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Dear Reader, Welcome! Belleville Watch is dedicated to bringing news, commentary and related content in the service of civic engagement, good government and responsible, respectful development in our beloved Belleville, New Jersey! Belleville Watch operates in the spirit of “crusading”… Continue Reading →

The Rise And Fall Of State Education Monitor Thomas Egan in Belleville?

State Monitor Thomas Egan was assigned to Belleville School District in 2014 to oversee school board financial decisions following the disastrous $4 million deficit the school district incurred. In the beginning, Mr. Egan received public approval in Belleville for controlling spending and preventing bad school board decisions. In recent years, however, Mr. Egan has been physically absent from school board meetings, has seemingly approved controversial school board decisions and spending, and recently overruled a board vote on the School 1 property. Belleville taxpayers have good reason to wonder why.

Letter To The Editor — The Observer, June 1, 2022

by Frank Fleischman III (FF3,) Lead Editor Recently, I sent a letter to Kevin Canessa, Editor of The Observer, calling him out on an editorial he’d written about Belleville’s May 10th election. He published it in the June 1, 2022… Continue Reading →

Jeff Mattingly Weighs In On Melham’s Spin On Warehouse, Tax Abatements & Development

Longtime Belleville resident and former Roosevelt Avenue commercial property owner Jeff Mattingly helped lead the fight against plans to redevelop the Valley section wholesale in the early 2000s, supported if not spearheaded by then-councilman (and now mayor) Michael Melham. Here,… Continue Reading →

OPINION: The Same Old Belleville Politics Disguised As “Progress:” The Case Against Melham and BetterBelleville

Belleville has seen bad politicians come and go but we believe that never has a Belleville mayor like Michael Melham so blatantly and arrogantly grabbed for power, control, and benefit. Throughout the past four years of Melham’s reign, his running mates on the Town Council have been largely silent. For these reasons, it is our opinion that Melham and BetterBelleville do not deserve re-election.

Mayor Melham’s Planning Board Caper, Part II

By FF3, Lead Editor Note: This is the second part in a multi-part series about the Planning Board and its activities since the election of Mayor Michael Melham’s BetterBelleville slate of candidates in 2018. You can read Part One here…. Continue Reading →

Mayor Melham’s Planning Board Caper, Part I

Since 2019, Mayor Michael Melham has claimed the right to appoint almost all members of the planning board, despite contrary evidence. The planning board’s vice-chairman challenged the mayor’s claims at a recent planning board meeting. by FF3, Lead Editor Note:… Continue Reading →

Preserve The “Great Lawn:” An Open Letter To “Real Growth For Belleville.”

by FF3, Lead Editor To Whom It May Concern, I am going to assume you are either the owner of one or both of the properties around the Soho Hospital (the owners of both properties have the same address in… Continue Reading →

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