Fired Upper Township Official Files Second Lawsuit Against Municipality

UPPER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A former Upper Township business administrator, Gary DeMarzo, has launched a second legal battle against the township after being fired from his role in January and later laid off as personnel officer on March 10. The civil complaint, filed in Superior Court on the same day, targets Township Committee members Samuel Palombo and Zachary Palombo, alleging a conflict of interest tainted their votes to remove him. DeMarzo’s attorney argues the Palombos made false and damaging statements about his job performance, asking the court to overturn his termination and stop the layoff plan.

The township provided no explanation for replacing DeMarzo as administrator during a Jan. 27 meeting, though it wasn’t obligated to. His personnel officer layoff, however, required and received approval from the state Civil Service Commission. Earlier, on Dec. 30, 2024, DeMarzo filed a separate lawsuit against the Palombos and a resident, claiming his rights were violated amid fallout from a 2024 campaign flyer criticizing the township’s leadership and its administrator.

DeMarzo briefly returned as administrator during a Jan. 3 reorganization meeting, taking on additional roles before his latest exit. The township now relies on a temporary administrator, Joe Verruni, who is searching for a permanent replacement while handling DeMarzo’s former duties. DeMarzo alleges a local political group is behind his ousting, aiming to install a favored appointee. He will receive pay for 45 days past March 10.