Fulop ordinance becomes law in Jersey City

A year ago, Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop’s two reform ordinances – one banning pay-to-play and one banning council members from accepting more than one public salary – were rejected by the city council.  Tonight the same council passed one of them unanimously, after Fulop gathered enough signatures to get it on the ballot.  The ordinance was  Fulop’s anti pay-to-play law, which bans contributions from vendors with business before the city.

“It’s Democracy in action.  It forced their hand. The same council that voted no passed it unanimously,” said Fulop in a phone interview after tonight’s meeting. 

Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who Fulop may challenge next year, opposed the original ordinance on the grounds that it discouraged people of modest means from participating in the political process.  So he offered up an amendment that would lift the ban for candidates facing wealthy candidates, requiring each to fill out a financial disclosure form.  Fulop rejected that amendment.

"I regret that Councilman Fulop rejected our financial disclosure proposal that would have provided for unprecedented transparency and that he refused our attempt to keep a level playing field in elections, which will just make it easier for rich candidates to buy their way into office,” he said. 

Fulop, however, said that Healy’s amendment was aimed at watering down the bill.

“It was a poison pill in there. That if somebody makes more than a certain amount of money it would be null and void.”

Fulop’s initiative banning more than one public salary was successfully challenged on the amount of signatures it required by Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis.  The City Clerk sided with Matsikoudis, but the matter is expected to wind up in court.