Measure banning contractors' contributions expected to pass Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 12/21/05 BY NANCY SHIELDS COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU
ASBURY PARK Developers looking to make money in the city will be banned from contributing to the political campaigns of elected officials or their challengers under a new pay-to-play ordinance that is expected to be passed tonight. The City Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on the proposed law, which makes such political contributions a violation. A developer, if caught, would be banned from participating in city projects for four years. The council previously approved two pay-to-play measures, one outlawing political contributions from lawyers, engineers and other professionals who get contracts with the city, and a second requiring developers who give to political campaigns to disclose such contributions to city boards hearing a project application. "This is different in that it protects the redevelopment process by banning contributions from those who seek to do the redevelopment work," said Heather Taylor, spokeswoman for the Citizens' Campaign, a group seeking to reduce the influence of money in politics and which worked closely with the city and its attorney, Fred Raffetto, to get an ordinance in place. "It's going to fall on local decision makers to protect the public interest, and this is significant because the council is moving on its own, and really setting an example for other municipalities with large redevelopment projects," Taylor said. Similar measures have been approved in Hightstown and by the Mercer County freeholders. "This is a very up-and-up council," Councilman John Loffredo said Tuesday. "We don't have any qualms passing a pay-to-play ordinance." Some developers associated with the city's rebuilding or their associates contributed to the successful re-election of four council incumbents in May. The campaign, which received more than $60,000 far more than needed for a local race returned those contributions, even though they were legal at the time. Some challengers in the May elections also received contributions from competing developers. Deputy Mayor James Bruno said he's "probably going to vote for it (the ordinance)" tonight, but expressed concerns about how developers could be prevented in the end from making contributions. "Now you're going to get politicians who are going to be tempted by cash under the table," he said. According to wording in the ordinance, political contributions affect the trust of residents and taxpayers in their elected officials who make decisions on such matters as tax abatements, zoning densities, eminent domain and publicly funded infrastructure improvements. The ordinance requires a developer to give the city a sworn statement that no political contribution was made before the city approves a redevelopment agreement. Resident David Christopher and his wife, former City Councilwoman Kate Mellina, and resident Pam Lamberton have lobbied for the new measure. Mellina is the Monmouth County co-chairperson of the Citizens' Campaign. "When you adopt this, you announce your intention of running things on the level there will be public pressure on anyone looking to get around it," Christopher said at a November council meeting. Bruno said Tuesday the city's elected officials are honest and have an important relationship with its current redevelopers. "If we lose, they lose," he said. "And if they fail, we fail." "People automatically think that if you're on council and accept money for a campaign that you're doing something wrong or illegal but that's a perception thing," Bruno said. "They think all politicians are thieves. Not all of us are." http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051221/NEWS01/512210381/1004/NEWS01 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/Y2tolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
