Almeida and Lazarow Announce Campaign Finance Reform Plan

Democratic Council Candidates Call for Ban on ‘Pay-to-Play’ Contributions

WEST CALDWELL, NJ – Emphasizing transparency in the local elections, Democratic candidates for Township Council Jessica Almeida and Christy Lazarow pledge to introduce and lobby for the West Caldwell Municipal Council to adopt a local “Pay-to-Play” ordinance to reform campaign finance in the community and reduce the influence of money in local politics.

The Almeida-Lazarow Plan would ban donors who contribute more than $300 to a local candidate, campaign committee, or political party from receiving contracts from municipal government for three years from the date of the donation. If elected, Almeida and Lazarow will make passing this anti-corruption legislation one of their first priorities as Council members.

“West Caldwell residents deserve to know that their elected officials are making decisions based on the best interests of our community and not based on campaign contributions,” said Jessica Almeida, a working mother and practicing attorney. “For years, local township vendors have showered local campaigns with thousands of dollars in contributions and have been rewarded with lucrative municipal contracts. It’s not the way West Caldwell should do business and Christy and I want to take action to change it.”

Almeida and Lazarow’s opponents, Republican Council members Kathy Canale and Michael Docteroff, have consistently engaged in the type of “pay-to-play” politics that the reform plan would ban. Canale and Docteroff’s campaign is almost exclusively funded with thousands of dollars in contributions from vendors to West Caldwell’s local government.  This comes after the revelation that longtime township vendor and Republican donor Matt O’Donnell was involved in a corrupt scheme to evade campaign finance disclosure laws using his friends, family, and employees to donate money to West Caldwell Township candidates and in return, being awarded employment as a West Caldwell Township Attorney.  These same “friends” have recently been arrested for their involvement in this corrupt scheme.

“Jessica and I are running for Township Council to bolster trust in local politics that is violated by contracts based on pay-to-play politics,” said Christy Lazarow, a mother, teacher, and community advocate. “Reducing the influence of money in our politics is something that all residents can support regardless of their party affiliation, and we’re looking forward to enacting this reform in West Caldwell.”

For more information about Jessica and Christy visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jessandchristyforwccouncil.