Trenk To Retire In West Orange; New Twist In Town Attorney Saga

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Richard Trenk’s tenure as the township attorney of West Orange is coming to an end.

Trenk submitted his retirement as town attorney on Jan. 6, pending the appointment of a replacement and a “reasonable transition in the best interests of the township.”

It isn’t clear yet who Trenk’s replacement will be – or when they will take his place.

The West Orange Town Council had resolutions on their Tuesday meeting agenda for three potential candidates – Edward Florio, Gregg Pastor, and Joseph Wenzel – but ultimately voted to table the discussion until a future meeting.

“Council members have had discussions with the mayor about the town attorney, but we have not reached agreement yet,” council president Joe Krakoviak told Patch.

“It's important to report and understand that we tabled consideration of the three candidates until council members who want to interview the candidates have a chance to interview them,” Krakoviak added. “We did not vote no on any of them.”

Watch meeting footage below (video is cued to the discussion on the town attorney position).

Trenk – a director of the law firm, Trenk Isabel Siddiqi & Shahdanian P.C. – has represented the municipality since 1998.

His supporters have included Mayor Susan McCartney, who has issued multiple statements on Trenk’s behalf, pointing to his three decades of experience as an attorney. However, some council members and residents have been growing increasingly critical of his track record advising the town on legal matters, including several important development projects.

A legal arm-wrestling match has been taking place in West Orange over the township attorney position over the past few years. Catch up with some of our previous coverage below (click headline to read the article):

• West Orange Mayor Sues Town Council; Trenk Saga Continues
• Controversy, Lawsuit Over West Orange Town Attorney Drags On

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