Jackson Township Council President Mordechai Burnstein is once again attempting to rewrite recent history.
Following the Township’s costly out-of-court settlement with Police Chief Matthew Kunz over the now-infamous Public Safety Director controversy, Burnstein took to Facebook this week to distance himself — and the Council — from the Candido appointment.
In his post, Burnstein wrote:
“The Township Council did not appoint a Public Safety Director. Under our form of government, only the Mayor has the authority to make that appointment. The Council adopted an ordinance creating the position at the request of then-Mayor Michael Reina. Former Mayor Reina subsequently appointed Lieutenant Candido to the role.”
Translation:
Not us. That was Reina.
There’s just one problem.
That’s not what Burnstein said when it happened.
April 4, 2024: “Council To Appoint Joe Candido”
On April 4, 2024, Lakewood Alerts published what was widely understood to be an approved press release from Township leadership.
The headline read:
“FIRST REPORT: Jackson Twp Council To Appoint Joe Candido As Public Safety Director.”
The article stated plainly:
“The Jackson Township Council is set to appoint Joe Candido as its Public Safety Director.”
There was no ambiguity.
No technical parsing.
No “only the mayor appoints.”
The public was told the Council appointed Candido.
And now, months later — after litigation, a judicial ruling removing Candido from the role, and a financial settlement with Chief Kunz — Burnstein is suddenly saying:
The Council didn’t appoint him at all.
Why the Rewrite Now?
This reversal comes only after:
• Chief Kunz sued over Candido’s appointment and authority
• The court agreed Candido’s appointment violated legal principles
• Candido was removed
• The Township settled the remaining claims with Kunz
• Taxpayer money was used to resolve the dispute
Now that the political and financial fallout has settled, Burnstein appears eager to reassign responsibility.
First it was a Council appointment.
Now it was solely the mayor’s action.
Which is it?
You Can’t Have It Both Ways
Burnstein’s recent Facebook clarification attempts to draw a technical distinction:
The Council created the position.
The Mayor made the appointment.
That may be a formalistic explanation under Jackson’s form of government.
But that is not how it was presented to the public at the time.
The public announcement said the Council was appointing Candido.
If the Council had no appointing authority, why did its leadership publicly frame the move that way?
And why correct the record only after litigation exposed the legal flaws?
This isn’t the first time FAA News has documented Jackson Township leadership attempting to reframe prior actions once controversy arises.
From zoning litigation to the Candido power struggle, the pattern has been consistent:
Make the move.
Promote it confidently.
Face legal challenge.
Recast the narrative.
Blame someone else.
This latest episode fits that script almost perfectly.
The Record Speaks for Itself
The screenshots tell the story:
📌 April 4, 2024:
“The Jackson Township Council is set to appoint Joe Candido…”
📌 February 2025:
“The Township Council did not appoint a Public Safety Director…”
Those statements cannot both be accurate.
Either the Council appointed Candido — as publicly announced — or it did not.
What has changed since April 2024 is not the Township’s form of government.
What has changed is the outcome of the lawsuit.
The Bigger Question
Why is the Council President now distancing himself from a decision he once publicly celebrated?
And why does this clarification come only after:
A court ruling,
An ouster,
And a financial settlement?
When elected officials begin revising their own press releases, the public is entitled to ask whether this is clarification — or cleanup.
One thing is certain:
FAA News remembers.
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