Steven Fulop aims to restore trust in New Jersey’s government by tackling corruption and improving transparency. His plan also encourages more public involvement in decision-making processes.
- Steven Fulop aims to stop corruption with clear rules, open records, and strong conflict of interest policies.
- The plan includes participatory budgeting, ranked-choice voting, and same-day voter registration to increase public involvement in government decisions.
- Fulop wants to modernize elections and make the state budget process more open and fair.
Restoring Trust in New Jersey’s Government
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is running for governor in 2025, has shared his detailed plan to restore trust in New Jersey’s government.
This plan follows scandals involving big-name politicians and aims to fix deep problems that have caused people to lose faith.
Fighting Corruption in the Past
Fulop’s campaign highlights his long fight against corruption. He has always stood against powerful figures like U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and South Jersey Democratic Powerbroker George Norcross III.
He believes that people’s trust in state government has dropped because officials keep making choices that harm public trust, like changing campaign finance laws and keeping a corrupt county line election system.
Fulop’s Reforms Boost Transparency in Jersey City
As Mayor of Jersey City, Fulop has done many things to show his commitment to good governance:
- Ending the County Line System: Fulop strongly supports ending the undemocratic county line system. Despite backing from powerful local groups, he stands firm on this issue.
- Involving the Public in Budgeting: Fulop started a program that lets residents vote on how to spend money in their areas, making the process clear and inclusive.
- Stopping Pay-to-Play: Fulop made Jersey City the first to have strict rules against pay-to-play, where special interests can’t influence officials by donating money.
- Ending Market-Rate Tax Breaks: Fulop kept his promise to stop giving tax breaks for market-rate projects, ensuring fairer development in Jersey City.
- Supporting Open Public Records: Fulop has fought against state efforts to limit transparency and handled most Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests in New Jersey, making sure the government stays accountable.
Fulop’s Plan for Statewide Reform Initiatives
If elected governor, Fulop plans to extend his reform efforts to the state level. Key focus areas include:
Fixing Conflicts of Interest
New Jersey doesn’t have enough rules to prevent conflicts of interest, which allow party leaders to profit from their positions. Fulop will push for required ethics training and tougher rules to prevent these conflicts.
Changing the Election Transparency Act
Fulop criticizes the current law for allowing more money in politics and weakening anti-corruption rules. He plans to bring back strong pay-to-play laws and ensure the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has enough funding.
Updating Financial Disclosure
Financial disclosure forms for New Jersey officials are outdated. Fulop wants to update these forms to make it clear how much officials earn and where conflicts might exist.
Fulop Proposes Major Election Reform Measures
Fulop’s ideas include:
- Centralizing Election Management: Making elections more efficient by having a central Division of Elections handle them.
- Same-Day Voter Registration: Using technology to let people register to vote on the same day, making voting easier.
- More Ballot Initiatives: Making it easier for people to put initiatives and referenda on the ballot across the state.
- Using Ranked Choice Voting: Supporting laws for ranked choice voting to give people more choices and better representation.
Making the Budget Process Transparent
Fulop wants to make the state budget process open and fair. This includes setting clear deadlines for the legislature to finish the budget and requiring public hearings before the budget is approved.
Reforming Open Public Records (OPRA)
Fulop will work to update OPRA, making sure state legislators follow the same transparency rules as local officials. He also supports a statewide system for handling commercial requests and requiring mediation before lawsuits against local governments.
Fulop’s Plan for Transparent and Engaged Governance
Steven Fulop’s detailed plan aims to bring back trust in New Jersey’s government by addressing corruption, involving the public more, and updating how elections and the budget are managed.
His focus on transparency and good governance demonstrates his belief that officials should serve the public’s interests rather than their own.
Fulop’s proposals offer a path to a more efficient and trustworthy government in New Jersey.
