Group OK’d to examine publicly paid elections

Township Council expects to appoint an exploratory committee that would study the feasibility of publicly funded municipal elections.

By: Lea Kahn
   Township Council expects to appoint an exploratory committee later this month that would study the feasibility of publicly funded municipal elections.
   In a 4-1 vote split along party lines, Mayor Gregory Puliti and council members Mark Holmes, Pam Mount and Michael Powers — all Democrats — voted "yes" on a resolution to create the committee during the council’s Feb. 21 meeting. Republican Councilman Rick Miller cast the lone dissenting vote.
   Mayor Puliti suggested using taxpayer dollars to fund municipal elections as the next step in campaign finance reform in November. Since 2004, the council has adopted two ordinances aimed at reining in the practice of "pay to play," in which professionals contribute money to a candidate’s campaign in return for no-bid contracts.
   Under state law, governing bodies may award professional service contracts to attorneys, architects, engineers and planners without first seeking competitive bids. The pay-to-play ordinances limit the amount of money a professional can donate to a candidate’s campaign and still be in the running for a no-bid municipal contract.
   The proposal to fund municipal elections with taxpayer dollars is not "a fait accompli," Mayor Puliti said. It is possible that after examining the issue, the exploratory committee could nix the idea, he said, adding that the committee would only be making a recommendation to Township Council.
   But before Township Council voted on the resolution last week, several audience members — including Lawrence Township Republican Club president David Snedeker — made it clear they disapproved of the proposal.
   Springwood Drive resident Bob Bostock said if an ordinance is adopted to pay for municipal elections with taxpayer dollars, it would not be implemented until the 2009 Township Council election cycle.
   Mr. Bostock also pointed out that the terms of Mayor Puliti and Council members Mount and Powers expire this year. He asked the trio whether they have decided to seek re-election, to which they did not respond.
   "Mr. Mayor, you have spoken with some conviction and passion about what you see as the corrupting influence of campaign contributions," Mr. Bostock said. "It would be interesting to hear from the three of you, what steps you will take to limit what you see as the potentially corrupting influence of campaign contributions in the election we have coming up."
   Mayor Puliti replied that Township Council will consider Mr. Bostock’s comments and added that when the 2007 municipal election season starts, "I’m sure you’ll hear from everybody."
   "I just hope we don’t have to wait two years," Mr. Bostock shot back.
   Mr. Snedeker, who said he was representing Republican Party Municipal Chairman Scott Bentivegna and the Republican Club, told the council he received a letter from Municipal Clerk Kathy Norcia inviting him to sit on the exploratory committee, but he declined the invitation.
   "In good conscience, I could not see myself serving on that committee because I am diametrically opposed to that position of the use of public taxpayer money to fund a campaign," he said.
   The Bunker Hill Avenue resident said Lawrence Township has moved forward with campaign finance reform through the ordinances the council has adopted, and the township will continue to move forward in that direction.
   "On that note, I feel the core issue isn’t public financing. It is transparency in government and transparency in the political system," he said. He repeated the Republican Party’s call for "full and immediate" disclosure of all campaign contributions within 48 hours of receipt.
   "I feel very strongly that our hard-earned taxpayer money is better spent on public safety, cleaning our parks and taking care of our streets rather than buying political signs, political ads and fliers," Mr. Snedeker said.
   However, Rickard Court resident Nat Moorman said he hoped all participants who have been invited to take part would sit down at the table and discuss the issue.
   "Personally, I hope that everyone will sit down at the Clean Elections Committee and just have a conversation," Mr. Moorman said. "Whether you agree with it or disagree with it — Republican, Democrat or Independent — I think it’s obvious these issues are at the forefront of what people in Lawrence are thinking about."
   When it was time to vote on the resolution, Mr. Miller said he agreed with Mr. Bostock’s and Mr. Snedeker’s positions that taxpayer money should not be used to pay for election campaigns. Disclosing all campaign contributions removes the question of the source of the money, he said.
   "Are you planning to appoint someone from the Republican Party (to sit on the exploratory committee), or leave it out? My view is, leave the Republican Party out," Mr. Miller said, noting the party’s opposition to publicly funded elections.
   Mayor Puliti reminded Mr. Miller that when the proposal was brought up in November, he did not object to it. But now that the Republican Party has decided to oppose it, Mayor Puliti told Mr. Miller, "you have agreed (to oppose it)."
   "I am disheartened the Republicans are not going to sit down (on the exploratory committee) and open up their books to see what an election costs," Mayor Puliti said. "Everybody wants to talk about clean elections, but when you get down to it, it’s partisan."
   Mr. Miller said public money is used in the presidential election, but only if a taxpayer indicates he wants some of his income taxes to be used for that purpose. He said he didn’t know how that could be achieved in a municipal election, because the money would come from property taxes and it is not possible to "opt out."
   The Republican councilman also pointed out that an incumbent Township Council member who is seeking re-election has an advantage in name recognition among voters. The incumbent should spend less money than a challenger, he said.
   Mayor Puliti and Mr. Miller continued to trade barbs, until Mayor Puliti told Mr. Miller that he respected the councilman’s opinion "and I hope you respect mine."