Bad Blood On The Barnegat Township Committee

BARNEGAT, NJ - Just a few months into the New Year and all is not well with the members of the Barneat Township Committee.

Four committee members recently voted to censure Mayor Frank Caputo, after what Committeeman John Novak said was the result of "improper touching and/or assault of a committeeman, the display of an out-of- control, profanity-laden tirade and the threat of violence against another committeeman," according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Caputo has denied the allegations. But he admitted to becoming "loud and boisterous" after a February committee meeting.

He said he put his hands on Deputy Mayor Alfonso Cirulli's shoulders, but said Cirulli was comforting him.

Cirulli disagreed. He told app.com that Caputo had put his hands on his throat.

“I don’t feel any animosity toward him, but he’s not gonna lie his way out of this," Cirulli said. “He was in such a rage... I know he would never do anything to hurt me, but the fact was, it was a firm grip. It didn’t stop me from breathing.”

Novak and Cirulli said the censure vote included a vote of "no confidence." Caputo voted no.

Cirulli and Caputo agreed the disagreements partly related to the mayor's decision to seek re-election. His term expires at the end of this year.

But Caputo says the disagreements stem from his objections about Novak seeking a position as emergency management coordinator for the township. Caputo said he feared the position would end up being a paid job in the future.

Jumping from a Township Committee seat to a paid township job is not unusual in Barnegat.

Business Administrator Martin Lisella moved from a committee seat to his current position, which pays $144,920 a year. Former Committeewoman Susan McCabe, resigned from her seat on Jan. 1 to take a job as the township's conflict and labor attorney for $90,000.

The mayor said he supported a measure that would not allow a committee member to accept a township for two years after they have left the governing body.

“He (Novak) has been nothing less than a bully," Caputo said.

Cirulli said tensions between Caputo and Novak nearly turned violent, and that Caputo became enraged at Novak in his presence.

If you're looking to watch the drama on the Barnegat, you're out of luck. The portion of the video dealing with
the censure is missing. When asked what happened to it, Lisella said the video had not been edited, but the recording system had technical issues.

Barnegat does not have a freely-elected mayor. Each year the Township Committee picks one of the five members to serve.

To read the entire report, click here.

Photos: Courtesy of Barnegat.net. From top to bottom: Caputo, Novak, Cirulli