JACKSON, NJ – Tensions ran high inside Jackson’s municipal chambers Monday night as resident and candidate for mayor Eli Shem-Tov delivered a pointed address aimed squarely at Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and members of the township council, specifically Council President Mordechai Burnstein.
Internal dysfunciton spilling into public view, courtrooms and settlements
His remarks, measured but unrelenting, accused township leadership of presiding over what he called a “crisis of credibility” tied to mounting legal disputes, taxpayer-funded settlements, and a pattern of internal dysfunction that has spilled into public view.
At the center of the storm is the controversy surrounding Police Chief Matthew Kunz, whose long legal battle with the township culminated in a reported multimillion-dollar settlement agreement.
Kunz is expected to retire at the end of January, and the full terms of his settlement are set to be released on February 1, according to Council President Mordechai Burnstein. The township confirmed the agreement last week but withheld financial details pending the chief’s formal retirement.
Poor administrative oversight is costing Jackson millions of dollars
For Shem-Tov, the issue extends far beyond the dollar amount. He argued that the settlement reflects years of poor administrative oversight, internal discord, and inconsistent leadership from those now seeking to distance themselves from the fallout.
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“Right now, there’s a credibility problem,” Shem-Tov said, addressing Kuhn directly. “This was not a clerical issue. It involved senior township officials and had real financial and public trust consequences. It’s not something you inherit when you were one of the people in charge as it unfolded.”
Shem-Tov noted that Kuhn served as council president during the prior administration, a period in which Kunz’s pay disputes and employment grievances began escalating.
“Leadership does not work like a light switch,” he said. “On when there is credit, off when there is responsibility. That’s not leadership.”
Chief of Police Settlement raises questions about leadership
The settlement with Chief Kunz brings to an end years of internal tension between the police department and the mayor’s office. Kunz, a veteran law enforcement officer with decades of service, filed legal claims asserting that he was denied contractual pay increases and other benefits owed to him under township agreements. According to public remarks made by multiple residents and sources close to the dispute, those unpaid adjustments amounted to several hundred thousand dollars.
But with legal fees and back compensation added, the final cost to taxpayers could approach or exceed $2 million once the settlement is finalized.
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Shem-Tov accused township officials of contributing to the problem by mishandling personnel decisions. He singled out the appointment of Joseph Candido as director of public safety — a newly created position paying more than $200,000 annually — as evidence of what he described as unnecessary administrative expansion designed to undermine the chief’s authority.
“And for what? Retribution. Force the chief out,” Shem-Tov said, echoing the frustration of many residents who have questioned the need for a separate director’s position when the township already employs a police chief.
Township leaders have defended the move, saying the position was intended to improve oversight and coordination across departments.
“If you have a police chief, why create a director of public safety unless you’re trying to sideline him?” one attendee asked rhetorically after Shem-Tov’s remarks.
Beyond the police department, Shem-Tov warned that Jackson is developing a reputation for internal conflict that consistently ends up in court — with taxpayers footing the bill. He referenced a series of pending lawsuits involving current and former township employees, including one filed by former Town Hall worker Maryanne Horda, who has accused municipal officials of workplace misconduct and harassment.
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“Whether these claims are proven or not is for the courts to decide,” Shem-Tov said. “But the pattern is undeniable — repeated internal conflicts escalating to litigation with costs paid by the public.”
The township has faced similar scrutiny before. In recent years, several administrative and personnel disputes have led to confidential settlements or protracted legal fights, straining the municipal budget and fueling questions about management practices inside Town Hall. While the township has not released figures for all cases, court filings and budget documents reviewed in previous years show that legal expenses in Jackson have steadily increased as the number of employee-related lawsuits has grown.
Shem-Tov’s remarks underscored that history, warning that the pattern threatens to erode what little public trust remains. “Transparency means more than statements and meetings,” he said. “Accountability means more than pointing to the past. It means answering basic questions: What did township leadership know, and when? What actions were taken, or not taken, to address these issues internally? Why do these disputes keep ending up in court? How many more cases will we have to pay for before this stops?”
His speech, punctuated by frequent nods and murmurs of agreement from members of the audience, drew visible discomfort from several council members seated on the dais.
Mayor Kuhn, who attended the meeting but did not respond to Shem-Tov’s remarks, has previously said that her administration inherited a backlog of unresolved disputes and has been working to professionalize township operations, a stance that Shem-Tov disputed.
Council President Burnstein has echoed that view, telling residents that the current leadership “is committed to transparency and stability” as new administrative procedures are implemented.
Still, Shem-Tov was not persuaded.
“What people see,” he said, “are officials distancing themselves from decisions made while they were in leadership roles. That gap between words and reality is why trust in government erodes. Strong leadership doesn’t say, ‘That’s not my fault.’ Strong leadership says, ‘Here was my role in the matter, here’s what should have been done better, and here’s how we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.’”
The remarks concluded to light applause from the audience, signaling the depth of public frustration over the township’s recent controversies.
In the meantime, Jackson residents are left with growing questions about the future of their local government — and how much more these disputes will ultimately cost them.
“The people of this township deserve more than explanations,” Shem-Tov said in closing. “They deserve answers, responsibility, and a government that is willing to fix problems instead of pointing fingers.”
- Resident Eli Shem-Tov delivered a blistering critique of Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and township leadership during Monday’s meeting
- Chief Matthew Kunz’s retirement settlement, expected to exceed $2 million, follows years of administrative conflict and withheld pay disputes
- Shem-Tov called for transparency and accountability, citing a pattern of employee lawsuits and growing legal costs borne by taxpayers
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