+1 regarding kudos to Mr. Byrne. I've found his office to be a well-run department at City Hall. This award is well-deserved, he's knowledgeable, approachable, fair & unbiased.

well deserved and well earned honor for Mr. Byrne and his staff! my personal experiences with OPRA and other requests validate this recognition.

their office not just provides the requested information under their control, but goes further in extracting compliance by other city departments.

we are fortunate that city records are accessible and available to the public with relative ease.

Robert Byrne is a honorable man, but he has tenure. Which means he is free to do his job without political pressure. More employees in critical positions need the safety net of tenure. I have seen previous mayors replaced employees before they reach tenure. Sadly, one day he will retire and the new city clerk will be under the pressure of the sitting mayor.

Jersey City City Clerk Robert Byrne honored by American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey for respecting individual rights

Monday, November 28, 2011, 3:00 AM
By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey last week honored Jersey City City Clerk Robert Byrne, one of three public officials the group praised for going ?out of their way to respect individual rights and liberties.?
Byrne, 52, respects the state?s Open Public Records Act by fulfilling requests completely and on time, and makes it easy for residents to speak during public-comment portions of city meetings, the civil liberties group states on its website.

?Byrne goes out of his way to help people get the information they need and works cooperatively with advocates like the ACLU-NJ to resolve problems,? the group writes.

Byrne has been the city?s clerk for 23 years since he was 29 years old, he noted. He said the praise is a ?nice honor,? but deferred most of the credit to the employees in his office.

?I think it says something about Jersey City and the fact that all of the mayors and administrations I?ve worked under have respected the autonomy of my office and let me run my office the way I think it should be run,? he said. ?I kind of set the tone, but I share the honor with the people in my office who work hard.

?We?re doing it right, and that?s a good thing,? he added.

City Council President Peter Brennan said Jersey City is ?blessed? to have Byrne.

?He?s like an encyclopedia. He knows everything. He remembers everything,? Brennan said. ?I think he?s probably one of the best town hall clerks in the state of New Jersey.?

The other officials who won the ACLU-NJ?s praise are Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi and Vineland High School Technology Supervisor Steve Dantinne.