JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Jackson Township Council President Marty Flemming, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in November of 2022, has announced resigning as the township council president.
On Tuesday, Flemming, who recently sold his home in Jackson and his business in Lakehursts to Brooklyn and Lakewood-based LLCs, made the announcement that he is stepping down from his council president position.
It is expected that Flemming will soon announce his resignation from the township council. In a politically orchestrated move, Flemming announced his resignation as Council President in order to secure his successor, Steven Chisolm.
“This will be my last meeting as Council President,” Flemming said. “I will be stepping down.”
Flemming nominated Chisolm, but the vote was not unanimous. Councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn and Councilman Scott Sargent voted against the nomination of Chisolm.
Nino Borelli, a state worker under the administration of Governor Phil Murphy, was named as Council Vice President in a second 3-2 vote.
Flemming then grandstanded about ‘unity’ within the council and said he felt bad.
Kuhn said Flemming’s announcement was not about unity but about blindsiding the rest of the council. Flemming is expected to resign from his council seat in the coming weeks or months.
In the event that Flemming resigns, the council vote on a replacement will likely be split 2-2, with Mayor Michael Reina holding the deciding tie-breaking vote.
Flemming has come under fire for selling most of his and his family’s real estate assets to a Brooklyn LLC. He recently sold his now out-of-business Lakewood hardware store to a Lakewood LLC with strong ties to the Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch and could serve as a base of operations for Chaverim, an Orthodox-based civilian safety patrol organization.
Flemming has been cited as wanting to sell of his properties “to the Jews” in order to get top dollar, according to those close to a prior real estate agreement with Flemming and other GOP officials who wished to remain anonymous.
He still owns and operates County Line Hardware on Bennetts Mills Road in Jackson. Flemming’s departure after politics is nothing new in Jackson. Several former elected officials have fled town in recent years after being removed from office.