November 1, 2006
Ethics Bills Up for Vote in Newark
By ANDREW JACOBS
NEWARK, Oct. 31 This city's Municipal Council has agreed to a
sweeping package of ethics legislation meant to transform a place
once notorious for its backroom, palm-greasing, quid pro quo ways
into one of the most transparently run cities in the nation.
The measures, a centerpiece of Mayor Cory Booker's drive to shake up
City Hall, would cap campaign contributions at $300 for individuals
who do business with Newark, ban all donations from those engaged in
redevelopment projects and require builders seeking zoning variances
to publicly reveal past political contributions.
Among the six ordinances that the Council is expected to approve on
Wednesday is a rule that outlaws fund-raising on public property and
another that creates a position of inspector general to oversee
complaints of fraud and ethics breaches. The measures will apply to
both the mayor and the nine council members as well as to future
candidates. All but two of the current council members were elected
in July.
Mr. Booker has also said he would sign a separate executive order on
Wednesday that forbids municipal employees from giving money to
mayoral candidates.
"This legislation will put Newark on the cutting edge of pay-to-play
reform not only in New Jersey but in the nation," said Harry
Pozycki, chairman of the Citizens' Campaign, an advocacy group that
helped draft the legislation. "It basically draws a line in the sand
against corrupting influences and says Newark is open for honest
business."
Craig Holman, the campaign-finance lobbyist for Public Citizen, the
government watchdog group, said he knew of no other city that had
passed such far-reaching ethics reform legislation. "This is
massive," he said. "Even localities that have endured a grave
scandal haven't gone this far."
Councilman Ronald Rice, who championed the legislation, said he
expected the reforms to pass by a vote of 6 to 3. During a Council
meeting on Tuesday at which the majority agreed to the legislation
in principle, he pleaded with the holdouts who worried that the new
laws may hamstring their re-election bids. He argued that because he
ran as a reformer, he was able to raise $10,000 from across the
country donated through the Internet.
"This will be beneficial in ways that are innumerable for this city,
in terms of the kinds of developers we draw here and keeping out
those who have poisoned this city for years," Mr. Rice said. "Let's
make history."
Councilman Donald Payne Jr., who remained undecided on Tuesday, said
up-and-coming candidates may find the restrictions too
severe. "These are local races, so if you can't raise your money
locally, what do you do?" he asked.
For students of Newark history, the legislation has the potential to
reinvent a City Hall that has been widely known for its old-school,
machine-style way of doing business.
During his successful bid for re-election in 2002, the previous
mayor, Sharpe James, drew most of his campaign funds from city
employees, home builders and contractors. Attendance at Mr. James's
$500-a-ticket re-election soirees was de rigueur; those invited
often arrived with the paychecks of municipal workers and those who
failed to do their part, especially police officers and
firefighters, could expect unfavorable transfers.
Walter Fields, a political consultant and former political director
of the N.A.A.C.P. in New Jersey, said an endemic system of rewarding
contributors with city contracts led to shoddy work and substantial
municipal waste. "For too long, people in Newark made up their own
rules as they went along," he said.
Business leaders said they welcomed the reforms. Richard F. X.
Johnson, senior vice president of the Matrix Development Group,
which wants to build a 14-story office building along the city's
riverfront, said he was thrilled that the old pay-to-play system was
ending. "The development business is a pretty simple one," he
said. "It's about transparency, predictability and consistency."
For Mr. Booker, the passage of legislation he championed so vocally
will be a notable victory. Although the entire Council was elected
on his slate, it was unclear whether council members would support
his ethics agenda. Until recently, several key allies were resisting
the proposals.
On Tuesday, Mr. Booker made an unannounced appearance at a
conference room where the Council was discussing the legislation.
When Mr. Rice indicated he had won over the pivotal skeptics, Mr.
Booker kissed him on the forehead and then threatened to dance for
joy.
"Politicians acting against their own political self-interest is
really remarkable, and I commend everyone for it," he said. "This is
really a wonderful day."
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