Officer William Billy Brown - Overtime Hour Discrepancies
Dear North Bergen Township,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-5(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
Please explain to me how William "Billy" Brown has accumulated $28,051.22 in overtime in just seven months when the Mayor is unwell, is not attending any events, and does not need a driver.
Officer Brown is constantly seen out of town, lounging on his cell phone and running his bagel business during his normal daytime working hours. This sounds like theft of time and official misconduct. Then, at night, he logs overtime for "ghost driving" the Mayor—even though the Mayor is not healthy, stays home, and is not being driven anywhere.
If all of this overtime is truly necessary, why aren't taxpayers being saved money by changing his regular working hours to nighttime? Why does he make so much more money than every other officer? If this overtime driving is so essential, he should simply be assigned to the night shift. I thought the Town was in a budget crisis? It is widely known that the incoming Mayor can not stand him so I am sure this wont continue in the near future but there has to be immediate accountability for his past and present actions.
Of course, Chief Farley—who ranks number four in details out of a department of over 150 members—signs off on all of it. This is a corrupt disgrace, which is why I am requesting the following records:
Payroll and Overtime Records: Itemized payroll records, timesheets, and overtime authorization slips/forms for Officer William "Billy" Brown for the period of [Start Date, e.g., November 1, 2025] to the present. This request specifically includes any overtime slips or detail sheets signed, authorized, or approved by Chief Farley.
Mayor's Official Schedule: The official calendar, schedule, and itinerary (including digital calendars like Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar) for Mayor [Mayor's Last Name] from [Start Date] to the present.
Police Vehicle GPS / AVL Logs: Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) or GPS tracking logs for the police vehicle(s) assigned to or operated by Officer William Brown during his shifts (both regular and overtime) from [Start Date] to the present.
Outside Employment Approvals: Any "Outside Employment" or "Secondary Employment" authorization forms, requests, or approvals filed by or on behalf of Officer William Brown regarding any secondary business, including but not limited to any bagel-related businesses.
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
It Doesn't add up
Dear It Doesn’t Add Up:
The Township of North Bergen (“Township”) writes in response to your request for records, received July 18, 2026, made pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (“OPRA”).
As a threshold consideration, OPRA was enacted to provide access to government records. OPRA does not require public agencies to answer questions, conduct research, or provide explanations or interpretations of records. To the extent your submission consists primarily of questions, baseless allegations, and commentary, it does not constitute a valid OPRA request, and is denied. See MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534 (App. Div. 2005); Bent v. Stafford Police Dept., 381 N.J. Super. 30 (App. Div. 2005).
The Township cautions that repeated submissions under OPRA that utilize the OPRA process to advance allegations or grievances may be viewed as inconsistent with the purpose of the statute and, under appropriate circumstances, could constitute an abuse of the OPRA process. The Township reserves all rights available under the law with respect to such requests.
You specifically requested “itemized payroll records, timesheets, and overtime authorization slips/forms for Officer William "Billy" Brown for the period of [Start Date, e.g., November 1, 2025] to the present. This request specifically includes any overtime slips or detail sheets signed, authorized, or approved by Chief Farley.”
Attached please find itemized payroll records. The remainder of your request is denied pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-9 ((N.J.A.C. 13:1E-3.2 (mobilization, security, deployment, operations data; overtime data; duty assignment)).
You also requested “Mayor's Official Schedule: The official calendar, schedule, and itinerary (including digital calendars like Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar) for Mayor [Mayor's Last Name] from [Start Date] to the present.”
Please note that your request appears to have been prepared utilizing a generic template and was not customized to the records being sought, which renders the request incomplete and improper. Nevertheless, please see attached responsive calendar. Personal, private, non-governmental, political/campaign entries and the identities of private citizens have been redacted in accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1; McDonald v. City of Jersey City, GRC Complaint No. 2015-274 (January 2017); Gannett N.J. Partners, LP v. Cnty. of Middlesex, 379 N.J. Super. 205 (2005); N. Jersey Newspapers, Co. v. Passaic Cnty. Bd. of Chosen Freeholders, 127 N.J. 9 (1992).
You also requested: “Police Vehicle GPS / AVL Logs: Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) or GPS tracking logs for the police vehicle(s) assigned to or operated by Officer William Brown during his shifts (both regular and overtime) from [Start Date] to the present.”
Your request is denied pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-9 (N.J.A.C. § 13:1E-3.2).
You finally requested “Outside Employment Approvals: Any "Outside Employment" or "Secondary Employment" authorization forms, requests, or approvals filed by or on behalf of Officer William Brown regarding any secondary business, including but not limited to any bagel-related businesses.”
Your request is denied pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 and N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1 (privacy); N.J.S.A. 47:1A-10 (personnel records), North Jersey Media Group, Inc. v. Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, 405 N.J. Super. 386 (App. Div. 2009); and N.J.S.A. 47:1A-9 ((N.J.A.C. 13:1E-3.2 (records specific to an individual employee)).
As with any OPRA request, you have the right to challenge the decision by the Township with regards to your request. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (“GRC”) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ 08625, by e-mail at [email address] or at their web site at https://www.nj.gov/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk.
Thank you.
Erin Barillas, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Blvd
North Bergen, NJ 07047
e: [North Bergen Township request email]
o: 201-392-2024
f: 201-330-7694
www.northbergen.org