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How Gavin Rozzi's OPRAmachine opened a window into New Jersey government

January 11, 2024
925 Struggle Street
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Joe Amditis of 925 Struggle Street published a comprehensive profile examining OPRAmachine’s transformative impact on government transparency in New Jersey, chronicling the platform’s evolution from its 2017 launch through its transition to new leadership in 2024.

OPRAmachine’s Origins and Impact

The article profiles how Rozzi, motivated by a passion for open governance, created OPRAmachine as a college student in 2017 to enhance transparency and empower citizens by removing barriers to accessing state and local data. The platform has since facilitated 49,000 public records requests, serving as an indispensable resource for oversight.

On the platform’s greatest achievement, Rozzi stated:

“OPRAmachine’s greatest impact under his stewardship has been in creating baselines to measure what is actually happening inside New Jersey’s public bodies and exposing overlooked issues.”

By aggregating and publishing requests in a centralized database, the platform revealed previously invisible impediments to transparency across municipalities. From widespread technical inefficiencies to outright obstructionism, OPRAmachine opened a window enabling anyone to witness firsthand the challenges of securing public information.

The article details how running the platform exposed Rozzi to what he described as “ceaseless legal and political attacks” from special interests invested in limiting scrutiny of the public sector. The profile notes that Rozzi often found himself unexpectedly centerstage, battling proposals aimed at curtailing the very policies his platform champions.

The piece contextualizes these challenges within broader threats to New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act, including legislative proposals to:

  • Expand response deadlines from 7 to 20 days
  • Limit the volume of requests
  • Force requesters to appeal denials through the backlogged Government Records Council before going to court
  • Require notification to police unions prior to releasing names or videos of officers who use deadly force

Transition to New Leadership

The article announces that on January 1, 2024, Charlie Kratovil, editor and founder of New Brunswick Today, assumed leadership of OPRAmachine’s operations. Rozzi explained his succession decision:

“Charlie has kind of helped behind the scenes. He was one of our administrators for a few years [and] he’s been an avid user of the platform himself.”

On Kratovil’s qualifications, Rozzi emphasized:

“I think he will have staying power in taking the platform to its next level. Make no mistake about it, there’s going to be some really ugly fights with OPRA reform. And I think, based on his track record of advocacy, he’s the right person to carry us forward in that regard.”

Rozzi cited Kratovil’s “tenacious approach to investigative journalism and activism for open governance” as making him the ideal successor, along with his robust understanding of New Jersey’s landscape and long history of accountability reporting.

Legacy and Future

While stepping back from day-to-day operations, Rozzi remains strongly supportive of the platform’s mission. The article captures his perspective on OPRAmachine’s lasting value:

As Rozzi told Amditis:

“There is no greater honor than being able to build something that kind of outlasts you as an individual.”

The profile emphasizes OPRAmachine’s role in fundamentally changing how New Jerseyans interact with their government, creating permanent infrastructure for accountability that will continue serving citizens regardless of who manages it.

Coverage Context

The article appears in 925 Struggle Street, a Substack publication by Joe Amditis, assistant director of products and events at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. The Center’s mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism while serving New Jersey residents.

The comprehensive profile situates OPRAmachine within the broader landscape of government transparency challenges in New Jersey, highlighting both the platform’s achievements and the ongoing threats to open records laws that make such tools increasingly vital for civic engagement and governmental accountability.