A small New Jersey town called Englishtown has seen significant upheaval in local government with the recent resignation of four council members since February. This unforeseen series of events has led to the controversial nomination of John Alite, a former mob hitman, as a councilman.
The situation is shrouded in mystery, with the mayor attributing the council members' exodus to an undisclosed incident. However, details remain sparse, as the mayor has not provided further comment.
Marc Pfeiffer, a senior policy fellow and assistant director of the Bloustein Local Government Center at Rutgers University, acknowledged the unusual circumstances occurring in Englishtown. "There’s a lot to unpack there," Pfeiffer remarked, noting that while Englishtown's situation is peculiar, many towns have managed through dysfunction. "Things happen," he added. "There’s always been oddball situations that happen in local governments."
Although Englishtown is experiencing more than its fair share of challenges, such events are not entirely unheard of within local governance.
