Edison, NJ – The Edison Library Board has a new leadership team, and they’re not wasting any time making changes. Tony DePasquale was elected as the new Board President at the January 14th meeting with newly appointed Democratic Committeewoman Rinki Singh taking the Vice President position. Shreyens Patel will serve as Treasurer and fellow newly appointed Democratic Committeewoman Pallavi Kabadi as Secretary.
In a move that has raised eyebrows, DePasquale’s first act as President was to terminate the board’s longtime attorney, Dominic Bratti. This decision comes despite the fact that Bratti’s contract was just renewed through June 2026 at the December 23rd, 2024 board meeting.
The abrupt dismissal pushed by Mayor Joshi has sparked concerns about potential legal ramifications and the unnecessary costs associated with breaking Bratti’s contract. Critics argue that this action could lead to costly litigation for the library board.
This wasn’t the first time Joshi had inserted himself into personnel decisions with a disregard for legal advice. In 2019 as the council liaison, he advised the board that they were not obligated to follow the attorney’s counsel when eliminating the position of Fran Bar-Eli. This ultimately led to a lawsuit and a $752,000 judgment against the board.
DePasquale swiftly appointed Joseph Palombit from the New Brunswick law firm of Hoagland Longo as the new board attorney. Hoagland Longo is known for its political connections, raising further questions about the motivations behind this sudden change. Although his bio makes no mention of any experience serving library boards the firms website does state “Joe handles intricate business disputes and breach of contract cases.”
This shakeup at the Edison Library Board signals a shift in direction and priorities. The community will be watching closely to see how the new leadership navigates these early challenges and what impact their decisions will have on the future of the library.
Mayor Joshi, Chief of Staff Bob Diehl and Library Board President Tony Depasquale did not respond to request for comment.
