Republicans don't like Rockaway's new mayor, so they picked someone else

A messy political battle in Rockaway Township stemming from the unexpected death of Mayor Michael Dachisen, and compounded by a controversial late-night council meeting last Friday, is taking a strange new twist.

Three days after the bitterly-divided township council named Paul Minnena the interim mayor, the Rockaway Township Republican Committee on Monday got together and chose Adam Salberg for the post -- acting on the theory that the council had missed a key deadline under the state's vacancy law.

Rockaway Township Interim Mayor Paul Minenna, on left, is sworn in at the Sept. 14 council meeting (Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

However, Minenna, a former councilman, remains the interim mayor according to John Inglesino, the township's newly-hired attorney. Inglesino, a former Rockaway Township mayor, was chosen to replace John Iaciofano at the same 10:30 p.m. meeting last Friday, Sept. 14, at which Minenna was elected.

Inglesino sent a letter Wednesday to Daniel Anello, the local Republican chair, on Wednesday, stating that the council acted within the 30-day deadline for filling the vacancy.

"Mayor Dachisen passed away on August 15, 2018. Thirty days after his death was Sept. 14," he wrote.

It remains to be seen if the Republican group will file a legal challenge to Minenna and attempt to install Salberg. Among the issues in play is whether Council President Jeremy Jedynak, who upon Dachisen's death became acting mayor, retained his ability to vote as a council member for Minenna.

Five of the nine council members were often at odds with Dachisen, and all five voted for Minenna and Inglesino. The other four voted against Minenna, and abstained on the municipal attorney, while questioning the legality of the hastily-called meeting.

At issue is the state's municipal vacancies law, which Inglesino said requires governing bodies to name a successor within 30 days, after which the choice goes to the local committee of the political party to which the former official belonged.

Dachisen was a Republican, as are seven of the nine council members.

The local Republican committee, as stipulated under the law, had nominated three candidates -- Minenna, Salberg and Councilman Michael Puzio -- for interim mayor prior to last Friday's meeting.

Puzio is part of the dissenting, four-member council faction and is the Republican candidate for mayor in the Nov. 6 special election.

Residents holding photos of late Rockaway Township Mayor Michael Dachisen at a council meeting, Sept. 14, 2018 (Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Minenna's selection by the council was greeted by loud boos from some of Dachisen's admirers in the audience, including those who were holding photos of the late mayor, though he stressed his high regard for the late mayor in brief remarks after being sworn in.

Three days later, the local Republican committee met and picked Salberg.

He is the husband of Lisa Salberg, who helped organize a recall drive targeting Jedynak soon after Dachisen's death.

Inglesino, in his letter to Anello, sought to remove any ambiguity.

"Mr. Minenna is solely recognized as Rockaway Township's Interim Mayor," Inglesino wrote.

While the interim mayor will serve only through the special election, the short-term post is not without significance. Minenna, during the next seven weeks, is empowered to make appointments and other changes.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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