Holmdel zeros in on pay-to-play reform
Ordinance would bar contractors from giving any contributions at all
BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer

Tighter restrictions on Holmdel's current pay-to-play ordinance were introduced during a special Township Committee meeting Thursday morning.

Pay-to-play, the practice of politicians awarding public contracts and jobs to firms that contribute to their political campaigns, has already been addressed by Holmdel in the form of an ordinance. But Committeeman Larry Fink thinks the current law has too many loopholes that still allow for politically appointed hires. If adopted, the updated ordinance would lower the minimum donation amount for individuals that do business with the town from $250 to zero.

Fink said that although individuals who do business with Holmdel are limited to giving $250 donations to candidates running for Township Committee, that doesn't mean a group of employees from the same firm can't donate $250 each. Under the current ordinance, titled "Prohibition on Awarding Public Contracts to Certain Contributors," up to $2,500 can be accepted by a candidate from individual employees and/or owners of a firm that does business with the town.

Fink said he first proposed a zero-dollar limit over a year-and-a-half ago.

"It's been painfully slow," Fink said on Monday. "Ask Mayor [Serena] DiMaso and Mr. [Alan] Bateman and Mr. [Rocco] Pascucci why it's taken so long. I thought it was a rather straightforward proposal."

Pascucci said the proposal won't change anything.

"I don't think it's going to do much good," Pascucci said on Monday. "If someone gives you $250, so what? Is that going to give you any benefit?"

"I don't think it's going to stop corruption," Pascucci said. "It looks good to the public. If you're giving someone a job, you're not giving it to them for $250. That's absurd."

Pascucci said the only way to remedy the situation is to name an amount, say $50 or $100, and have each and every contribution, business-related or otherwise, disclosed to the public.

"Make it simple," Pascucci said. "That it is the only way that it might do some good."

Fink said that in January 2006, a consulting planner, bond counsel and special attorney were all appointed after donating to a Republican 2005 committee campaign.

"I just felt this was wrong and something should be done to prevent it happening again in the future," Fink said. He added, "Professional appointments should be based on professionalism and experience and the cost to taxpayers, not on who contributed to whose campaigns. For years, I've made it a policy not to accept such contributions."

Although pay-to-play is still perfectly legal on the state level, the practice is now being outlawed, or at least restricted, town by town throughout New Jersey. However, a grassroots effort called the Citizens Campaign suffered a setback on June 28 when the Monmouth County Freeholders voted to postpone adopting pay-to-play restrictions of their own.

Fink noted that the state keeps tabs on campaign donations by requiring that anything over $300 be filed with the Election Law Enforcement Commission.

"It's still legal, but some you have to report, some you don't have to report," Fink noted.

An Aug. 2 public hearing is planned on the topic, according to Fink. That same evening, the public is invited to speak on another measure aimed at government reform, this one regarding dual office holding. If adopted, this ordinance will eliminate future committee members from simultaneously holding any other elected office with the county, state or federal government. It would also disallow a township employee from serving on the committee.