Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy announced on Sunday that the city will retain a law firm to perform a legal audit and analysis of the City’s development process to ensure transparency and fairness. This is a blatant response to the July 23 arrests of 44 political and religious leaders in New Jersey and New York including several well-known Jersey City politicians such current state Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, former Assemblyman Louis Manzo and Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini.
“In light of the events of July 23, 2009, we believe it is prudent to undertake a legal audit and analysis of our development process in order to verify that it is fully transparent, fair and efficient,” said Mayor Healy.
The administration is recommending that the City Council approve a contract to retain the law firm of of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP, based in Morristown with the firm’s attorneys — former Seton Hall Law Dean Ronald J. Riccio, former Assistant US Attorney Walter Timpone, and Thomas Scrivo, who wrote an expert treatise entitled, New Jersey Local Government Deskbook — to review documents and relevant local legislation as well as to interview City officials in private.
At the end of the analysis, expected withi n 90 days, the firm will provide the city with a written report documenting its findings and provide recommendations to enhance the process.
Additionally, Mayor Healy will sign an Executive Order requiring all city directors and employees who participate in the development process to undergo mandatory ethics training. The ethics training will take place within the next 30 days and will be conducted by William Kearns, Esq., General Counsel to the League of Municipalities.
Mayor Healy is also directing the Law Department to undertake an analysis of various campaign contribution laws around the country and to engage in discussions with civic interest groups regarding new campaign contribution laws. – Ricardo Kaulessar