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Thursday, January 11, 2007
Levinson Unveils Government Integrity Agenda
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Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, in cooperation with the Center for Civic Responsibility's Citizens' Campaign, unveiled a broad agenda for Atlantic County designed to increase government accountability, promote the highest standards of integrity and encourage greater citizen participation. The agenda would formalize and codify into law many practices that have been standard operating procedures in county government but were not mandated by county ordinance.
"By adopting this agenda we are establishing Atlantic County as a leader among all counties in New Jersey for ensuring public trust and confidence in the integrity of their county government. We are taking what in many cases had been administrative policies and giving them the force of law," Levinson said.
Among the highlights of the agenda are:
* Citizens Leadership Initiative: A series of workshops open to the public designed to explain how county government operates and how the public may play a greater role in county government through volunteer boards, attendance at public meetings and communications with public officials.
* Open appointments: An ordinance that requires county government to post a registry of appointed positions in county government, notice of vacancies, and the process to apply.
* Ban on Hiring Elected Officials: An ordinance that would prohibit county government from employing state and municipal elected officials.
* Developer Contribution Disclosure: An ordinance that requires developers and their attorneys who submit applications to the County Planning Board to disclose what political contributions they made to county officials and organizations.
* Ban on Political Fundraising Activity: An ordinance that would ban political fundraising on public property.
* Competitive Negotiations for Professional Services: An ordinance to require competitive negotiations for Professional Services.
* Mandatory Annual Ethics Training for Management Employees
* Enhanced Pay to Play Reform and a Prohibition on "Wheeling"
Over the next several months, County Executive Levinson will present proposed ordinances to the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders outlining the details of these initiatives.
Joining Levinson for the announcement was the Center for Civic Responsibility's Citizens' Campaign Chairman, Harry Pozycki and local businessman Alan Kligerman, Chairman of the Citizens' Campaign for Atlantic County. The Citizens' Campaign Legal Task Force, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein, has agreed to assist in drafting the proposals.
The Citizens' Campaign is a volunteer movement advancing citizen leadership and government accountability. The Citizens' Campaign Legal Task Force wrote the model Redevelopment Pay-to-Play law already adopted in several other municipalities.
According to Levinson, "This broad package of reforms seeks to ensure formalized accountability that will extend to all future office holders and employees. It makes what had been county administrative policies matters of law that must be maintained by future administrations. It also encourages citizen leadership and participation in county government. Most important, it puts all government officials on notice that we must abide by the highest standards of integrity at all times."
Freeholder Chairman Joe Silipena expressed his support for the initiative stating, "This is an opportunity to ensure confidence in county government. Local officials must set a high bar, and the citizens should hold us to it. I look forward to working with the county executive to implement this initiative."
Citizens' Campaign chairman Harry Pozycki said, "Adopting Executive Levinson's reform agenda will make Atlantic County a model of government accountability and citizen leadership and puts Atlantic County at the forefront of all counties throughout the state." |
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