Wildwood commissioner suing mayor, colleagues

Wildwood Commissioner Pete Byron in July sued Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano, Commissioner Anthony Leonetti and City Administrator Christopher Fox, claiming the three stripped him of control of several departments as retaliation for his voting against the city’s budget.

“It’s obvious that my colleagues took away my departments because of my strong and vocal opposition to the runaway spending in our city which has culminated to an unconscionable 10-cent increase in this year’s budget,” Byron said. “Not only did I vote against this scandalous tax increase, I am especially enraged that the budget spends all of our $2.5 million in savings, leading the city’s future to a financially disaster.”

Byron’s lawsuit, filed in Cape May County’s Superior Court, claims the removal of several departments from Byron’s control, including ones responsible for redevelopment and beach services, was arbitrary and demands his control be reinstated and defendants announce why he was stripped of control.

Byron likely has a tough fight ahead, but it seems like he also has some of the area’s major players at his back. At the very least, Cape May County Democratic Chair Brendan Sciarra is spreading word of the lawsuit to reporters.