Mayor’s ‘pay-to-play’ reform will benefit Old Bridge

I believe that some comments about Old Bridge’s "pay-to-play" reform have totally misrepresented the intentions of Mayor Jim Phillips and the Township Council.

Mayor Phillips actually strengthened pay-to-play on the local level by banning any relative of a department head or director from the township payroll. I applaud the mayor for putting an end to that kind of nepotism.

It is a fact that Old Bridge has had difficulty finding a qualified bond counsel. Making light of an issue or stating that other towns have been able to adequately fill their needs does not make Old Bridge’s difficulty any less real. Old Bridge should have the right to seek out the most highly qualified professionals to fulfill its needs.

Additionally, why did the previous administration wait until leaving office to order pay-to-play reform when it could have instituted it any time during its previous 12 years in control of township policy?

While it may be politically correct to demand that local candidates not accept donations from county or state political organizations, the fact is that if this were banned, only the wealthy would be able to afford to run for public office. Citizens of ordinary means would be prevented from running for office due to lack of financial backing.

Have we become so jaded that we believe anyone receiving donations from county organizations wouldn’t adequately represent the public’s viewpoint? I believe there are many honest politicians with the strength of character to do the public’s will, regardless of who provided financial backing.

Mayor Phillips should be lauded for seeking the most highly qualified professionals for Old Bridge, and he has already demonstrated his bipartisanship by appointing qualified Republicans to township posts.

And there’s nothing sinister about the council’s desire to wait for state legislation on this issue so that all towns would be following a uniform code.

Jim Hatcliffe

Old Bridge