UPDATED: Galloway Mayor Keith Hartman Files For Injunction to Keep Seat

Mayor Keith Hartman filed for a court injunction to hold on to his seat for at least another week, The Press of Atlantic City is reporting.

He was to have forfeited his seat as Galloway Township Mayor as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, Township Manager Steve Bonanni confirmed Tuesday morning.

But a report on the Press’ website on Wednesday states that Hartman will hold on to his seat until a scheduled Superior Court date after filing an injunction prior to the midnight deadline on Tuesday.

According to the Atlantic County Courts, the hearing will take place before Judge Nelson Johnson in Atlantic City on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m. 

According to Councilman Dennis Kleiner, the township learned of the injunction between 4 and 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

“The township will be there to defend its stance,” Kleiner said. “It’s a matter of law. Jim Gorman didn’t do this, Dennis Kleiner didn’t do this; Keith Hartman did this to himself.”

Statute stipulates that an elected official who misses eight consecutive weeks of business must be removed from his or her position, unless members of that same body “excuse the absence for legitimate reasons.”

Hartman has stated that his absences are due to threats to his family.

On Tuesday, Deputy Mayor Don Purdy stated that Hartman had the right to a hearing before the council at the next scheduled meeting on Oct. 25. Township Manager Steve Bonanni on Tuesday stated that Hartman had requested his absences be excused.

The status of that hearing is now unclear due to the court date set for Wednesday.

Township Solicitor Michael Blee stated in an email on Wednesday afternoon that the first written notification from Hartman to council to be excused was sent on Oct. 14, and council couldn't lawfully convene until Oct. 18, a meeting in which Councilman Jim Gorman requested an investigation into the mayor’s absences, stating that he had missed four consecutive council meetings.

Gorman had stated that as far as he was concerned, Hartman had forfeited his seat that night. At the same meeting, Councilman Dennis Kleiner called for a censure of Hartman.

"The case is now in litigation and will be defended zealously," Blee stated in the email. "The Township believes that the Municipal Vacancy Law has been properly applied.

"As Superior Court Judge Beglin stated in a case considering the law: Representative government imposes a responsibility upon elected officials to give proper attention to the duties of their office, one of which is regular attendance and participation in the meetings of the body to which they have been elected. The public is entitled to know it is being represented and not neglected by those it has placed in office."

Hartman is up for re-election this year, and had stated that if removed from council, he was certain the voters of Galloway Township would vote him back into office, before he reportedly filed the court order Tuesday night.

In 2009, then-councilman William Ackerman missed time due to a stroke, but was able to return to duty before losing his seat, according to a Press of Atlantic City report dated Dec. 9, 2009.

He reported to the council meeting on the day he was scheduled to lose his seat, but later relinquished his position on council.