By JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent
SAYREVILLE — Who the Borough Council attorney will be for 2017 is still undecided.
Despite a seeming split between Democrat Steven Grillo and the rest of the council Democrats, Council President Daniel Buchanan said he felt the 2017 reorganization meeting on Jan. 1 “may have been the smoothest reorganization this borough has had in many years.”
During the reorganization, Grillo was named public safety liaison, losing his role on both the Sayreville Economic & Redevelopment Agency (SERA) and the Planning Board.
However, the fight over who the borough attorney will be is between the Republicans and Democrats. Buchanan said he is disappointed that so far Mayor Kennedy O’Brien has yet to reappoint borough attorney Michael DuPont of McKenna, DuPont, Higgins & Stone, Red Bank. DuPont has been the borough attorney since 2011.
“I am confident that he will be reappointed at a future date, hopefully by the mayor,” Buchanan said. “All of the other professionals that the mayor appointed were approved by this council, again with the goal of working together.”
However, DuPont’s initial appointment in 2011 prompted O’Brien and other Republicans on the council at the time to walk out of a council meeting, and O’Brien has openly disagreed and expressed his frustration with DuPont.
Buchanan said he has reached out to the mayor and Republican chairman/former Councilman Art Rittenhouse about open appointments, including Borough Council attorney, but he has received no response. Buchanan clarified that O’Brien has previously requested all appointment discussions include the current Republican chairman.
“I would have hoped that they would work together in a bipartisan manner rather than just expect all of their appointments be rubber stamped,” Buchanan said. “This council needs to work together, not be constantly bickering.”
However, Rittenhouse said that he does not feel the mayor would be reappointing DuPont, adding that he feels DuPont takes direction exclusively from the other side of the table.
“Michael DuPont only does what the Democrats tell him what they want him to do,” Rittenhouse said. “He doesn’t understand parliamentary procedure.”
Buchanan, though, may still get his pick, regardless of whether O’Brien puts DuPont’s name up for a vote. After a 30-day vacancy, the council will have the power to appoint an attorney; Buchanan said if it comes to that, he would be supporting DuPont.
“He has done a tremendous job for the borough at a reasonable cost,” Buchanan said. “I will be supporting Mr. DuPont and his firm and believe my colleagues should as well.”
Rittenhouse also pointed out that the council has the votes to have DuPont renamed to his post. Republicans only have one seat on the council — that of Councilman Pat Lembo.