Union City, NJ Ordinance Governing Political Contributions

A firm, corporation, professional corporation, partnership, limited liability company, organization, association, and any other manner and kind of business entity;

Any person who owns 10% or more of the equity or ownership or income interests in a person or entity as defined in Subsections A and B above and their spouses and child/children;

All partners or officers of such an entity, in the aggregate, and their spouses and child/children;

Any person, subcontractor, subsidiary, corporation, firm, partnership, limited liability company, organization or association who has received or indefeasibly acquired the right to receive, from a person described in Subsection A above, more than $100,000 in compensation or income of any kind (including, by way of illustration, and not limitation, wages, salaries, sums paid to independent contractors, benefits, dividends, profit sharing, pension contributions, deferred contributions, stock, stock options or gifts), in any twelve-month period prior to the award of, or during the term of, a contract subject to this chapter; and

All persons who are an affiliate of a business entity as defined in Subsections A, B and C above, as such term is used in 11 U.S.C. § 101(2).

CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Every candidate for the City of Union City elective municipal office; every candidate committee established by or for the benefit of a candidate for the City of Union City elective municipal office; every joint candidate committee established in whole or in part by or for the benefit of a candidate for the City of Union City elective municipal office; every political party committee of the City of Union City; every political party committee of the County of Hudson; and every political committee, continuing political committee, or other form of association or organization that regularly engages in the support of candidates for the City of Union City or County of Hudson elective offices or the City of Union City municipal or County of Hudson political parties or political party committees. The terms in the foregoing subsection have the meaning prescribed in N.J.A.C. 19:25-1.7.

CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL OR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICES

All contracts for professional services and extraordinary unspecifiable services as such term is used in N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5.

CONTRIBUTION

The meaning prescribed in N.J.A.C. 19:25-1.7. By way of illustration, and not limitation, this definition includes pledges, loans, and in-kind contributions.

§ 22-2 Awarding public contracts to certain contributors prohibited

To the extent that it is not inconsistent with state or federal law, the City of Union City and any of its departments, instrumentalities or purchasing agents shall not enter into any agreement or otherwise contract to procure professional services as such term is defined at N.J.S.A. 40A:11-2(6) and used at N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i) and/or banking, insurance or other consulting service (hereinafter "professional services"), nor extraordinary unspecified services as such term is defined at N.J.S.A. 40A:11-2(7) and used at N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(ii) and/or media, public relations, lobbying, parking garage management or other consulting and/or management service (hereinafter "extraordinary unspecified services") from any business entity if such business entity has solicited or made any contribution to: i) a candidate, candidate committee or joint candidates committee of any candidate for elective municipal office in the City of Union City or a holder of public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract; or ii) to any City of Union City or County of Hudson political committee or political party committee; or iii) to any continuing political committee or political action committee that regularly engages in the support of the City of Union or County of Hudson elections and/or the City of Union City municipal or County of Hudson candidates, candidate committees, joint candidate committees, political committees, political parties, political party committees (hereinafter "PAC"), in excess of the thresholds specified in Subsection C within one calendar year immediately preceding the date of the contract or agreement.

No business entity who submits a proposal for, enters into negotiations for, or agrees to any contract or agreement with the City of Union City or any of its departments or instrumentalities, for the rendition of professional services or extraordinary unspecified services shall knowingly solicit or make any contribution to: i) a candidate, candidate committee or joint candidates committee of any candidate for elective municipal office in the City of Union City, or a holder of public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract; or ii) to any City of Union City or Hudson County political committee or political party committee; or iii) any PAC between the time of first communication between that business entity and the municipality regarding a specific agreement for professional services or extraordinary unspecified services, and the later of the termination of negotiations or rejection of any proposal, or the completion of the performance or specified time period of that contract or agreement.

The monetary thresholds of this chapter are: i) a maximum of $300 per calendar year each for any purpose to any candidate or candidate committee for Mayor or governing body, or $500 per calendar year to any joint candidates committee for Mayor or governing body, or $300 per calendar year to a political committee or political party committee of the City of Union City; ii) $500 maximum per calendar year to a Hudson County political committee or political party committee; and iii) $500 maximum per calendar year to any PAC. However, for each business entity party to a contract for professional or extraordinary unspecified services as defined in Subsection A, or engaged in negotiations for a contract defined in Subsection A, when such business entity's contribution is aggregated with all persons defined in § 22-1, definition of "business entity whose contributions are regulated by this chapter," by virtue of their affiliation to that business entity party, a maximum of $2,500 to all City of Union City candidates, candidate committees, joint candidate committees, and holders of public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, all City of Union City or Hudson County political committees and political party committees as described herein combined, without violating Subsection A of this section.

For purposes of this section, the office that is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract shall be the City of Union City Mayor or governing body, if the contract requires approval or appropriation from the Mayor or governing body, or the Mayor of the City of Union City, if the contract requires approval of the Mayor, or if a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is appointed by the Mayor.

Rules regarding subcontractors. No person may be awarded a subcontract to perform under a contract subject to this chapter, if the subcontractor would be disqualified by Subsection A from receiving the contract at the time that the subcontract is awarded, nor may any person who would be disqualified by Subsection A from receiving the contract perform substantially all of the obligations described in a contract for professional or extraordinary services that is subject to this chapter.

§ 22-3 Contributions made prior to effective date.

No contribution or solicitation of contributions made prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be deemed to give rise to a violation of this chapter.

