Matthew Bianchini, a Pemberton Township councilman, was elected mayor Wednesday, succeeding Jack Tompkins, who resigned amid multiple workplace sexual misconduct allegations.
In a 3-2 vote, the Republican councilman was chosen to complete Tompkins’s term, which ends later this year.
Minutes after the vote, Bianchini was sworn in, formally taking over after serving as acting mayor since last week.
The township confirmed Tompkins’ resignation took effect on Dec. 31, in a notice posted on its website.
Tompkins resigned after repeated calls for him to leave office following an internal investigation that found he violated the township’s anti-harassment, discrimination and retaliation policies. He had previously refused to step down despite demands from the public and the Township Council.
Bianchini was one of three candidates nominated by the local Republican committee to fill the vacancy.
During the meeting, Bianchini vowed to lead a respectable administration while calling for unity and volunteerism in the community.
“I’ve been meeting with the employees over the past couple of days, and already things are a lot better up here in the building, and the landscape of employees in the township, for obvious reasons,” Bianchini said, in his first mayoral statement. “I think everyone can make out what I mean.”
A letter from November obtained by NJ Advance Media shows that the Burlington County Joint Insurance Fund — a public insurance pool that covers municipalities including Pemberton Township — notified Tompkins that his personal liability coverage would be canceled.
Tompkins could not be reached by NJ Advance Media for comment.
The fund notified the township within the required 30 days, citing financial losses from claims involving Tompkins in recent years. However, the policy was revised to exclude Tompkins so the fund could continue insuring the township.
“This means that he will be neither defended nor indemnified by the carrier for any claims made against him,” the letter states.
The fund has already paid out $850,000 to settle two lawsuits, according to the Pine Barrens Tribune.
Tompkins also faced backlash for canceling the township’s iconic Water Carnival, a tradition since 1948. In 2024, Tompkins allegedly scrapped the event as retaliation against Nichole Pittman, who was the township’s parks and recreation director, and had planned the event. The event was scrapped again in 2025, prompting renewed criticism and intensifying calls for his resignation.
In a minutes-long address, Bianchini vowed to resume the event after a two-year hiatus.
Pittman was the first township employee to sue Tompkins for degrading remarks about her gender.
A second complaint, filed by Candice Pennewell, Pemberton’s chief financial officer, alleged similar behavior by Tompkins.
Both lawsuits by Pittman and Pennewell have been settled, according to court records. Four other civil cases filed by township employees — Rosemary Flaherty, Patricia Everett, Ashlee Bartole and Jennifer Deeds — remain pending in New Jersey Superior Court, records show.
Vanessa E. James, an attorney for the township, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tompkins was first elected to a four-year term as mayor in 2022, defeating challenger David A. Patriarca.
In his resignation letter, Tompkins said he would “depart into retirement” but did not mention the misconduct allegations. He wrote that some actions by the council and employees were “not in the best interest of the township,” without offering details.
“It has been an honor to have been elected and to have served as the Mayor of Pemberton Township for the past three years,” the letter reads. “I’ve enjoyed talking to and assisting the many residents and local businesses of the township. While some of my goals have been successful, I am saddened that I could not accomplish all of my goals.”
N.J. mayor resigns amid sexual harassment claims, replacement sworn in
