JACKSON, NJ – Jackson Township officials confirmed that the long-awaited details of Police Chief Matthew Kunz’s reported million-dollar settlement will be made public on February 1, just after the chief’s scheduled retirement at the end of the month.
“This is bullshit,” said Jackson Councilman Christopher Pollak.
Council President Mordechai Burnstein said during Monday’s meeting that the full agreement will be released for public inspection following Chief Kunz’s departure.
The disclosure will end weeks of speculation surrounding the payout, which stems from a lawsuit Kunz filed against the township, resolving what officials described as a “long-running legal and political dispute.”
Township Attorney Greg McGuckin acknowledged the settlement but declined to share specific figures or terms, citing legal advice to wait a few more days before making any public statements about the financial details.
“We’ve been advised by legal counsel for another couple days not to talk much about it for the sensitivity of the matter,” Burnstein said.
The exchange came during a discussion with resident Carlos Martin, who pressed officials to clarify whether the settlement was limited to back pay or included additional compensation.
McGuckin confirmed that the agreement would list how the payment was divided, adding that the full document will be available for public review once released.
Councilman Chris Pollak disputed the process the township has taken during the lawsuit, keeping the public in the dark, including himself.
“I really take issue with this right now,” Pollak said.
This transparency thing is that I can’t say what I want to say right now, but we put out a statement about this lawsuit. You blamed everything on the former administration. You took no responsibility yourself. Part of this lawsuit was about thepublic safety director. You said it was just about all back pay. He just came here with facts. Okay? You know, it wasa certain amount going to be for back pay. And you asked me to vote on this. I requested this even after the fact. I didn’t vote on it because I didn’t have all the information. I wasn’t given all the information. I didn’t even know if the chief fully agreed to it. So, Iabstained. After the fact, I requested the settlement agreement. I’m a sitting councilman, and I can’t even get that. Like, what’s going on? Like, why is this happening? Sure. And why are you putting all the blame on the former administration, while you were sitting as council president, you were vice president, you brought in this public safety director, who was part of this lawsuit, I’m assuming a major part of this lawsuit. I feel like his numbersare pretty spot-on.
Kunz’s lawsuit, which township officials say has been pending for several years, reportedly involved disputes over salary adjustments and employment conditions. While the township’s statement announcing the settlement did not provide financial details, multiple residents and local watchdog groups have demanded transparency over how much taxpayer money is involved.
While Kuhn cited backpay issues under former Mayor Michael Reina, many of the chief’s grievances were directed at Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and the township council for interfering with police operations and for the appointment of a department civilian overseer under the guise of Public Safety Director, a position held by Joseph Candido until a judge struck the ordinance down, barring Candido from serving as a manger to his boss, the Chief of Police.
- Jackson officials say full details of Police Chief Matthew Kunz’s settlement will be released February 1
- The agreement ends a years-long lawsuit just before Kunz’s retirement
- Township attorney says the settlement breakdown, including back pay, will be made public for inspection