A month after Gov. Christopher Christie fired the commissioners to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission over allegations of nepotism and patronage, Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell has co-sponsored legislation aimed at preventing these violations from occurring again in the future.
Numerous Hudson County municipalities use the services of the PVSC, or have other agreements with the body for disposal of waste, land, or even water purchase agreements.
The legislation comes in response to changes Christie attempted to get the commissioners of the PVSC to make prior to their removal.
Christie attempted, in regards to the PVSC, to address what he considered blatant conflicts of interest, unfair compensation, and other perks the commissioners apparently resisted changing – which led to the governor to firing them. Christie said that instead of reforming, the commissioners continued to “perpetuate a pattern of abuse.”
“It is what needs to be done to make sure Passaic Valley is accountable.” – Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell
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The governor said commissioners allegedly lobbied for the hiring of friends and family, and then voted on their raises.
The governor went on to fire more than70 workers at the PVSC – more than 12 percent of the agency’s work force – and put a freeze on spending for contracted attorneys.
In addition, high ranking managers were arrested on charges of official misconduct, with allegations that they used agency workers to perform repairs and improvements on their homes when they were supposed to be at work.
Handle it locally
While O’Donnell has some issues with the governor’s push to have veto power over the agency, he said governance over the PVSC should be left to local governments, who are responsible for paying for the services.
“The mayors of local towns are in a much better position to watch over Passaic Valley then state government is,” O’Donnell said. “The mayors of the towns are on the ground. They should be accountable for what goes on there.”
O’Donnell did agree that strict reforms are necessary.
The bill revises the existing law that governs Passaic Valley Sewerage commissioners and implements many of the reforms Gov. Christie is seeking.
The bill restricts a commissioner’s appointed term to one, five-year, unpaid term. The commissioner cannot be reappointed, and would be restricted from being employed with any firm with whom the PVSC does business with for five years after that term ends. This includes any local authority located within the Passaic Valley Sewerage District.
Commissioners will get no compensation for their service on the PVSC, which is defined as wages, salaries, commissions, or any other form of remuneration.
The bill requires the commissioners to submit the commissioner’s annual budget and capital plan for each fiscal year to each contracting municipality prior to its adoption thereof. Submission of the budget shall include a list of each commission employee whose compensation exceeds $75,000 and a detailed description of that employee’s duties.
The bill requires that all meetings and public hearings of the commissioner’s be recorded and made available to the public within 48 hours of the meeting or public hearing, and that minutes of all meetings and public hearings held by the commissioners be maintained.
Finally, the bill requires the commissioners to make available on the commissioners’ website the commissioners’ annual budget, any audit of the commissioners, meeting agendas, and the minutes from all meetings and public hearings.
O’Donnell said he has discussed this legislation with Governor Christie, and has expressed his concern about state control over the agency.
“The users are the local counties and municipalities, they need to be more involved and they will serve as the watchdog over abuses since their budgets are the ones impacted by the rates charged,” he said.
The law would also open up the operations of the commission, making the commission’s budgets, capital plans, meeting minutes, hearings, and other documents available to the public, and would require the PSVC also to make information available to the public on its website.
“This is all common sense,” O’Donnell said. “It is what needs to be done to make sure Passaic Valley is accountable.”
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.