BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer
After introducing the borough’s first pay-to-play ban three weeks ago, the Red Bank Borough Council tabled the issue last week in favor of a broader ordinance.
The entire council was present for the vote, at which time the ordinance was tabled by a tally of four to two, with only Councilmen Robert J. Bifani and Arthur Murphy III voting to keep the ordinance alive, although agreeing to amend it at a later date.
The two were members of the committee that drafted the ordinance.
Prior to the Oct. 12 meeting, Councilwoman Jennifer Beck, the third member of the committee, circulated a memo to other council members, listing three changes she proposed be made to the ordinance.
The three changes, which make the ordinance more restrictive, limit political contributions from the following: developers with applications before the borough’s planning and zoning boards; those who hold liquor licenses in the borough; and political action committees, both within and outside Monmouth County.
“In order to ensure that the borough is enacting an ordinance that indeed prohibits conflicts of interest as it relates to political contributions and public officials’ decision making, I believe we need to adopt these amendments,” the memo states.
Beck said the need for the changes became apparent to her after she met with resident Steven Fitzpatrick, Chestnut Street, to discuss the areas in which the ordinance, which would limit contributions to political party committees or candidates from individuals or firms with professional contracts with the borough, fell short.
Fitzpatrick first came before the council in May to address the issue of political contributions to candidates for municipal office. He has continued to voice concerns, asking the council to enact a more restrictive ban on political contributions.
At last week’s meeting, he asked the council to table the ordinance proposed by the committee.
“If you adopt the ordinance the way it is presented now,” Fitzpatrick said, “I have no confidence that the council will revisit it the way it should be revisited.”
Beck said that after looking over a number of similar ordinances enacted by other municipalities, she agreed with Fitzpatrick that the proposed Red Bank ordinance did not fully address the concerns of residents.
Beck said that after looking at similar ordinances enacted in Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, Asbury Park and Belmar, she could see the places where the Red Bank ordinance does not match up.
“Belmar is the town that had in its ordinance the limitation on contributions by developers and holders of liquor licenses,” said Beck. “With all the developing going on in the borough, it doesn’t make sense not to limit contributions by developers.”
According to Beck, the borough has 41 businesses that have liquor licenses, all of which must go before the council to be renewed or transferred.
The original ordinance did call for limitations on contributions by Monmouth County Political Action Committees, (PACs), but didn’t address PACs from other counties.
Beck proposed that the council not vote on the ordinance and, instead, rework it to be more inclusive and to address public concerns.
“Ultimately it’s about building public confidence,” she said in an interview on Wednesday.
Beck said she hopes to have a completed ordinance prepared by the next council meeting on Oct. 26.