BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer
North Brunswick officials and residents are among those wondering if a new state law will provide for a more accountable and open government.
On June 16, Gov. James E. McGreevey signed into law an ethics and campaign finance reform package that he said provides for a more accountable and more transparent government.
"The signing of this bill represents a new era in New Jersey politics, a step in the right direction toward good government," McGreevey said.
Because the link between government service and private lobbying creates, at a minimum, an appearance of impropriety in the eyes of the public, over the last two years the township has tried to pass ordinances that would generate ethics reform in politics.
"Pay-to-play ordinances intend to squash any possibility that elected or appointed officials could be affected by their financial concerns over the public’s best interest," Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack said.
Earlier this year, the Township Council voted against considering an ordinance that would have put $400 annual limits on donations to mayoral and council candidates from businesses or professionals who might enter into contracts with the municipality.
Womack said the township wanted to wait to see what the state would pass with regard to ethics reform since McGreevey asked the state Legislature to pass a campaign finance reform bill by July 1.
However, in May after many residents urged the council to move forward with its own reform, the council voted unanimously to approve two disclosure ordinances.
The first requires developers, seeking approval from the planning or zoning boards, to disclose political contributions. Developers and any professional testifying on their behalf now must provide a list contributions made to candidates, local officials, local and county parties, and political action committees for posting on the township Web site.
Anyone awarded a no-bid contract in excess of $26,000 also must disclose political contributions under the provisions of the second ordinance.
Republican council candidate Pat Melanson said the disclosure ordinances do not limit pay-to-play.
"All you did was pass something wholly ineffective," Melanson said.
Melanson said the state’s reform package was also "totally ineffective."
"It doesn’t limit who can work for the state or municipal governments," Melanson said, "and any of the other stipulations are guidelines the state’s Election Commission enforces already."
Ordinances banning pay-to-play practices have been approved by municipalities in Mercer, Monmouth and Somerset counties in the last two years.
All ordinances such as these, passed prior to the state’s reform, will become ineffective after Jan. 1, 2006, when the state’s go into effect, Womack said.
The new legislation makes New Jersey the fourth state in the country to enact a "pay-to-play" ban.
The bill attempts to strengthen legislative ethics by enhancing legislators’ financial disclosure requirements, hidden financial interests, and conflicts of interests.
The reforms package increases penalties for ethics and campaign finance violations and for illegally soliciting campaign contributions.
The bill also demands that lobbyists and legislative agents seeking to influence government publicly disclose themselves.
One of the main components of the ethics reform package prohibits state, county or local government officials from awarding no-bid contracts to their campaign contributors. This component also prohibits no-bid contract holders from contributing to government officials they have contracts with.
The package also recommends improvements for the Election Law Enforcement Commission and its Web site to make it easier for citizens to track campaign contributions.
Politicians will also have to report contributions of $300 or more to the Election Commission, lowering the report requirement from $400.
The commission will also have to conduct audits of records kept by officials.
Another component requires identification of campaign communications such as telephone calls made in regard to candidates and public questions.
Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Mercer/Middlesex) said voters have a right to know who sends them campaign literature and who is behind advertisements for a specific bill or regulation under consideration.
"Issue ads are nothing more than thinly veiled political campaign commercials, and all money spent on them should be disclosed," she said.
Melanson said the state pushed a package through that has no intention of limiting campaign contributions or the effect they have on how municipal and state officials conduct their government.
"The state has wasted our time passing ineffective legislation to placate the population," Melanson said. "Our officials should have moved forward with ordinances that would have set a track record for other municipalities to follow for real ethical reform in this state."
All municipalities will fall subject to the guidelines on ethics reform set forth by the state, Womack said.