Jackson in turmoil: NJ town erupts in political war as mayoral fight intensifies

🔴 Multiple Jackson Township employees file complaints against Council President Jennifer Kuhn.

🔴 The council is set to pick a new mayor on Friday after longtime Mayor Mike Reina’s resignation.

🔴 Kuhn, a top contender for mayor, denies wrongdoing and says she's only asking for accountability

JACKSON — Factions within this Ocean County community are coming to a head as competing groups look to pick a new mayor for the first time in nearly two decades.

New Jersey 101.5 has obtained several leaked complaints filed by Jackson Township municipal employees, including several code enforcement officers and Police Chief Matthew Kunz.

All of the complaints were filed within the past two weeks, coinciding with the resignation of longtime Mayor Mike Reina.

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It comes days before the Jackson council will decide on the next mayor at a special meeting on Friday morning.

Complaints target Jackson council president ahead of mayoral vote

At least six complaints accuse Council President Jennifer Kuhn of bullying and harassment. They call for her to resign from the council.

As council president, Kuhn is a likely choice to fill Reina's vacancy. On Tuesday, Kuhn said she isn't vying for mayor but will accept the role if she is nominated.

Kuhn also denied any wrongdoing. Kuhn said to New Jersey 101.5 that she was "taken aback" by the complaints, which she said were hurtful.

Township launches investigation into harassment claims

A third party has been hired by the township administration to investigate the claims, Kuhn said.

New Jersey 101.5 has reached out to the Jackson business administrator for more information.

Mordechai Burnstein, the council vice-president and Kuhn ally, said the influx of complaints was "dirty" and political. He also said the accusations will not impact Friday's vote to decide the next acting mayor.

"I'm pretty confident the council president will be vindicated," Burnstein said.

He says the third-party investigation will likely be wrapped up before the end of October.

Code enforcement officers lead push against Jennifer Kuhn

The vast majority of the complaints against Kuhn came from code enforcement employees, including department Supervisor Andrew Cheney.

Cheney, along with the other workers, called for Kuhn to resign or be removed from office.

"This would hopefully relieve some of the toxic work environment currently taking place within the township," Cheney said in the complaint.

He accused Kuhn of constant harassment and releasing their private emails to the media.

Four other code enforcement officers made similar complaints of harassment, including GPS tracking on their township vehicles.

Another complaint came from a member of the personnel department, similar to human resources. Without specifics, she claimed Kuhn had directed her to take actions against state law and Jackson policies.

Kuhn pushes back, says she's asking for employees to work

However, Kuhn said to New Jersey 101.5 that she wasn't harassing anyone — she was looking for accountability and just wanted the code enforcement officers to do their jobs.

Jackson has 10 code enforcement officers, more than double most surrounding municipalities.

"We have code enforcement officers who are supposed to work 40-hour weeks, yet in a month (30 days), they have completed only 3 inspections. We have vehicles idling for almost 2 hours while code enforcement does nothing," Kuhn said in an email.

Jackson police chief files harassment complaint

Among the complaints was one from Chief of Police Matthew Kunz, who has held the position since 2008.

In the complaint, Kunz accused the council president of disparaging him in public and sending numerous emails to other people "designed to harass, malign, bully, annoy, and intimidate me."

At council meetings, Kuhn has repeatedly questioned Kunz's leadership and issues in the police department.

Accusations of problems within the Jackson Township Police Department have been ongoing for years.

ALSO SEE: Police chief’s defense of tickets deepens Jackson’s Jewish divide

A group of Jackson police local union leaders and dozens of officers criticized Kunz's leadership in February 2024, one month after Kuhn was first sworn in to the council.

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