Dear Editor:
Jersey City is another step closer to Pay-to-Play Reform now that Councilman Steven Fulop has successfully led the petition signature drive. The proposed Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance will now be sent directly to the Jersey City Municipal Council which will vote whether or not to introduce it for a second reading. If the council does not introduce the ordinance, it will be placed on the November 4th ballot as a public referendum, and the public will decide.
This proposed “state of the art” ordinance was written by Civic JC with the assistance of Citizen’s Campaign, NJ Appleseed and the Hoboken-based citizens’ group People for Open Government. We believe that this reform ordinance is a giant step forward in not only reducing conflicts of interest in awarding city contracts, but also in moving forward ethics reform in Jersey City and ultimately, reducing the costs passed on to taxpayers.
Back in June 2006, our first efforts at advancing Pay-to-Play reform fell on deaf ears. Now, a little over two and a half years later, a reform ordinance has successfully moved forward thanks to a lone Council member’s steadfast advocacy, the thousands of Jersey City voters (who signed the petitions) and the ongoing (and growing) support from numerous candidates for Mayor and Council in next May’s municipal election.
Civic JC welcomes the endorsement of this initiative by both our elected officials and those candidates planning to run for office in the 2009 municipal election. We extend to all an invitation to meet and discuss the Contracting Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance and other reform initiatives. Working together for meaningful reform will make Jersey City municipal government more accessible, responsive and accountable to the residents.
Valerio Luccio, president
Civic JC