Latest pay-to-play law goes into effect soon
BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer

WOODBRIDGE - Redevelopers who want to do business in Woodbridge have been banned from making any political donations to local officials.

The Township Council unanimously voted to adopt the pay-to-play redevelopment ordinance at the Oct. 17 council meeting.

"This is an ongoing process," said state Sen. and interim Mayor Joseph Vitale. "Elected officials in New Jersey have been falling afoul of the law. This ordinance gives Woodbridge the opportunity to tell people that they have to abide by this rule if they want to make any campaign contributions."

The redevelopment pay-to-play ordinance joins the township's contract pay-to-play law that was put in place in the summer of 2005. The township also adopted an open appointments law earlier this year, which provides greater transparency in the appointments process of boards and commissions.

Vitale and the Metuchen-based Citizens Campaign worked for more than a month on the redevelopment pay-to-play ordinance, which bans contributions by those developers seeking redevelopment agreements.

The ordinance is part of Vitale's broad reform agenda for the township that he unveiled Aug. 15.

"The ordinance will take effect within a few months," said Vitale. "We want to alert and give our vendors and employees enough time to understand the rules and regulations of the ordinance. We will send out a copy of the notice to all our existing vendors."

The Township Council introduced the redevelopment ordinance at the work session meeting on Sept. 26, but with some dissent.

Councilwoman Caroline Ehrlich, who was the only one who voted no on the vote to introduce the ordinance, said that while the ordinance prevents redevelopers from contributing to local officials, like the mayor and council members, it does not prevent someone from giving money to political action committees or county or state officials.

But Heather Taylor, communications director for Citizens' Campaign, said the proposed ordinance protects Woodbridge.

"Any developer who develops in Woodbridge can't contribute to the town's local officials," she said. "When we were drafting the ordinance, we looked at PACs that gave to multiple towns."

Taylor said the ordinance contains a very strong anti-circumvention clause that keeps the incentive for redevelopers to abide by the law.

"If a redeveloper gives money through any intermediaries, they can be disqualified from eligibility for future Woodbridge Township redevelopment agreements for a period of four calendar years from the date of the violation," she said.

Woodbridge Township joins eight municipalities, including Edison. Highland Park officials adopted their redevelopment pay-to-play ordinance the same night as Woodbridge.

"The [borough of] Sayreville still have their final vote and South River will be introducing the ordinance," said Taylor.