Residents press Long Branch council on taxes, public safety and alleged procurement irregularities

LONG BRANCH, N.J. — At the Long Branch City Council meeting on May 28, several residents used the public-comment period to press elected officials for clearer explanations about recent property-tax bills, local public-safety concerns following a March homicide, and reported procurement and contracting questions involving the fire and police departments.

Vincent Lepore, of 33 Ocean Terrace, announced that petitions to run for a city council seat will be available at the city clerk’s office on June 12, 2025, ahead of an election scheduled for Nov. 4, 2025. Lepore’s announcement preceded several extended public comments about taxes and public safety.

An unnamed resident described rising household costs and said municipal taxes felt higher despite the council’s statements that the city budget had not increased. That speaker said a recent homicide on Broadway had reduced foot traffic and harmed businesses and urged the council to restore residents’ confidence in public safety. The resident also asked whether additional personnel would be hired in the Long Branch Fire Department to staff a newly purchased ladder fire truck and repeatedly asked the council to confirm whether city records and cooperation with authorities were occurring in connection with an investigation involving former fire-department personnel.

At one point a speaker referred to a $1,200,000 ladder fire truck and asked whether a 10-year lease had been negotiated; council members did not confirm those contracting details during public comment. The speaker also alleged that subpoenas were served on April 25 and asked whether the council would cooperate with authorities examining contracts awarded to a firm associated with a former fire chief and firefighter. Those allegations were raised from the public-comment podium and were not presented as findings by the council.

A different public commenter asked the council to name the current Public Safety Director in connection with Resolution 101, which the speaker said referenced a $500,000 no-bid equipment contract for the police department. Council members responded by identifying Charles Shirley as the acting Public Safety Director on the record.

Council members and city officials addressed tax and budget questions during the public portion. City officials said the municipal portion of the city budget has not increased: the mayor and other council members characterized the municipal budget as “flat” at about $46,000,000, and they said the municipal portion of a property-tax bill is a fraction of the total bill. The mayor and another council speaker described the municipal share as roughly 38 percent of a typical property-tax bill and said school, county and library shares account for the remainder; officials cautioned that individual property assessments and county revaluations produce different outcomes for different taxpayers. The council invited residents with specific questions to schedule a meeting with staff during the council’s first-Wednesday office hours for a detailed review of individual tax bills.

Council members acknowledged public-safety concerns and highlighted planned summer events and boardwalk programs intended to encourage residents and visitors to use public spaces. The mayor also noted local programs including the Hometown Heroes banners and a traveling National Holocaust Museum exhibit at the library.

No formal council action or vote occurred in response to the procurement and conflict allegations during the May 28 meeting. Council members did not direct a formal staff report to be produced at that meeting; residents requested that the council cooperate with investigators and provide records where required.