August 16, 2009, 6:04 AM
The Star-Ledger
by Aliyah Shahid

City officials can no longer accept gifts, even little ones. Political contributions from contractors will be capped. And whistle-blowing government employees who report illegal and unethical workplace activities will be protected.  That's because Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz signed five executive orders and a new administrative directive last week.

Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz The orders come just weeks after federal corruption charges were brought against 44 people, including three New Jersey mayors and two state Assemblymen, and months after former Perth Amboy Mayor Joe Vas, who led the city for 18 years before losing last year's election to Diaz, was indicted on charges of stealing city funds. Four other city officials have been accused of or have pleaded guilty to corruption charges.

"I cannot control what happens in the federal government or the state of New Jersey," Diaz said at a city council meeting on Wednesday. "But I can influence what happens in the city of Perth Amboy." One way is by limiting the political contributions of public contractors. An individual can give a maximum of $300 to a candidate or the city, or $500 to the Middlesex County party committee or to a political action committee. A group can give a maximum of $2,500, under the new rules.

Another regulation bans campaign contributions by developers seeking redevelopment agreements. Another requires developers to disclose political contributions when seeking approvals from the Planning and Zoning boards. Yet another requires fair and open competition for service contracts.

Under the ban on gifts, no employee, elected official or appointed board member can receive a gift or gratuity of any kind from a vendor, prospective vendor, resident, or business (although they can exchange birthday or holiday gifts that are valued below $25).

These five orders were modeled after rules crafted by the Citizen's Campaign, a state organization that promotes civic participation and advocates political reform.

Lauren Skowronski, the organization's state campaign director, said the orders will also be voted on by the city council on Sept. 9. If the council approves the orders, it will be less likely that future mayors will rescind them, she said. "It will codify the laws and make them more permanent," said Skowronski. The administrative directive, known as the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, or "whistleblower law," protects employees from retaliation for, among other things, disclosing or threatening to disclose violations of law, refusing to participate in illegal acts, or providing information to authorities investigating violations of law.

Councilman Ken Balut applauded the whistleblower law. Balut, a retired police officer, said under the Vas administration there was a culture of harassment if anyone working in the government spoke out. "You'd get stiffed, you got bad assignments, and you'd never get promoted," said Balut. "This is way long overdue."