By alison granito
Staff Writer
Campaign finance reform, a hot issue on the national political landscape in previous years, has filtered down to the local level in Millstone Township.
At last week’s meeting, the Township Committee discussed developing an ordinance that would ban the appointment of any individual or professional services firm that donated money to candidates campaigning for local office.
"This does not stop campaign contributions; it just says that if you are going to contribute, you are not going to get a job," GOP Deputy Mayor Cory Wingerter, who placed the issue on the agenda for discussion, said at the meeting.
At its reorganization meeting each January, the Township Committee must reappoint all the township professionals — including the engineers, attorneys, and planners — who provide services throughout the year.
Wingerter favors adopting an ordinance based on a law in nearby Washington Township, which limits campaign contributions from professionals under contract with the municipality, or professionals seeking a contract with the municipality, to no more than $250 a year to a candidate and $500 annually to a municipal or county party committee.
Washington’s ordinance cites the possibility that there could be a "public perception" that political contributions influence which firms or individuals win municipal appointments or contracts.
Wingerter said at the meeting that he felt that professionals in Millstone Township have always been appointed on the strength of their record.
"This is a big problem in Millstone," GOP Committeeman John Pfefferkorn said, in reference to candidates taking campaign contributions from individuals and firms that currently work for or want to work for the township.
"I’m concerned about what happened [in the] last election and prior elections with the appointment process," he added.
Pfefferkorn said that he would like to see the committee make sure that any ordinance enacted by the township covers not only direct contributions to candidates, but contributions to candidates from political action committees that have received donations from professionals seeking township appointments as well.
"I’m concerned with the impact of political action committees that front for certain players," Pfefferkorn said.
"If a professional services firm gives to XYZ political action committee and that political action committee gives to a candidate, they should not be allowed to be hired," he added.
Wingerter expressed a desire at the meeting to have the township attorney begin drawing up an ordinance to address the issue as soon as possible.
"We have to start somewhere," he said.
However, Pfefferkorn said that although he supports passing an ordinance, he would like to see the committee take more time to research the issue and look at more ordinances that are out there on the subject in order to include the "best of the best" in an eventual Millstone ordinance.
Pfefferkorn added that the committee should not treat developing an ordinance as if it were a "slam dunk."
Democratic Committeeman William Nurko also said he thought that more time to research the issue would be beneficial to the township.
"I would like more information on this myself," Nurko said, adding that he wanted to look at it from "both sides of the coin."
Democratic Committeeman Charles Abate said that he felt an ordinance restricting appointments to only those who had not contributed to candidates may keep the township from "getting the best" when it comes to hiring professionals.
"I have a problem with it," Abate said.
Discussion on the topic came several hours into the marathon committee meeting, after GOP Mayor Evan Maltz, who had to catch an early morning flight, had excused himself from the meeting.
According to documents filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, four of the five sitting members of the committee have accepted either direct contributions from professionals currently working for the township or accepted contributions from a local political action committee that received money from professionals that work for the township.
The Millstone Coalition, a political action committee which is listed as a civic association with the Elections Commission, donated to several candidates for Township Committee, including Maltz and Wingerter.
Campaign contributions were a hot issue during recent elections, including this year’s Republican primary, which the embattled mayor lost to candidates Roger Staib and Nancy Grbelja, and the 2001 general election, in which Pfefferkorn won his seat, running as an independent.
During his 1999 campaign for office, Maltz received a $3,185 contribution from the Millstone Coalition in November.
During his last campaign for office in 2000, Wingerter received a $4,500 donation from the Millstone Coalition during the June primary.
According to records on file with the state detailing contributions to the Millstone Coalition for 2000 and 2001, several professional services firms currently holding appointed positions in the township, or individuals employed at them, appear on the coalition’s contributor list.
T&M Associates, Middletown, the current township engineers, contributed a total of $4,500 in 2000 and 2001.
The law firm of Lomurro, Davison, Eastman, and Munoz, Freehold, partners in the firm, and their spouses donated a total of $1,200 to the coalition in 2000. Township Attorney Duane Davison is a partner in the firm.
In the 1999 election, Maltz’s campaign finance records also show direct contributions of $600 from T&M, and $500 from the law firm of Cleary, Alfieri, and Grasso, Matawan, the firm currently appointed to represent the township’s zoning board.
Abate’s campaign contribution records for the 2000 general election show a $350 contribution from T&M, and a $350 contribution from Davison’s law firm.
During this year’s Democratic primary, township professionals also donated to the committee to elect Nurko and running mate Chet Halka. Campaign records show a contribution of $420 from Davison and one for the same amount from T&M.