As highlighted in Mr. Samson’s Community Voices article, the Town Council recently voted to approve  $30,000 in spending for a public relations firm—Vision Media Marketing.

The firm describes itself as:

“…a full-service media and communications consulting firm with numerous strong, long-term relationships with elected officials, political and labor officials, and business leaders throughout North Jersey.” (emphasis added)

Their slogan? “Winning takes Vision.”

They position themselves as storytellers who can “help clients break through and tell their story to help them win elections, drive public opinion, and reach their business goals.” 

The $30,000 approved by the Mayor and Council is specifically for Media and Communication Services.

Why does the mayor and council of a small town need an expensive, high-powered firm to communicate directly with residents—especially when they already control one local media outlet and have free access to another?

Does whatever initiative this seeks to support (CMS Field as an example) require $30,000 in taxpayer funds to effectively convey its purpose and importance?

Depending on how this money is used, are the council and Mayor setting the stage for the perception that tax dollars are being used for electioneering?

Given the long history of questionable financial decisions across multiple administrations in Berkeley Heights, the mayor and council should have expected public scrutiny—especially when burying this expense among a sea of other items across three different versions of an agenda for the same meeting.

At a time when working- and middle-class families in our community are struggling with economic uncertainty and a tough job market, these decisions without explanation come across as both tone-deaf and cynical.

I’ve requested that the Mayor and council provide detail connected to how this firm will be used and await their response.

While we wait for answers, here’s something else to consider:

Since 1997, Vision Media Marketing has donated $150,000 to New Jersey political campaigns.

Their President and CFO throwing in another $4,700 on top of that…..

Source: NJElec

Being “at the Center of NJ’s Political Structure” isn’t cheap.

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