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Public commenters urge scrutiny of county legal fees, criticize immigration policy and raise concerns about Sussex Tech assembly
Summary
Residents used the public-comment period to challenge county spending on outside counsel, accuse the county council of 'political grift,' allege abuses in ICE detention centers, criticize immigration policies after a Chicago killing, and report a parent complaint about a Sussex Tech assembly funded by an Edge New Jersey grant.
A lengthy public-comment period at the March 25 Sussex County commissioners meeting featured sharply worded remarks about county spending, immigration policy and local schools.
Ken Collins of the Town of Chester told the board that, in his review, the county "doubled the amount you raised from taxes in 24 years from 2001 to 2025" and accused county government of waste and "political grift," saying, "Anybody? Over $735,000" referring to last year’s payments to Doug Steinhardt’s law firm and urging that named county-council attorneys be fired. The county administrator responded that the office of county counsel represents multiple departments and that an analysis showed the county paid over $1 million to various county councils from 2016 through 2021 and that fees have decreased since 2021; the administrator offered to provide Mr. Collins with detailed information.
Other commenters raised national-security and immigration issues. One speaker detailed alleged mistreatment inside ICE detention facilities, describing overcrowding and medical neglect; those were individual accounts offered during public comment and were not adjudicated at the meeting. Patricia Heaney of Lafayette referenced the 2023 murder of Sheridan Gorman in Chicago and argued immigration policy contributed to the crime; her remarks attributed the arrested suspect’s prior interactions with Border Patrol and local law enforcement to decisions about release.
A parent who identified herself as the mother of a Sussex Tech student said she was upset that her 16-year-old was pulled from a college-credit course to attend an assembly she described as endorsing an inclusive language policy that discouraged use of words such as "sir" and "ma'am" and that students were not given an opt-out; she reported the assembly was funded by a grant from Edge New Jersey and said the superintendent apologized and the board would look into the matter.
Speakers also promoted a "No Kings" rally planned for the Newton Green and urged civic engagement. The board did not take formal action on public-comment allegations; public-comment speakers were given the set time allotment and the board closed the floor before returning to business and adjourning.
