Fire District Denies Public Document Request
Mount Holly Reporter Files Complaint with State Government Records Council
Our November 24th 2025 article “Where There’s Smoke” mentioned that fire personnel contacted the Reporter regarding official complaints of misconduct inside the district. But none of these people would provide documents because they feared retaliation. The Reporter noted that obtaining public documents would provide a basis to substantiate allegations.
To that end the Mount Holly Reporter submitted an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request to the Mount Holly Fire District on November 17, seeking copies of email communications between Commissioner Nicole Saucier or Director of Fire Services Jason Carty and Fire Captain/Acting Chief Robert Allen for the period of October 1 through November 17. The request was emailed to both the Director of Fire Services and the Chair of the Board of Fire Commissioners.
The Reporter has since learned that Commissioner Saucier has declared herself the acting Director of the Fire District and is currently serving as the district’s custodian of records.
On November 25, Saucier responded to the Reporter with a brief denial, stating only: “This request is denied for reason of being too vague.” This response demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of OPRA and the records custodian’s responsibilities.
OPRA requires custodians to provide access to government records except in limited, well-defined circumstances—none of which apply in this case. The Reporter specified a clear timeframe and named individuals, fully meeting OPRA’s requirements for a valid request.
Further, Saucier’s denial failed to comply with N.J.S.A. 47:1A, which mandates that a custodian must provide a complete, lawful basis for any denial, cite the specific statutory exemption relied upon, and inform the requestor of their rights to appeal. Saucier did none of these. Under OPRA, the burden of proving that a denial is lawful lies entirely with the custodian of records.
Accordingly, the Mount Holly Reporter filed a formal complaint with the Government Records Council [GRC]. Saucier’s actions may expose her personally to statutory fines and could lead to additional legal costs for the Fire District.
This is not the first time the district has come under GRC scrutiny during Saucier’s leadership. Taxpayers may reasonably question her decisions which have drawn legal challenges and diverted attention from the district’s core mission of fire prevention and public safety.