§ 22-4 Contract renewal.

No contract subject to this chapter may be renewed, extended, or materially modified unless the resulting renewal, extension, or modification would be allowable under the provisions of this chapter if it were an initial contract.

§ 22-5 Contribution statement by business entity.

Prior to awarding any contract or agreement to procure professional services or extraordinary unspecified services from any business entity, the County of Hudson or its purchasing agents and departments, as the case may be, shall receive a sworn statement from said business entity which is the intended recipient of said contract that he/she/it has not made a contribution in violation of § 22-2 of this chapter. The City of Union City, its purchasing agents and departments shall be responsible for informing the Union City governing board that the aforementioned sworn statement has been received and that the business entity is not in violation of this chapter, prior to awarding the contract or agreement.

A business entity shall have a continuing duty to report to the City of Union City any contributions that constitute a violation of this chapter that are made during the negotiation, proposal process or the duration of a contract. The City of Union City, its purchasing agents and departments shall be responsible for informing the governing body within 10 business days after receipt of said report from the business entity or at the next Union City governing body meeting following receipt of said report from the business entity, or whichever comes first.

The certification required under this section shall be made prior to entry into the contract or agreement with the City of Union City or prior to the provision of services or goods, as the case may be, and shall be in addition to any other certifications that may be required by any other provision of law.

§ 22-6 Return of excess contributions.

A business entity that is a party to a contract for professional services or extraordinary unspecified services may cure a violation of § 22-2 of this chapter if, within 30 days after the date on which the applicable ELEC report is published, said business entity notifies the municipality in writing and seeks and receives reimbursement of the contribution from the recipient of such contribution.

§ 22-7 Exemptions.

The contribution limitations prior to entering into a contract in § 22-2A do not apply to contracts which are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder after public advertising for bids and bidding therefor within the meaning of N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4, or are awarded in the case of emergency under N.J.S.A. 40A:11-6. There is no exemption for contracts awarded pursuant to a fair and open process under N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20 et seq.

§ 22-8 Violations and penalties.

It shall be a material breach of the terms of a City of Union City agreement or contract for professional services or extraordinary unspecified services when a business entity that is a party to such agreement or contract has:

(1)

Made or solicited a contribution in violation of this chapter;

(2)

Knowingly concealed or misrepresented a contribution given or received;

(3)

Made or solicited contributions through intermediaries for the purpose of concealing or misrepresenting the source of the contribution;

(4)

Made or solicited any contribution on the condition or with the agreement that it will be recontributed to a candidate, candidate committee or joint candidates committee of any candidate for elective municipal office in the City of Union City, or a holder of public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, or any City of Union City or County of Hudson political committee or political party committee, or any PAC;

(5)

Engaged or employed a lobbyist or consultant with the intent or understanding that such lobbyist or consultant would make or solicit any contribution, which if made or solicited by the professional business entity itself, would subject that entity to the restrictions of this chapter;

(6)

Funded contributions made by third parties, including consultants, attorneys, family members, and employees;

(7)

Engaged in any exchange of contributions to circumvent the intent of this chapter; or

(8)

Directly or indirectly, through or by any other person or means, done any act which if done directly would subject that entity to the restrictions of this chapter.

Furthermore, any business entity that violates Subsection A(1) through (8) shall be disqualified from eligibility for future City of Union City contracts for a period of four calendar years from the date of the violation.

Any person who knowingly, purposely, or recklessly violates any provision of this chapter, or who conspires with another person to violate any provision of this chapter, or who, with the purpose of promoting or facilitating a violation of this chapter, solicits another person to commit it, or aids or agrees, or attempts to aid another person in planning or committing it, shall be subject to punishment including fines and/or imprisonment as fixed by law for violations of the ordinances of the City of Union City.

§ 22-9 Citizens private right of action.

In addition to any rights that were heretofore available, or which may hereafter be available, to citizens, taxpayers, or associations to challenge violations of this chapter, every person aggrieved by a violation of the chapter, or any taxpayer or resident of the City of Union City has the right, consistent with the Rules of Court, to file charges in a court of competent jurisdiction and/or to pursue a civil action for a violation of this chapter in a court of competent jurisdiction, and to seek and obtain declaratory, injunctive, or other legal or equitable relief, including but not limited to attorneys fees and costs, arising from or related to a violation of this chapter.

§ 22-10 Indexing.

The monetary thresholds of the definition in § 22-1 of "business entity whose contributions are regulated by this chapter" and § 22-2C of this chapter shall be increased effective March 1 of each calendar year by the percentage increase, in the prior calendar year, of the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) for the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island region, rounded to the nearest $10. The Clerk of the City of Union City shall, by no later than April 1 of each calendar year, prepare and publish the revised thresholds on the official municipal website and in an official municipal newspaper.

§ 22-11 Repealer.

All ordinances or parts of ordinances which are inconsistent with any provisions of this chapter are hereby repealed as to the extent of such inconsistencies. This repealer also expressly includes the repeal of an ordinance captioned "An Ordinance Establishing That a Business Entity Which Makes Political Contributions to Municipal Candidates and Municipal Political Parties in Excess of Certain Thresholds Shall be Limited in its Ability to Receive Public Contracts From the City of Union City," which was adopted on March 6, 2012, and becomes effective as of April 1, 2012, shall be deemed repealed as of the effective date that this chapter becomes law.