Politics & Government

Pay-to-Play Ban Proponents Dismayed by Council Inaction

Council members argue it would not be prudent to rush to approve the ordinance.

A government watchdog group's push to have the Township Council adopt a pay-to-play ban will continue after Council declined to act on the measure at its meeting Monday night.

It does not appear likely the proposed ordinance will be added to the agenda for Council's next meeting, on July 25, either.

"Will you do the right thing and add this ordinance to the agenda?" Beth Holzman asked Council President Glen Bianchini during the meeting.

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"Right now, we're not going to do that. We have a process that we're reviewing this, and we'll maintain that process and continue to review it," Bianchini said.

The Council president noted that process includes working with South Jersey Citizens (SJC), the group pushing for the ordinance, on the proposal and having Solicitor David Carlamere review it.

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Following Monday's meeting, SJC political director Joshua Berry noted Council's work with SJC has been limited to conversations he and members have had during public meetings and discussions he and Councilman Dan Hutchison have had in the municipal building's parking lot following them.

SJC has collected several hundred signatures for a petition seeking to both force Council to vote on the measure and, if Council rejects it, have it put on a ballot for voters to decide.

It would need about 1,750 signatures to force Council to vote on the measure.

Hutchison, who has been the most vocal member of Council throughout the two-month discussion on pay to play with SJC, noted Monday that since the state passed its pay-to-play law in 2004 there has been a 38 percent decrease in political donations.

Hutchison reiterated that he has several "problems" with SJC's proposal.

"I don't know the exact percentage of contracts, off the top of my head, that are issued each year, but I would venture to say that a small portion of those contracts awarded by this government are the focus of the pay-to-play ban," he said. "The vast majority, I believe, relate to contracts that this Council negotiates."

Tom Crone, SJC executive director, criticized Council for failing to move the ordinance onto its agenda for a vote just minutes before Hutchison spoke on the matter.

"All we're asking you to do is stop taking money from people looking to do business with the town," he said. "I don't really see how that becomes that difficult of an issue, regardless of the arguments that go here, there and everywhere."

Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday as part of its consent agenda that makes Business Administrator Tom Cardis the township's purchasing agent—a move that allows Cardis to sign contracts below a certain figure on behalf of the township without the consent of Council.

Carlamere indicated the threshold is $36,000.

Mayor David Mayer's administration requested the Cardis move to "steamline" government, according to Bianchini, who noted the added role does not come with a salary increase.

"You move quickly on the administration (request). We're asking you to move at least half as quickly for the people," Crone said of the pay-to-play proposal.

Township resident Don Bealer, an actuarial services consultant, told Council pay to play prohibits small companies like his firm, Bealer Consulting, from even getting involved with governments.

"I can't afford to pay to play. Pay to play helps nobody here," he said. "All we have is the rich getting richer, higher bid prices, higher property taxes, more obnoxious political ads, people like me who are struggling to get by, honest businessmen who are struggling to get by."

Holzman, who is leading SJC's petition drive, questioned the message Council is sending by failing to even act on the measure. She mentioned her daughter's awareness of the petition drive when addressing Council Monday.

"Is she going to remember that mommy needed to get signatures to get this pay-to-play reform ordinance on the ballot? Or that Council did the right thing and added the ordinance to the agenda?


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