Attorneys have just filed legal action seeking for a Court Order permitting them to depose and question Lakewood Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller as to possible conflicts of interest he may have, FAA News has learned.
The issue at hand involves Deputy Mayor Miller's connection to local schools that may benefit from an Ordinance he voted to approve.
As previously reported here on FAA News, back in December 2022, Lakewood's Township Committee adopted an Ordinance legalizing banquet halls in schools.
Therefore, as previously reported here on FAA News, back in January 2023, 1650 Corporate Road West LLC, an industrial park property owner and a party to lawsuits filed against Lake Terrace and Bnos Brocha which allege that they were operating banquet halls without Township approval, represented by Attorney Rob Shea Esq., filed a lawsuit seeking to stay and overturn the new ordinance.
The Second Count of the lawsuit, which was filed in New Jersey Superior Court in Ocean County, alleges that Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller was prohibited from voting on the Ordinance because; 1) he has sons who currently do, or recently did, attend Yeshiva Toras Ahron which has a banquet hall and would benefit from adoption of this ordinance, and; 2) his mother holds "a significant position within the administration of Beis Faiga's girls school which operates one of the oldest banquet halls in Lakewood as well as a boys school within the industrial park, both of which could benefit from adoption of the ordinance."
The Third Count of the lawsuit alleges that because Deputy Mayor Miller was prohibited from voting, his vote was "tainted," and without his vote there would not have been sufficient votes to affirm the ordinance, therefore the Ordinance should be overturned.
The plaintiffs have just now filed legal action seeking a court Order requiring Deputy Mayor Miller to be deposed and answer questions as to the alleged conflicts of interest.
"If an appeal alleges conflicts of interest which tainted the Board's decision, Board members may be deposed with respect to the existence of any conflicts. Cox & Koenig, New Jersey Zoning and Land Use Administration.
"Plaintiff's motion is a simple request for limited discovery on an issue which is properly joined to the Prerogative Writ complaint for the specific question of whether or not Deputy Mayor Miller's family is involved in the administration of schools which benefit from the Amended Ordinance.
The motion is returnable before Judge Hodgson next Friday, November 17.
The Township has not yet responded to the motion.
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1 comment:
Peter Van Dyke won’t be able to get him out of this one. Besides, his ex-partner, Tom Kelaher, can no longer offer his protective services.
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