Council approves probe of Vineland mayor’s top aide

VINELAND – The City Council on Tuesday night sanctioned a broadly focused investigation into Business Administrator William E. Lutz that could see the mayor subpoenaed to testify about his top aide.

The investigation will look into not only Lutz’s conduct in office, but how Mayor Ruben Bermudez came to nominate the former Camden City “administrative analyst” for the position. Details won’t be released until the investigation is complete, officials said.

Afterward, council President Anthony Fanucci said “we’re going to find the truth, and truths, that lie within the parameters of this investigation — no matter where they may lead.”

Lutz could be called on to testify and, under state law, would be subject to firing if he refused to testify, city Solicitor Richard Tonetta said. Lutz left the meeting without commenting.

Hammonton attorney Robert J. Pinizzotto will run the investigation as a special legal counsel reporting only to the City Council.

The council, as a whole, will serve as a special investigative committee, with Fanucci as its chair. New Jersey law invests the council with legislative power that allows it to run an investigation.

According to the resolution, the committee will “conduct a purely factual investigation regarding the hiring process, performance and conduct” of Lutz and “such other additional subject, persons or matters falling within the jurisdiction of the City Council as appears necessary to conduct its investigation.”

Asked whether the mayor would be interviewed, Fanucci said: “Quite frankly, I don’t know. Mr. Pinizzotto will probably have to sit down and go over the procedures and who he perceives would be interviewed.”

Tonetta will not take part in the investigation but said he may be called for an interview.

“I can’t tell you what direction Pinizzotto is going to go,” Tonetta said. “I’m not privy to that. I don’t want to be part of that. That’s his obligation to council, not me.”

The council vote on the resolution to start the investigation was 4-0 in favor, with Councilman John Procopio absent. Procopio said later he would have voted against the investigation.

Procopio said he objects to spending resources on this investigation when the council has put on hold its investigation into the Landis Theater redevelopment project.

“(And) I don’t feel like there’s any real reason for it,” he said.

The investigation was the only subject on the agenda of a very short special meeting held before the council’s usual work session at 5:30 p.m.

On Feb. 4, the council voted 4-0-1 to hire Pinizzotto to investigate alleged misconduct by Lutz. That investigation quickly was blocked by the mayor, an obstacle removed last week by a state judge’s order.

That original investigation was pegged to look at whether Lutz had lied to Councilwoman Angela Calakos while slandering the executive director of the Landis Sewerage Authority, Dennis Palmer. It did not extend to his hiring or, officially, to other officials.

“This looks like it’s a broader scope — as we have been advised by Mr. Pinizzotto,” Fanucci said. “We want to look at everything and anything that’s there. We want all the information to make proper judgments. We just don’t want to shoot from the hip.”

Tonetta said the testimony could be done in private.