Lakewood, NJ – March 17, 2025 – New Jersey education officials have blocked the reappointment of Michael Inzelbuch, the Lakewood Board of Education attorney who has been paid over $6 million since 2017, spotlighting a contentious debate over fiscal accountability in one of the state’s most financially strained school districts.
The decision, announced late last week, comes as Lakewood grapples with a deepening budget crisis, raising questions about how a district reliant on millions in state loans can justify such an exorbitant legal salary.
Inzelbuch, who returned to the role of board attorney in 2017 after an earlier stint from 2003 to 2013, has earned more than any other public school attorney in New Jersey, according to an investigation by the Asbury Park Press. His current contract, which provides a base monthly payment of $50,000 plus an additional $475 per hour for extra services—without requiring detailed hour logs—has drawn sharp criticism…