moving ahead with
its own petition
Citizens group still
moving ahead with
its own petition
BY CHARLESW. KIM
Staff Writer
South Brunswick may extend the time political contributors have to wait before getting a no-bid contract.
Council members unanimously voted to introduce an amended ordinance that will extend the time contributors and developers must wait before either getting a contract or submitting an application for development.
The council passed a pay-to-play ordinance earlier this year that did not allow contributions of more than $400 for an individual and $2,400 for a business to be given to local political parties within 90 days of an election.
The amended plan will extend that time to one year and one day.
"This is political and not legislative," Councilman Chris Killmurray said of the ordinance. "This makes it stronger."
Deputy Mayor Carol Barrett and lone GOP Councilman Ted Van Hessen asked the body to extend the time.
Barrett said Tuesday night she wanted the adjustment to the ordinance to satisfy the concerns of a citizens group that is circulating a petition to place a similar ordinance on the November ballot.
"This was the group’s No. 1 concern," Barrett said.
The group, known as, the Initiative for Campaign Finance Reform, came together last fall in order to use the initiative and referendum alternative to get a local pay-to-play ordinance on the books.
At that time, the council had rejected an ordinance on constitutional grounds.
Under the council/manager form of government approved by voters in 1997, citizens can create their own legislation to be voted on by the entire township.
Resident Keith Rassmussen is joined by residents Lewis Schwartz, Tammy Cooper Joe Del Guercio and Joseph Grodman in getting a petition signed to place its own version of the ordinance on the ballot in November.
The group’s ordinance would limit individual contributions from firms under contract with the township to $400, or $1,200 total for the firm.
The ordinance, if passed, will make firms that contribute more than that amount ineligible for no-bid contracts with the township.
According to the group’s proposed ordi-nance, a firm must not contribute beyond those limits for three years prior to the start of winning a no-bid contract with the township.
The group must obtain 549 signatures on a petition to present the ordinance to the council.
The signatures represent 10 per-cent of those that voted in the last election for state legislators.
A similar group was able to repeal a salary ordinance for the mayor and council in 1999.
The ordinance was created with the help of New Jersey watchdog group Common Cause, which has sponsored several similar ordinances in the region.
A public hearing on the council’s revised version will take place next month.