The Westfield Town Council voted to adopt General Ordinance 2025-21, an amendment to the town code that prohibits posting signs displaying advertising or certain offensive language in public spaces and includes a clarifying statutory cross-reference. Council members cast unanimous 'Yes' votes on the adoption.

At the advertised hearing, a staff speaker said the ordinance was amended since introduction to add a statutory reference to ‘‘NJSA 2C:34-3’’ so the town would "track the New Jersey hate crimes law" and avoid vague language. The amendment was described as clarifying and stated not to require reintroduction.

During public comment, resident Sean Mullen criticized the town's prior enforcement of the sign ordinance. Mullen said he was "thankful to the Institute for Justice" and attorney Ben Field for intervening and alleged a 10/09/2021 incident at Tamaques Park in which, he said, Councilman Michael Dardia instructed police to remove signs belonging to political opponents. Mullen described the allegedly selective enforcement as "hypocrisy and the weaponization of an unconstitutional, outdated, and previously unenforced ordinance," and said the town only changed the ordinance after outside legal intervention.

The council then moved to adopt the ordinance (the transcript records the motion being moved and seconded). Roll call votes were recorded as affirmative and the motion carried.

The ordinance as adopted incorporates the staff-cited statutory cross-reference; the transcript does not record any court filings or settlement terms, and the council did not discuss monetary remedies during the meeting. The resident's allegations were recorded in public comment; neither a council member response nor official denial is recorded in the meeting text.