Phil Murphy’s adopted hometown fell short in a challenge to what it asserted was an unfunded mandate on his neighbors.
The township had asserted that bail reform constituted an unfunded mandate in light of an uptick in car-related crimes.
The Council On Local Mandates disagreed.
“We are also left to speculate why the complaint was filed and whether Middletown actually thought that it had any chance of prevailing based solely on the mere allegations in a Complaint,” the members explained in an opinion released to the media, an unusual step. “There are no references to the doctrines of ‘stare decisis” or “collateral estoppel” and no reasons are provided as to why they should not apply. When read again in light of these considerations, the complaint is fundamentally a press release rather than a pleading.“
Middletown didn’t take the rejection lying down.
“Once again, the State of New Jersey has demonstrated that they would rather be a state of chaos and lawlessness rather than a state of safety and comfort for the families who call it home,” said Mayor Tony Perry, a Republican and reliable Murphy critic. “The flawed decision by the Council on Local Mandates to dismiss Middletown’s complaint completely misses the fundamental reasoning for the existence of this entity. Middletown demonstrated that it had spent more than $300,000 in 2022 fighting a lawless culture that Trenton has cultivated and encouraged.
“Just yesterday, a Middletown police officer assigned to the New Jersey Auto Theft Task Force assisted in the apprehension and arrest of three individuals from Essex County who had existing arrest warrants for kidnapping, home invasion, and auto theft. Why are Middletown taxpayers left with this bill rather than the State doing its primary responsibility in protecting the citizens of New Jersey?” Perry continued. “Individuals like this should not be roaming free with impunity to continue committing more crimes that will go unpunished. The Attorney General and the Council on Local Mandates can dismiss this complaint, but they will not be able to hide from their record when it comes to upholding the law and order that they are sworn to protect.”
