Klein at Further Odds With Council

Councilwoman Estelle Klein has put herself further at odds with the rest of Hopatcong's council.

Klein resigned as chairman of the council's real estate committee, tasked with managing borough property, at Wednesday night's council meeting at the . The councilwoman said she objected to the addition of borough administrator Robert Elia to the committee.

Klein, a Republican on the council this year, said she took issue with committee members Richard Bunce and Marie Galate—both council members—sending letters to "various people who might want to buy some borough-owned property."

Bunce, however, isn't even a member of the committee. Mayor Sylvia Petillo said Thursday the borough—not Galate and Bunce—sent the letters.

Klein wasn't at the early-May meeting when Elia was added to the real estate committee.

"Now all of a sudden they feel they need the administrator to take charge," said Klein, who also mentioned that Bunce owns a construction company while Galate owns hair salon in the borough. Klein's caveat: that Galate was "a very good hairdresser."

Klein, a 35-year realtor, then resigned from her post.

"I'm sure the administrator and Marie Galate will manage quite well without me," Klein said, "so I hereby resign my position of the chairman of the real estate committee."

Mayor Sylvia Petillo said it wasn't unusual to ask Elia to collaborate with council committees.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Petillo told Klein, "but we very often ask our administrator to work with us."

After Klein said she doubted an administrator had ever before played a role in the real estate committee, Petillo said: "No, you've never had the administrator. Because you haven't been here in seven years. Estelle, we do ask our administrator to work with us in different committees. So it's nothing new that we're doing."

Klein served on Hopatcong's council from 2003 to 2008.

In April, Klein was the . Klein was a 10-year board of health member and the council's liaison to the board.