After Mayor Stacey Jordan asked to repeal the pay-to-play ordinance at the last meeting, the ordinance moved one step closer to being stricken following the Sept. 23 township council meeting.
The first reading of the ordinance to repeal the pay-to-play ordinance was voted through 3–0, with Councilman Phil Garwood absent and Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano abstaining.
Following an inquiry from resident Mark Singer during the open comment portion of the meeting, Napolitano explained that she had abstained because she had not yet decided if repealing the pay-to-play ordinance was necessary.
Initially voting against the pay-to-play ordinance, Councilman Greg Newcomer expressed that he was happy to see the repealing ordinance on the agenda and expressed his hopes for an open discussion with council on the subject.
“I think this should be an important thing to do,” Newcomer said prior to council entering a closed session.
Newcomer said that with 1,393 signatures on a petition to repeal the ordinance, he believes the residents of Moorestown also think an open dialogue on political contributions is important among council members.
Passed on Aug. 19, the ordinance raised the maximum contribution from professional business entities from $300 to $2,600 and from $500 to $7,200 for a political action committee.
Following the passing of the ordinance, a petition was filed with the Moorestown township clerk, which included 1,393 signatures from residents who opposed the ordinance.
Newcomer also submitted a letter to The Moorestown Sun expressing his opposition to the ordinance and his concern that raising the contribution amounts would allow “a few people to influence the outcome of a local election, by their substantial contribution.”
Also in his letter, Newcomer explained his sentiments toward election campaigns fueled by large amounts of money prior to entering closed session with the township council, that could otherwise be donated to a worthy cause or project and essentially “remove the marketing” from elections.
“There are plenty of venues to get the message across,” Newcomer said.
Jordan asked the township council to rescind its approval of the ordinance in her opening remarks during the Sept. 9 meeting.
Jordan said after the meeting that once the pay-to-play ordinance is repealed, she expects it to “lay for awhile” and possibly revisit it in the future.
“I’d like to see what the state has come up with for now,” Jordan said.
Jordan later explained her proposal for the ordinance was a preemptive movement with both Gov. Christie and state Senate President Steve Sweeney agreeing to mandate a uniform political contribution policy throughout the state, but she had no problem repealing the ordinance.
In other news:
• During the meeting, updates on the new town hall and library were also delivered by Newcomer and Napolitano, who both expressed satisfaction with the new buildings.
“I was very impressed with the progress made so far, “ Napolitano said. “It’s going to be of great use for the town.”
Township manager Scott Carew also added during the meeting that although there are no substantial updates on the building, he informed the public that drywall and windows had been installed.
• Newcomer also warned residents in his opening comments that he has received reports of “unscrupulous individuals” in the neighborhood who had posed as pavers while soliciting the neighborhood, offering high prices for poor work.
Carew added later in the meeting that any resident who encounters such an individual should not hesitate to call the Moorestown Police Department.
