At the previous council meeting Michael Herbert made a pathetic attempt to defame my character. After I described the problems resulting from the loss of our full-time Animal Control Officer and pointed out that this administration’s mismanagement has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid to him for legal fees, Mr. Herbert broke Robert’s rules, spoke out of turn, and accused me of filing three lawsuits against the township.
I feel it imperative to dispel this false statement and give a full accounting of the legal action surrounding the ACO issues. The truth is that Bettina Roed, soon after her termination as West Windsor Animal Control Officer (more than two years ago), filed a lawsuit against the mayor on the grounds that West Windsor was not complying with a state law requiring each town to provide ACO coverage. This one lawsuit was initiated and funded by only one person — Bettina Roed.
About a year ago, I, along with eight other residents who have spoken at council meetings in favor of rehiring a full-time ACO, agreed to allow our names to be put on the list of plaintiffs in order to show our support. I agreed to this with the understanding that my role in the lawsuit was limited to my testimony. Many months ago, when depositions were being made, Mr. Herbert chose not to not even take a verbal or written statement from me, and I have never been called to testify in court. In summary, this lawsuit was started without me and will proceed with or without my participation.
I find it unconscionable that a lawyer in Mr. Herbert’s official capacity would violate his own code of ethics by making such a statement, but I am not surprised. In my opinion, the fact that Mr. Herbert could knowingly make a false claim against a council candidate and expect to get away with it speaks volumes about how West Windsor is mismanaged and reveals a biased political agenda. His tactics of diverting attention away from the fact that he is a major beneficiary of continued legal action, and blaming the victims of this administration’s poor decisions, are deplorable.
Debbie Hepler
