In a move that fosters cleaner government, the Holmdel Township Committee introduced a developer disclosure ordinance at its March 1 meeting. If this same ordinance also passes on its final reading now scheduled for March 22, it will require each developer with a major subdivision or site plan application before Holmdel’s Planning or Zoning boards to disclose every contribution made by that developer or his firm to any Holmdel Township Committee candidate during the past three years. This ordinance constitutes a move toward full transparency of this town’s development approval process – campaign contributions from major developers would henceforth be available for public scrutiny.
Holmdel Township Committee members of both national party labels acted together in the four-to-one vote that introduced this ordinance. This is an example of local government at its finest. Initiatives such as this are required at all levels of government if the people of this state hope to address New Jersey’s substantial problem of widely spread corruption and its corollaries of overbuilding and excessive taxation.
My sincere congratulations to the members of Holmdel’s Township Committee on their solid first step in introducing this developer disclosure ordinance. I hope this ordinance will be unanimously approved on its final reading.
C. Anthony Cooper
Holmdel