Holmdel may toughen its pay-to-play rules One measure would bar contractors from giving any contributions BY LORI ANNE OLIWA Correspondent HOLMDEL - The Township Committee voted Thursday to advance two measures that would complement and strengthen the town's existing pay-to-play ordinance. One of those measures, a developer disclosure ordinance, would require developers of major subdivision and site plan projects applying to the Holmdel Planning and Zoning boards to disclose all campaign contributions to township municipal candidates made during the three years prior to their development applications. The ordinance would mandate that developers present a certified document to the municipal clerk listing the contributions. Mayor Serena DiMaso expressed support for the measure. "We must make sure that nobody is buying influence. If we are going to be transparent, then we need to be totally transparent," DiMaso said. Committeeman Terence Wall concurred and stated, "I think we are on the right path." The ordinance proposes penalties for filing false or inaccurate disclosure statements or for failing to reveal a contribution, and subjects violators to fines of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 to $2,000 for subsequent offenses. The measure is expected to be up for an introduction vote at the committee's March 22 meeting. All but one member of the committee, Rocco Pascucci, voted in favor of advancing the measure. Pascucci wanted the ordinance to apply not just to developers, but individual donors and political action committees as well. DiMaso commended Fink, the lone Democrat on the committee, for his work on the disclosure ordinance. DiMaso also praised Pascucci for emphasizing the need for placing restrictions on everyone. The committee is also considering an amended ordinance that would set maximum limits on campaign contributions from professional services firms looking to contract with the township, and restrict the actual awarding of contracts if certain monetary thresholds are breached. The measure would prevent firms from obtaining contracts with the township for a period of four calendar years from the date of any violations or for failure to disclose any campaign contribution. As originally proposed and passed in 2003, the ordinance limited any professional business entity from contributing more than $250 each to any candidate for Holmdel Township Committee, $500 to any Holmdel Township municipal committee, or to any county party committee in Monmouth County, for a maximum of $2,500 combined. In a press release, Committeeman Larry Fink said he had originally proposed restrictions on the awarding of contracts to professional firms in 2003 and worked to pass the original ordinance when he was serving as mayor. At the meeting, he expressed concern that the current scope of the ordinance needed to be revised and made more restrictive, particularly the spending limits. "I am rethinking the amount. In my campaign, I made the decision not to accept any contributions at all from professional firms. I believe the amount should be reduced to zero," he said. Fink presented an amended ordinance for consideration that would reduce campaign contributions to zero and also urged that an anti-wheeling clause be built into it. He emphasized the monetary influence of both municipal and county party organizations in local elections. "Both types of organizations contribute to municipal candidates, and the money can flow into the township," he said. "Holmdel has always taken a leadership position in enacting stronger play-to-play ordinances." After some brief discussions between DiMaso and Township Attorney Duane Davison, who expressed concern over possible constitutional challenges to a zero limit on contributions, the committee voted 4-1 to put the ordinance as amended on the agenda at the next meeting. "It is my sincere hope that the ban on contributions of professional firms and the disclosure of contributions from major developers will prevent inappropriate influence over hiring and land use decisions," Fink said.