WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 7 (2004) created an Office of the Inspector General
and authorized that Office to, among other things, investigate the performance
of governmental programs in order to promote efficiency, to identify cost savings,
and to detect and prevent misconduct within programs and operations of any governmental
agency funded by or disbursing state funds; and
WHEREAS, the Inspector General, during the course of her review of the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC), has issued an Initial Report of Findings dated April 21, 2005, that contains a series of recommended changes; and
WHEREAS, the Inspector General recommends that the Board of Directors of the SCC be strengthened and made more independent by the appointment of two additional public members with financial management background and no personal or professional interests in either the education community or the construction community; and
WHEREAS, the composition of the Board of Directors of the SCC was delineated in Executive Order No. 24 (2002) and Executive Order No. 47 (2003); and
WHEREAS, there is a compelling need to quickly implement the Inspector General's recommended changes so that the construction of schools can continue in an efficient, non-wasteful manner;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD J. CODEY, Acting Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
- Paragraph 1(a) of Executive Order No. 24 (2002), previously amended by
Executive Order No. 47 (2003), is hereby further amended to read as follows:
"The creation of a corporation Board of Directors consisting of the following members: the Attorney General; Commissioner of Education; Commissioner of Labor; Commissioner of Community Affairs; State Treasurer; CEO/Secretary of Commerce and Economic Growth Commission; Executive Director of EDA; Member of the Governor's Executive Staff; three public members of the EDA Board of Directors selected by the Governor; and four members of the public to be appointed by the Governor. At least two of the four public members shall have financial management background and no personal or professional interest in either the education community or the construction industry."
- The SCC shall establish the Office of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CFO shall be responsible for implementing adequate internal financial controls and shall report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and the Audit Committee of the SCC's Board of Directors.
- The SCC is hereby directed to submit a plan to the Board of Directors within 14 days to implement the remaining recommendations contained within the Office of the Inspector General's Initial Report of Findings dated April 21, 2005.
- Executive Order No. 24 (2002) and Executive Order No. 47 (2003) shall remain in full force and effect except as modified herein.
- This Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 26th day
of April in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand
and Five, and of the Independence of the United
States, the Two Hundred and Twenty-Ninth.
/s/ Richard J. Codey
Acting Governor
[seal]
Attest:
/s/ Paul T. Fader
Chief Counsel to the Governor