Hi, all.

Please note that annual financial disclosure statements must be filed by all municipal and county library trustees and directors. You may also want to alert staff regarding this information as  paper forms are no longer permitted. The opportunity may arise for staff to assist elected and appointed officials in the same manner as they assist the general public with tax forms.

The forms and instructions for this year were recently published by the Department of Community Affairs Division of Local Government Services at http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dlgs/resources/fds.html.

DLGS webpage

This page contains the annual Financial Disclosure Statement form and numerous background documents, including instructions concerning how to successfully submit your form online (electronically). Paper forms will not be accepted. We encourage local government officers to carefully review Local Finance Notice #2013-14, the FDS Form Instructions, the Online Filing Screen Shots pages, and FAQ pages before completing your financial disclosure statements. In particular, it is necessary to first receive a local government e-mail address from your municipal clerk, county clerk, or other local government designee.

Financial Disclosure Statements and Instructions

Local Finance Notice #2013-14
General Form Instructions
Online Filing Screen Shots
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Financial Disclosure Statement

Important information from LFN 2013-14

Filing Deadline

Ordinarily, financial disclosure statements must be filed on or before April 30th each year. In light of the new online filing process, the LFB will provide LGOs additional time to complete and electronically file their statements. Therefore, FDS forms filed on or before May 31, 2013, will be considered timely filed for purposes of 2013 compliance. Also, the additional time will provide DLGS staff the opportunity to resolve any technical problems that may arise.

Compliance

Upon receipt of a signed written complaint against an LGO alleging non-filing of an FDS or insufficient disclosure on a filed FDS, LFB staff will initiate an investigation. In such cases the LGO will be given an opportunity to file the FDS and to provide an explanation. The LFB will then review the explanation and determine whether the LGO has established good cause for the lack of a timely and complete filing. In cases where the LGO does not establish good cause the LFB will assess against the LGO an appropriate fine that is not less than $100 nor more than $500 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-22.10.

Best wishes,

Victoria

Victoria Rosch

Deputy State Librarian for Library Support Services

vrosch@PROTECTED 

609.278.2640 ext.157