New Pay-to-Play Petition to Go Before Council

Gloucester Township's municipal clerk approved a Democratic group's pay-to-play petition on Tuesday, allowing it to proceed forward to a public hearing next week.

Municipal clerk Rosemarie DiJosie certified the paperwork, meaning that the Township Council will now consider the petition. A public hearing on the petition will be held at the next Council meeting on Aug. 27.

This latest petition drive comes just weeks after a after a state Appellate Court upheld an earlier ruling to exclude hundreds of signatures. The ruling meant the petition fell short of the 1,047 signatures needed to move the matter forward as a ballot question.

At its July 9 meeting, , one that differed a bit from the watchdog group's parameters. In Council's proposal, there would be a closer watch on “super PACs.” Government contractors would be forced to disclose contributions made to these committees.

"Pay to play" is the phrase used to describe campaign contributors being awarded government contracts by the officials they help get elected.

Council's proposal, approved at first measure on July 9, This is believed to be around the same time when another group of Democrats in the township began to circulate a new petition, the one that was approved on Tuesday.

This new pay-to-play petition still has a chance to make it on the November election ballot. The deadline for items to appear on the ballot is in mid-September.

Read more about Gloucester Township Patch’s coverage of the pay-to-play issue: