LAKEWOOD – Board of Education attorney Michael Inzelbuch pocketed more than $5 million in legal fees in the past six years while serving as a leader in a district that recently requested $93 million in loans to balance the budget, analysis by the Asbury Park Press shows.
Inzelbuch was paid more than $800,000 by the Lakewood School District in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, according to documents obtained and analyzed by the Press. That's after receiving more than $1 million in the two years prior.
“He is the highest paid, by far, public employee in the State of New Jersey,” said David Sciarra, founder of the New Jersey Education Law Center, which tracks such issues. “Governor, supreme court chief justice, he’s by far making the most money of anybody who is paid through public tax dollars.”
More:Murphy calls Lakewood school board lawyer's $1 million annual taxpayer pay 'eye-popping'
Inzelbuch has drawn past criticism from state educators, legal observers and Gov. Phil Murphy, who once called his salary “eye-popping.” Lakewood School district has been in acute financial distress for many years, recently asking for a $93 million loan from the state to help cover the costs of busing tens of thousands of private school students in the region, as required by law.
Inzelbuch said via email that he has earned his fees by keeping the district going through difficult times, from Covid-19 to labor negotiations.
“The legal process I established has proven successful while lowering overall...
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