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NJ Issues

 

 

 

Public Contracting "Pay-to-Play" Reform

 

Currently, CCNJ is working towards the passage of comprehensive pay-to-play reform, for the municipal, county, and state levels of government.

 

Over the past 4 years, hundreds of citizens in over 60 municipalities and 1 county have contributed to the passage of pay-to-play reform laws through petition drives or presentations to their town councils. 

 

While these are significant achievements, we feel that one comprehensive set of regulations outlining the public contracting procedures for all levels of government would be beneficial - rather than all 566 municipalities and 21 counties having their own set of pay-to-play standards.

 

For information on the recent Common Cause NJ achievements with regards to pay-to-play reform, including the passage of the Local Pay-to-Play Reform Law ("Enabling Legislation"), click here.

 

Redevelopment "Pay-to-Play" Reform

 

The "Redevelopment Reform & Pay-to-Play Protection Act" will curb the influence of pay-to-play contributions in the redevelopment arena and create greater accountability to citizens with respect to redevelopment decisions.  

 

Because of the rapidly increasing amount of development in New Jersey, these large scale projects are magnets for pay-to-play cash.  The redevelopment decisions are being made with broad discretion and a lack of citizen oversight.  This piece of legislation will change that.

 

There are seven major components of the proposed Redevelopment Reform and Pay-to-Play Protection Act:

 

  1. Ban pay-to-play contributions by redevelopers from the onset of the redevelopment process to the completion of the redevelopment agreement.
  2. Ban pay-to-play contributions by the Redeveloper's consultants-i.e. attorney's, engineers and political consultants, while working on redevelopment projects.
  3. Eliminate the "Smart Growth" basis for authorizing the designation of an "Area in Need of Redevelopment" and for use of the Eminent Domain power.
  4. Expand transparency of the redevelopment process with expansion of the public notice requirements covering citizens outside the boundaries in the area of prospective redevelopment.
  5. Increase accountability in the redevelopment process by creating earlier and expanded opportunities for public questions and input at Planning Board and Council meetings to consider redevelopment decisions.
  6. Require annual disclosure by Redevelopers to the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).
  7. Application of this law would be comprehensive as it governs redevelopment projects at the state, county and local level, including the Meadowlands Commission and all independent authorities.

 

The prime sponsors of the propsed legislation are Senator Ellen Karcher (District 12) and Senator Peter Inverso (District 14).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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