Debate Sparked Over Chatham Appointments

CHATHAM, NJ — Chatham Township’s Committee began the year with a rocky start only minutes into the committee’s reorganization meeting.

After Ashley Felice was nominated as 2022 mayor, Committee Member Stacey Ewald, who had served as Deputy Mayor after former Mayor Tracey Ness resigned from her unexpired term in June 2021, shared her concerns about the process of choosing a municipal attorney and Planning Board members, during the discussion portion of Felice’s nomination to the seat.

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In a statement that she read, posted to her social media account and emailed to Patch, Ewald suggested that on Dec. 29 while she was still mayor, former Deputy Mayor Kathy Abbott, Committee Member Celeste Fondaco and Township Administrator Robert Hoffmann, “were unaware discussions with outside vendors had taken place.”

According to her statement, Ewald said the process to select service professionals, per the township’s bylaws, was not used.

“In trying to execute my fiduciary duty to residents, I asked for basic information like how the attorneys were chosen, how much they cost, and the scope of the contract,” Ewald stated. “I’m asked today [Jan. 6] to appoint a new attorney for our Township, and I still have not received that basic information.”

Ewald also took aim at newly-elected Committee Member Mark Lois, suggesting the proposed Township Attorney, Peter King, who is vice-chair of the Morris County GOP, “is part of the Executive Board that made the decision last year to donate $1,000 to Mr. Lois’ campaign.”

“I am also concerned with the counsel I will receive from Mr. King as he has made public statements disparaging Chatham Township Committee Democratic members,” Ewald added.

Ewald asked Lois if he planned to recuse himself from the appointments as well as appointments to the Planning Board, stating it “would be improper for you to select your panel of judges.”

“This is really supposed to be a reorganization meeting,” Felice stated, saying what was a “celebratory meeting when we are choosing our new elected body," had turned combative.

Lois said that Robert’s Rules of Order should be followed, limiting the discussion to the selection of mayor.

Mark Hamilton, who was chosen as 2022’s deputy mayor, said that Lois’ personal decision whether or not to recuse himself, was unrelated to the motion to vote on Felice’s appointment as mayor.

Watch the interaction among the Township Committee members from the Jan. 6 meeting about the attorney topic in the video below:

In an emailed statement to Patch about the discussion, Felice wrote said in the clip below, “Every year an attorney is appointed with the same process" and "the only difference is that this attorney will be appointed for 30 days as we consider our options.”

“We are changing our legal strategy from a single generalist to different law firms in the already established roles,” Felice added. “Stacey Ewald chose last year to give most of our legal work to a single firm and rely heavily on a single generalist. As legal complexities we face grow, this approach is simply outdated and cost ineffective.”

During the meeting, Lois commented in reply to Ewald that Republicans didn't make "a big deal about a Democrat State Committeeman who was appointed and working for our town," who also was able to potentially make donations from the Democratic State Committee.

See more about the attorney appointment discussion in the clip below:

Ewald continued the discussion about Lois and the Planning Board appointments later in the meeting, suggesting he should recuse himself from voting on them, with a pending application in front of the board:

Hamilton responded during the meeting that the “Planning Board addresses everyone in the community,” with it a coincidence that Lois has an application pending and a recusal was not necessary, with it up to the Board Member to recuse themselves at the time of the vote, if there was a conflict.

Felice answered that Lois’ opposition in his campaign against Abbott brought his application to light and,“Everybody knows about it and he still was elected.”

She said it was Lois' has a Constitutional duty as an elected official to vote on committee assignments.

Ewald said in her time of service, she has never known of a sitting Committee Member to have a pending Planning Board application and had concerns about potential litigation from it.

Lois stated that that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are automatically appointed to the Planning Board by ordinance. He also said that his application has been complete with the Planning Board since 2020, but the board has since “failed to act” on it.

“The truth is these appointments are identical to past appointments on the Planning Board," Lois wrote to Patch. "Just last year Mayor Ewald and Deputy Mayor Abbott were Democrats, occupying the same Planning Board seats. Now they object vigorously because a Republican Mayor and Deputy Mayor occupy their former seats.”

Lois also wrote that Ewald and her supporters are looking for a way to resolve their disappointment that he won the 2021 election.

“Don't be seduced into division, Chatham Township is the greatest Township in New Jersey, with exceptional people,” Lois wrote.

Read Ewald’s full statement here.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.