JAMES SOLOMON RELEASES FAR-REACHING ETHICS PLAN

Solomon: “We Can’t Ever Go Back To The Days When Jersey City Was a Punchline Because of Corruption”

JERSEY CITY, NJ –  Today, James Solomon released a far-reaching ethics plan that further tightens Jersey City’s rules and ensures a cleaner and ethical government. The plan includes reforming the Ethical Standards of Board, strengthening the city’s existing ethical codes and establishing yearly mandatory training for municipal employees. The Solomon plan comes a little over a decade after 44 New Jersey politicians and officials were arrested as part of a 10-year long anti-corruption investigation. Today, Solomon does not take any campaign contributions from Jersey City real estate developers and has been a reformer in the City Council focused on improving transparency.

James Solomon said: “We can’t go back to the days when Jersey City was a punchline because of corruption. This plan will continue to tighten our ethical rules so that people can keep building trust in our city’s government. I am committed to the highest ethical standards, that’s why I don’t take any campaign contributions from Jersey City developers and why I’ve fought to make Jersey City government more open and transparent.”

Solomon’s plan won the praise of key stakeholders. “Corruption in government, at any level, breeds a corrosive, self-defeating cynicism for effective governance. The program announced today to restore ethics to Jersey City’s governance should be welcomed and embraced by all, regardless of personal interest or political affiliation, as serving the common good of this remarkable city,” said T. Patrick Hill, Ph.D., Associate Professor at The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University

The three-part ethics plan includes:

1. Reform the Ethical Standards Board to a member appointment process that will reduce conflicts of interest and establish a framework that encourages them to utilize their investigatory powers.

2. Strengthen the City’s existing Ethics Code to include an obligation to report wrongdoing, provide better protections for whistleblowers, and increase penalty amounts for non-criminal violations.

3. Establish mandatory yearly training for all public officials to be designed and implemented by professional ethics education and training providers. This education will provide the regulatory context that the The Ethics Board will be in charge of monitoring and will inform government officials of their obligations under both the municipal ethics code and the law.

Solomon has been endorsed by Our Revolution NJ and 32BJ SEIU. He has also put out policy proposals to increase affordability for Jersey City, and a sustainability plan to ensure Jersey City combats climate change.

The full text of the plan is HERE and below