Donovan sets good example on pay-to-play
Despite how it might have looked to casual political observers, the Bergen freeholders didn’t “revise” or make minor, sensible adjustments to the county’s pay-to-play ban last month.
They gutted it.
That’s why County Executive Kathleen Donovan’s veto last Friday was so significant. It salvaged a 10-month-old experiment in pay-to-play reform, an attempt to rid the county of its reputation of being open to the highest bidder.
The ramifications of Donovan’s veto extend far beyond Bergen’s border. If the new, toothless version stayed on the books, it would have dealt a blow to other counties and municipalities that are considering similar reforms. (Stile, The Record)
