South Jersey Citizens to Present Pay-to-Play Petition Monday Night

South Jersey Citizens (SJC) has announced it plans to submit to the township clerk on Monday its petition seeking to have a proposed pay-to-play ordinance placed on ballots as a referendum this November.

The conservative government watchdog group plans to present the petition during the Township Council's meeting Monday night.

SJC political director Joshua Berry indicated in an email that the group has "more than enough signatures" to have the proposed pay-to-play ordinace put to township voters.

SJC first approached Council with its proposed ordinance in late May.

The group's leadership, including Berry and founder Tom Crone, told township officials on several occasions they intended to see their proposed ordinance, which is modeled on one pushed by the nonprofit Citizens' Campaign, voted on one way or the other—whether it was by Council or by the electorate.

Pay to play refers to the practice of awarding government contracts to companies and/or individuals who donate money to elected officials' campaign coffers.

SJC says it needs Clerk Rosemary DiJosie to certify 1,048 signatures from registered township voters, or roughly 10 percent of the number of township voters who went to polls in the Nov. 8 general election, to force Council to vote on the proposed ordinance.

At last count, SJC had collected about 1,250 signatures, according to Berry.

If Council fails to adopt the ordinance or adopts a watered-down version of the proposal, the measure will be put to voters in November.