Mary Jane Cooper

August 30, 2006
Assemblyman Richard Merkt/908-850-1595(ext. 520)
Assembly Republican Office/609-292-5339

MERKT ASKS INSPECTOR GENERAL TO LOOK INTO QUESTIONS ABOUT UNION CITY SCHOOLS

QUESTIONS ABOUT PATRONAGE, CONTRIBUTIONS UNANSWERED

Assemblyman Richard Merkt today sent a letter to New Jersey Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper calling for her office to look into questions about the Union City school district that were raised at yesterday’s meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Funding Reform.

"Clearly there were questions raised yesterday about how state taxpayer dollars are being spent by the Union City school district that went unanswered," said Merkt, R-Morris. "We need to get answers to these serious questions and I think an independent investigation is the best way to do so."

At Tuesday's school funding hearing questions were raised about allegations that the Union City school district has become a patronage haven for the politically connected.

Specific instances were cited, including that of a city commissioner being appointed to a newly created position in the district. This line of questioning was cut off by the committee chairman who said it wasn’t the focus of those hearings.

"These are very serious questions that impact the amount of money state taxpayers are paying to support schools in Union City," Merkt writes in his letter. "I think we need to get answers and I believe your office is uniquely positioned to get those answers."

A copy of the letter is attached.

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INVERSO CALLS FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO PROBE SCC

Senator Peter Inverso, (R-14), announced that he will introduce legislation Monday, March 13 which would require the Governor to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate allegations of waste fraud and mismanagement at the Schools Construction Corporation (SCC). This bill is identical to A-2807 introduced in the General Assembly by Assemblyman Malone and Assemblyman Baroni.