Monmouth County Freeholders pass pay-to-play 

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/10/07

BY BOB JORDAN

FREEHOLD BUREAU

FREEHOLD — Sweeping pay-to-play and campaign-fund wheeling reforms were enacted 
by the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders on Thursday night, drawing 
bipartisan praise and the endorsement of the Citizens' Campaign good government 

group.

The group's members had attended county meetings for months and pushed for the 
changes, which will take effect Sept. 1. Other residents — about 50 people 
attended the board meeting at the Hall of Records — also said they welcomed the 
resolution, which was unanimously passed by the freeholders.

Howell resident John Lebrio told the board he has "been a staunch advocate for 
these types of changes in Howell, to no avail" and also noted that in recent 
years requests to county officials to take action "fell on deaf ears."

"I'm glad to see we've done a complete turnaround," Lebrio said.

Ocean Township resident Kate Mellina, who has addressed the topic at various board meetings during the last 22 months, 
told the freeholders that they've "set a standard for the state. I hope the 
municipalities follow."

The rules cover pay-to-play restrictions for professional service contracts and 
"extraordinary unspecifiable" service contracts, capping political contributions 
for those seeking such work at $300.

Also, wheeling money into Monmouth County elections is curbed: No candidate for 
county office shall accept a contribution from another county's political party 
in excess of $2,600 per election, according to the resolution.

Other highlights of the measure: contributions to a political party committee or 
municipal party committee count against the limit; there are restrictions 
against business entities seeking government contracts; and public disclosure 
statements must be filed at least 10 days before the awarding of a contract or 
an agreement to procure services.

Not an easy journey

Republican Robert D. Clifton, county administrators and representatives of Citizens' Campaign — for which 
Mellina serves as a volunteer county co-chairwoman — had worked on different 
drafts of the legislation since an action committee was formed at the start of 
the year.

Clifton said Mercer County was the first county to pass a pay-to-play resolution 
and Atlantic County introduced a measure last week.

Clifton said, "We believe ours will go far beyond what the state has. We hope 
all the counties follow suit."

State law bans contracts over $17,500 from being given to a business that made a 
donation to the elected officials awarding the contract, or their political 
party committee, unless they are awarded through a "fair and open process."

Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said, "We are making history with the passing of 
this pay-to-play legislation. It would never occur without the tenacity and 
concern of the citizens."

Ball in state's court

William C. Barham, the freeholder director, said state legislators "should take notice."

"I call on all the legislators to stop the nonsense and stop wheeling all the 
money around, because we all know what's going on," he said.

Another Howell resident, John Costigan, agreed pressure should be put on the 
state government to move to tougher reforms.

"We should all go to Trenton. We should start at the top. I'm glad to see we're 
doing a great job in Monmouth County," Costigan said.

The resolution states that "substantial political contributions from those 
seeking to or performing business with the county of Monmouth raise reasonable 
concerns on the part of taxpayers and residents as to their trust in government 
contracts." The document goes on to note that "counties are authorized to adopt 
by resolution measures limiting the awarding of public contracts to business 
entities that have made political contributions."

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