New Borough Attorney Appointed For Red Bank In Factional Move

RED BANK, NJ — Mayor Pasquale "Pat" Menna knew the choice of a borough attorney here would fall along familiar factional lines among members of the all-Democratic Borough Council. And so it did.

At a recent council meeting, attorney Daniel Antonelli of the Livingston firm of Antonelli Kantor was put forward for the post by the council majority made up of Michael Ballard, Ed Zipprich (the former Democratic Municipal Committee chairman in town), Jacqueline Sturdivant and Angela Mirandi. Ballard, Sturdivant and Mirandi voted to appoint Antonelli. Zipprich abstained.

It was raised by Menna and others on the council that Antonelli had represented the local Democratic Municipal Committee in another matter earlier this year and that Zipprich's voting would be a conflict. Zipprich did not vote out of an "abundance of caution," he said, according to an app.com article.

The minority faction, Councilwomen Kate Triggiano (current Democratic Municipal Committee chairperson) and Kathy Horgan, opposed the choice. Mayor Menna had no vote in the matter since he would vote in a tie.

Menna, who had blocked a previous nomination by the majority after it unexpectedly removed the prior borough attorney, said he realized that anyone he would nominate would never make it past the majority. So he let his time expire to name a replacement so that the council majority could make the nomination.

"I'm old school. I don't want to put a professional in that position," he said Wednesday, commenting about anyone he might put forward.

But he said he stood firm in his position that Zipprich should abstain because of the prior representation.

Antonelli currently serves as the appointed municipal attorney for the Township of Union and the City of Linden, representing Union since 1998 and Linden since 2012, according to his law firm's biography.

Menna, himself an attorney, said the borough had two other attorneys available to perform any immediate legal actions necessary in the absence of an approved borough attorney. But now that Antonelli is in place, Menna said it is a necessary position to coordinate all legal matters for the borough. Antonelli, according to the app.com article, said he was happy to be in the role and looked forward to working with all council members and the borough staff.

Menna, who has been mayor for many years, was passed over by Zipprich, as former Democratic leader in town, for the nomination to run for mayor this year in favor of Ballard. Ballard was defeated by an independent candidate, Billy Portman, who will now face a Republican challenger in November.

In November, there will also be a question before voters to change the form of government here to nonpartisan - a move Menna said he suggested several years ago and that Portman supported in his campaign.