Resident publicly accuses Long Branch government of corruption and alleges fire‑company theft

At the Dec. 10 Long Branch City Council meeting, resident Vincent Lepore used the public comment period to raise detailed procedural objections and broad accusations against the city government and local fire companies.

On the fire truck ordinance (Ordinance 18‑25), Lepore objected to the way the ordinance summary had been presented and said the posted summary did not match the full ordinance text. He pressed city officials on procurement and specification questions — asking why the council was authorizing $2,000,000 for a ladder truck when another municipality’s truck cost less, whether outrigging costs were included, whether the truck would be purchased via bid or co‑op, and what the model or specs would be. CFO Martin responded that useful life for such apparatus would likely be about "20 years" and that detailed specifications would be contained in bid documents or co‑op specifications.

Later in the public comment period Lepore made wider allegations, saying "a ranking member of the Elbiran/Elbirond Fire Company has been charged with first degree theft of monies in excess of $100,000" from taxpayer‑funded contributions and fundraising accounts. Lepore said the charged individual had been separated from the fire company and criticized the administration and named officials, saying the council had failed to address corruption. The transcript records Lepore asserting the information was "out there confirmed" but does not record documentary evidence or a response on the record from the council or law enforcement.

Council took no formal investigative action during the meeting; staff encouraged members of the public to contact the city clerk's office to schedule time during public council hours. The transcript contains no on‑the‑record corroboration or denial of the theft allegation.