excluding relatives, received by the local government official and/or his/her immediate family members must be disclosed. So, before offering to take a local government official and/or the official’s immediate family members out to a high priced ball game, a government vendor should decide whether the peanuts and crackerjacks are worth the public scrutiny.