A New Brunswick-based group, Empower Our Neighborhoods, won their fight against the city's decision to invalidate their petition yesterday in a surprising decision made by Judge Heidi W. Currier.
The EON's petition faced a setback in July when the City Council passed an ordinance that would set up a vote on a Charter Study Commission in November.
"They're using taxpayer money to do anything to stop change and to keep their power," said Erik Straub, a member of Tent State/Students for a Democratic Society and EON.
The Charter Study Commission would virtually put a halt for several months on any of the EON's plans to propose a ward system to voters, Straub said.
Under the ward system, the city would be redrawn into six wards, with a council member elected for each ward, as well as three overall council members, Straub said.
In order to include a referendum question on the ballot, the EON needed 15 percent of those who voted from the previous year's election to sign a petition. Straub said 1,116 registered voters of the 352 necessary signed.
During meetings between the council and EON, city spokesman Bill Bray said the organization spoke primarily about instituting a ward-based system. But in the official lawsuit EON filed, they argued to put both systems on the ballots.
"The group that is all about wards in not really all about wards," Bray said. "It now argues that there will be two forms of government on the ballot."
The ballot will have two questions, he said. One question will ask voters if they want a ward-based system, and the second will ask voters if they want to continue the at-large system but elect four more members to the City Council, Bray said.
"Based on the judge's ruling, there will not be a charter study question on the ballot," Bray said.
He said the city proposed the question for the charter study to give the community an opportunity to decide what type of government would work best for New Brunswick.
"So ironically if the judges ruling stands, voters will have a choice between two different forms of government which is really interesting," Bray said. "That's what the City Council was trying to do."
The council thought it was time to review the city's form of government, Bray said. He said they wanted the community to debate and review different forms of government.
If voters pass either of the referendum questions, the number of members would be increased, which would increase costs to tax payers, Bray said. Though council members determine their pay, there would be increased cost with either system, Bray said.
But members of the EON don't see it that way. Straub said the ordinance was a way to delay the EON's petition. He argued if the city were to convert to a ward system, students would have more influence on city decisions, which he said city officials do not want.
Straub feels that the city government is not fond of Rutgers students, "They call us transients," he said.
Straub argues a ward system would make local elections more winnable and give students the ability to get on the city council. He further argued it would help candidates who are not connected to the Democratic Party compete in an election, which should be a right for all New Brunswick residents.
According to the ward system advocate, the city makes $2 million a year in parking tickets, money that the city reportedly relies on each year.
"You live here 10 months of the year. You spend your money here. Why shouldn't you have a say?" asked Straub.
There are many issues Straub said need to be addressed, which include unforgiving noise control violations, absentee landlords, zoning issues, trash pickup and police forces entering parties without warrants. All these issues Straub asserts could only realistically be addressed with a ward system.
"Now that we've won this campaign, we're going to be working on a massive voter registration campaign," Straub said. "We want to go door to door and register every student to vote."
- Michelle Cerone
contributed to this article.
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