April 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 9 Wyckoff Former township committeeman exonerated by judge by John Koster Former Wyckoff Township Committeeman Thomas Madigan has been found not guilty of simple assault in a successful appeal in Superior Court. “I am pleased that I was totally exonerated and declared not guilty,” Madigan said last week. “I continue to be appreciative of the widespread support from family and friends. I must say that I was truly disheartened by the tone, the timing, and the political nature taken by individuals who rushed to judgment. I am grateful that my integrity as a father, grandfather, committeeman, and civic-minded community volunteer was reinforced, and I look forward to many more years of continued community involvement.” Superior Court Judge Eugene Austin heard Madigan’s appeal of Franklin Lakes Municipal Judge Francis Leddy’s verdict that Madigan was guilty of simple assault in a scuffle with a Franklin Lakes teen. Madigan, a former long-term member of the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education, had encountered the teen while serving as an authorized crowd control volunteer at a Ramapo High School football game. The youth was taken off the field, reportedly intoxicated, after the confrontation. Madigan claimed at the time that the youth had struck him and dislodged his eyeglasses. Judge Austin ruled that Madigan was not guilty of assault because Madigan was defending himself and said that “at best it was an incidental contact.” Madigan was represented by Attorney Raymond Flood during the April 9 appeal. Madigan and some of his supporters questioned why the incident, which had taken place a year before the trial, had only come before the court in Franklin Lakes in October of 2011 when Madigan was seeking re-election to the Wyckoff Township Committee the following month. He was defeated in the November 2011 election, which took place while the charges against him were being publicized. Madigan said he found the timing suspicious. “I am thrilled for Tom,” Wyckoff Mayor Christopher De Phillips said of the Superior Court appeal verdict. “I am very happy that he had been fully exonerated, and I hope that Tom is ready to return to his active role of service to the community.” “Tom’s really a good guy and I’m really glad it all worked out for him,” said Township Committeeman Rudy Boonstra, who served with Madigan. “Tom always said that he was not guilty, and since I know him as a man of his word, I accepted that,” said Township Committeeman Kevin Rooney. “I’m sorry that his family had to go through all that angst, but I’m glad for Tom that his name has been cleared. Tom is a strong believer in God and a staunch supporter of Wyckoff sports and youth activities, and I never believed the charges against him. I’m glad he proved that he was right when he said he was not guilty.” The Wyckoff Township Committee adopted a $17,244,090 municipal-purpose budget that includes an average tax increase of $37 and introduced the salary ordinance for non-union employees at last week’s meeting. “Even with the contracted expenses, the budget (increase) is less than one percent,” Mayor Christopher De Phillips said at the adoption hearing, which took place without comment from the dozen residents in the audience. “If we did not have the storm of the century, which seems to happen every year lately, the budget would not only have been flat, but we would have definitely have shown something a lot lower than $37,” Township Committeeman Kevin Rooney said. Chief Financial Officer Diana McLeod, who was present at the meeting, noted that the State of New Jersey had already approved the Wyckoff budget. The budget will result in a municipal tax of $1,726 for the owner of a Wyckoff house assessed at $811,800, the Municipal budget adopted; salary ordinance introduced township’s average value. That municipal-purpose tax covers administration, police, roads and parks, and equipment for the fire department and the ambulance corps. This figure does not include taxes that will be assessed to support the schools or Bergen County. (continued on page 17)