Tom Kean got some "friendly" criticism last week from the all-Republican Roxbury Council for not doing enough to help the town fight plans to locate an ICE detention facility in the township.

The council statement faulted their local congressman for not providing "the advocacy our residents deserved."

A day later, Kean said on social media that he had worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security, although he understands the "frustration" of officials and residents.

Either by coincidence or not, Kean went a step further this week. He has introduced federal legislation to help towns suddenly confronted with a federal detention center within their borders.

Called the Local Taxpayer Protection Act of 2026, the bill would create a grant program to cover such things as lost property tax revenue, increased demand on public utilities, and infrastructure upgrades. Impacted municipalities would apply for funds.

An observer has to wonder if Kean had this planned for some time, or is he trying to play catch-up? Catch-up in regard to helping Roxbury.

The proposed ICE center along Route 46 popped up in a Washington Post story two months ago, prompting protests on the street and at council meetings.

The council adopted a resolution opposing the idea, but critics want them to do more.

Passions over this issue are already high. Last Friday they got even higher when Dalfen Industry, the property owner, officially sold its warehouse to the feds. This happened two days after the owner said there was no sale.

The result was the township's statement criticizing Kean, who has represented CD-7 since getting elected in 2022.

And now we have Kean sponsored legislation.

It is true that expenses related to the proposed facility are a concern for the township.

The larger issue, however, is that a detention center would hurt the town's image and by extension, property values. The town "with the ICE center" is hardly a selling point for realtors.

Kean's legislation would not solve that problem.

Also in the middle of this saga is Anthony M. Bucco, who is both Senate Minority Leader, and township attorney. In his latter post, he has explained - quite adequately - that township regulations are powerless to stop federal actions.

Nonetheless, Morris County Democrats are questioning his dual role  On the county committee's Web page is a petition demanding that Bucco step down as town attorney.

It claims the following:

"Senator Bucco is demonstrating a clear conflict of interest and has NOT done his due diligence or provided any roadblocks for the Roxbury warehouse facility."

This type of petition is likely to go nowhere.

Here's a footnote from history.

If we go back around 15 years, it was Gov. Chris Christie who also had a problem with officials having multiple public jobs. What he was able to accomplish was a law banning individuals from holding two elected posts at the same time. That was it.