Belleville Town Manager Resigns Amid 'Dual Office' Controversy

Belleville, NJ – Citing work demands as municipal tax assessor as the reason for his decision, Belleville’s interim town manager resigned during Tuesday’s Township Council meeting.

Kevin Esposito had come under fire in recent months for holding dual offices in Belleville: town manager and tax assessor.

In September, township officials rebuffed a letter from the Essex County Board of Taxation stating that Esposito was acting in a “legally questionable manner” by holding both positions at the same time.

• See related article: No Conflict Of Interest For Town Manager, Tax Assessor

The potential conflict of interest was raised by Michael Melham, a former Belleville resident and property owner, who filed a federal civil action against Esposito in May.

In his lawsuit, Melham alleged that Esposito – serving in his dual roles as manager and tax assessor – reassessed his property at 170 Washington Avenue from $528,000 to $298,000 as part of an eminent domain proceeding, costing his real estate partner to drop out of the deal.

However, Esposito’s supporters included Belleville Mayor Raymond Kimble, who called the controversy a political “coup,” according to NJ.com.

“I don’t know what to say except that at this time I hate being a politician,” Kimble said.

To replace Esposito, the Belleville Township Council voted to install Nutley commissioner and Belleville native Mauro Tucci as interim township manager on Tuesday night, NorthJersey.com reported.

• See related article: Belleville Tax Assessor is Interim Township Manager