MOUNT OLIVE (12/14/06) – For nearly the whole three years of his turbulent tenure as mayor before being recalled last month, a bone of contention between Richard DeLaRoche and the Township Council was his determination to appoint all department heads, the council’s legal "advise and consent" participation be damned.

The Council opposed him on several key appointment issues, two of which were settled in Superior Court. DeLaRoche lost both, on re-appointments of Municipal Attorney John Dorsey and Health Officer Frank Wilpert.

However, in both cases Judge B. Theodore Bozonelis ruled both appointees would remain in office in an "acting" capacity until DeLaRoche appointed people who could be confirmed by the Council.

In the last court appearance Bozonelis, showing some impatience, admonished DeLaRoche to settle these type disputes within the township governing body.

Newly elected mayor, David Scapicchio took the appropriate steps on Tuesday to appoint, with Council approval, a professional services agreement with Dorsey’s law firm, Boonton based Dorsey and Semrau.

DeLaRoche had a particular dislike for Dorsey, who has been the township attorney for longer than 20 years. During his tenure DeLaRoche scrutinized the legal billing, cut the firm’s hourly rate and even tried to keep Dorsey from personally doing legal work because the township had hired his firm.…not him.

Scapicchio reappointed Wilpert, the health officer; Eugene Buczynski, the township engineer; and Philip Maenza, the municipal judge.

Other municipal officials he appointed, who were serving in holdover capacities because DeLaRoche had not reappointed them, were Brian Mason, municipal prosecutor and Marshall Gates, public defender. Their terms expire at the end of this month.

Gates was appointed by DeLaRohe in his first year as mayor to serve a one year term. He didn’t reappoint him since and he has served as a holdover since.

Wilpert’s current term is until December 31, 2007 and Maenza’s as the municipal judge’s three year term ends December 31, 2008.

Wilpert was told by DeLaRoche in 2004 he wasn’t going to reappoint him as the director of the township health department. He also was serving as the director of senior services and health officer for which he had tenure and was being paid. He was not receiving a salary as the director of the health department.

Schoor DePalma, the engineering firm for whom Buczynski works, was re-appointed township consulting engineer by DeLaRoche with council consent in January, 2004 and Buczynski has continued on after his two year appointment ended last December.

The council also approved Scapicchio’s appointments of Mason as Prosecutor and Gates as public defender to one year terms that ends this December 31. When DeLaRoche first took office in January 2003 he appointed Gates to a one year term and he has remained in that position ever since.

DeLaRoche tried twice to replace Mason, a move also opposed by the Council. In January he tried unsuccessfully to name Morristown attorney Paul Bangiola, prosecutor. That failed so he named Bangiola his "press liaison."

Last January DeLaRoche stunned the Council members when he proposed former township business administrator William Ruggierio to replace Mason as the municipal prosecutor.

Earlier that year they had fired Ruggierio and that matter also went to Superior Court but was settled out of court. Mason also has remained in the position as a holdover.