JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Council President Martin Flemming announced his refusal of the creation of a citizen advisory board in Jackson to assist the township in finding and preserving open space from future development was driven by politics.
On Tuesday, Flemming opined about Mayor Michael Reina’s plan to put residents in the driver’s seat on a citizen advisory board to help the township identify and seek out land to be preserved.
Flemming, along with Nino Borrelli and Stephen Chisolm each voted against the committee because they would not have any control over the residents on the board.
The board, which would fall under the purview of the township administration, would simply serve as an advisory role to the mayor’s office to identify future open space land purchases. Those land purchases were used by Flemming during his campaign to purchase land from acquaintances, prompting the mayor to seek out non-affiliated residents to advise the township in the future.
Flemming and Borrelli each said they demanded the mayor give them power over who is selected to the committee. In its current form, the committee would simply advise the township and would have no authoritative capacity. Once the administration identifies a plot of land to preserve, lawyers would draft up contracts.
Flemming and the Jackson council would have final say on purchased properties.
“It’s all about checks and balances in local government,” Reina said. “No one branch of our government should have total control over these land purchases. We cannot buy land without the township’s approval. Flemming is once again using his position to play politics in Jackson.”
Reina blasted Flemming and his allies for dragging their feet on open space, leading to more development in the eastern section of Jackson.
“When I first proposed an Open Space Advisory Committee I did so in an effort to supplement the Council’s open space preservation efforts. Over the last two years the Council, the only part of our government authorized to spend money on open space, has done little to grow our open space inventory and it is clear to me that more effort needs to be put into identifying parcels that the Township can buy,” Reina said.
The measure was introduced by newly elected councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn and seconded by Scott Sargent. However, with Flemming’s team holding the 3-2 majority on the council, the measure was defeated.
Flemming pulled the ordinance from the meeting’s agenda hours before Tuesday’s town meeting.
“I was inspired to see that Council President Flemming had included the ordinance authorizing the formation of the Jackson Township Open Space Committee on last night’s Council agenda and then dismayed to learn that it had been pulled at the last minute with no explanation,” Reina said. “Thanks to the courage of Councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn and Councilman Scott Sargent the ordinance was nonetheless subject to the introduction and only then did we learn that certain Council members were concerned with the makeup of the Committee.”
Reina said, “In Jackson Township’s form of government, committees fall under either the purview of Administration or of Council, and the membership of those committees is determined by the appropriate authority. There is not a single Committee in our Township whose membership is equally divided between Mayoral and Council appointment, nor should there be, separation of powers is what makes our form of government work.”
Reina said he will continue to work to form the Open Space Advisory board despite Flemming’s efforts to take full control of the board.
He called upon Flemming, Chisolm and Borrelli to stop stonewalling for political theater.
Flemming did not respond.