Former Mayor Rosellini denied taxpayer funded lawyers

Former Mayor John Rosellini will have to pay for his own legal defense following a decision by the Municipal Excess Liability fund (Download Binder2) that he appeared to have taken actions as Mayor that benefitted himself rather than Montville Township.  Municipal officials who illegally use their public office to benefit themselves are not entitled to taxpayer funded legal defense when they are sued.

Developer South Salem Street Associates claims that in June 2003 Rosellini and the Montville Planning Board improperly denied a fully conforming site plan which would have contained a child care center at their property at 330 Changebridge Road.  The very same week Rosellini signed a lease - with the very same tenant - for a child care center at his own property at 323 Changebridge Road. 

In 2004 the Superior Court overturned the Planning Board's denial as "arbitrary and capricious" and approved South Salem Street's site plan.  Rosellini subsequently invoked the 5th Amendment when questioned by the Morris County Prosecutor (Download 5-5-06 Rosellini).

The now 6 year old lawsuit is expected to be heard in 2011.