JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Township resident Elanor Hannum, who has been battling Mayor Michael Reina and the township council for decades over multiple alleged quality of life concerns for residents said this week that the township is now “lawless” and the leaders of the township aren’t doing enough to maintain the quality of life for residents.
Hannum complained that the township ordinances have little value when it comes to violations of building and code enforcement after discovering many of the fines and summonses issued against violators are wiped clean at some point.
Hannum said she has repeatedly alerted the town to quality of life issues and safety issues including out-of-town school buses ignoring posted speed limits in neighborhoods, but the township discredits “every allegation I have ever made”.
“Why is it that it is more financially beneficial to ask for forgiveness and engage in illegal activities knowing that 90 percent, if not more of their fines are going to be wiped away?” Hannum asked the council. “There is absolutely no reason to even have these laws or have these ordinances that are in place to protect neighborhood property owners.”
Hannum alleged a level of wrongdoing after the municipal judge, appointed by Jackson Mayor Michael Reina routinely drops the fines, she said.
“Who’s responsible for appointing the municipal prosecutors.” She said. “And who is responsible for appointing the municipal judge?”
When told Mayor Michael Reina appointments the town’s prosecutors and judges, Hannum replied, “That’s what I thought.”
She continued saying that the prosecutor’s lack of prosecution on code enforcement and quality of life issues has created lawlessness in the community. Hannum claimed LLCs posing as homeowners are creating fraud and “nobody cares”.
“What I’m seeing is vast lawlessness within my own town it’s just on a different level it’s on a fiscal level it’s on a value level within neighborhoods,” Hannum said.