Pay-to-play law goes before council Monday
BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer

SAYREVILLE - Developers will be included in the town's new ban on pay-to-play if the Borough Council votes to approve it next week.

The reform comes at a time when the borough is in the process of selecting a new redeveloper for the $1.7 billion National Lead site. LNR Northeastern Investments Inc. withdrew from the process last month after being selected by the borough earlier this year.

Borough Attorney Brian Hak told the Suburban that he included suggestions of a group called the Citizens' Campaign in the ordinance before the council voted to introduce it Oct. 10.

Lauren Skowronski, suburban coordinator for Citizens' Campaign, attended several recent council meetings to speak on the ordinance.

"I would like to commend the council for moving forward with the pay-to-play ordinance regarding redevelopment," Skowronski said.

She confirmed that Hak incorporated minor changes that she had suggested.

"I look forward to working with the governing body in moving strong pay-to-play [reform] forward," she said.

Heather Taylor, also of the Citizens' Campaign, told the Suburban that similar reforms are being adopted throughout the area.

"This is a significant reform," Taylor said. "Woodbridge and Highland Park adopted the ordinance [Tuesday] and it is up for adoption in South River. It is taking off in Middlesex County and throughout the state."

The ordinance closes a loophole that is in the borough's existing ban, according to a Democratic press release from Oct. 3.

Council President and Democrat Thomas Pollando said the ordinance is necessary to ensure good government practices in the borough.

"Sayreville taxpayers deserve the best for their dollar," Pollando said. "We have to protect the process by which entities who do work in the borough, including redevelopment, are selected by eliminating pay-to-play. I supported Sayreville's existing ordinance for municipal contracts, and look forward to expanding these good government principles to the other areas of municipal government."

Republican Mayor Kennedy O'Brien described the ordinance as part of the process of pay-to-play reform.

"It is a first step," O'Brien said. "There are still a number of loopholes."

O'Brien said he remains concerned about state Assemblyman John Wisniewski's role as Sayreville Democratic Organization chairman, a major point of contention for the Republicans.

"One of the biggest loopholes, the one that doesn't pass the smell test, is when the local party chairman is [also] the local assemblyman and has a fundraising apparatus in effect where he can go to his legislative committees and PACs [political action committees], and direct donations to the local [candidates], circumventing the local pay-to-play," O'Brien said.

Wisniewski has told the Suburban that any contributions that are made to his PACs follow the rules and regulations of the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, adding that he hired an outside firm to advise him on the matter.

Democratic Councilman Stanley Drwal said the loophole in the borough's current ordinance is that it failed to cover developers and redevelopment contracts.

"We need to ensure that all contracts that affect taxpayers are done under the highest of ethical standards," Drwal said. "This ordinance will be invaluable in making that happen and making sure the best applicants are chosen for work. It will put the people first, and the special interests last."

Republican Councilman John Melillo said he will vote in favor of the ordinance at the meeting Oct. 23, but he added that he feels it could have gone further to ban pay-to-play.

"I still have issues with it, of course," Melillo said. "I still do not think it is tough enough."

Sayreville