TRENTON — The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, under fire for seeking free tickets and failing to meet state ethics requirements, adopted three of the four reforms requested by Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno at its meeting in Trenton today. The council declined to adopt the fourth reform, the ouster of executive director Steve Runk. Through her spokesman,...
The council declined to adopt the fourth reform, the ouster of executive director Steve Runk.
Through her spokesman, Guadagno expressed disappointment that the "board did not take action on all four of the Administration’s recommendations."
"While we were pleased that there was progress in the acceptance of a more substantive and thorough "on-site visitation" form for all members and additional ethics training, it is our belief that we must still go further," said Shawn Crisafulli, spokesman for the Department of State, which Guadagno heads.
While the council did not agree to undertake a search for Runk’s replacement, it did concede to Guadagno's request to a reorganization that shifts Runk's authority to Wendy Galloway, the director of division of programs in the Department of State. The council also reaffirmed its commitment to the state’s ethics code and agreed to revise completely the on-site visit form its members use to monitor the council's grantees.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno speaks at the meeting of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts at the State Museum's auditorium this morning in Trenton.PREVIOUS COVERAGE
• N.J. arts council postpones annual meeting, grant distribution for ethics training
• Lt. Gov. Guadagno takes control of N.J. arts council, orders ethics training after freebies request
• Members of the N.J. Council on the Arts seek increased freebies, records show