He said that, during renovations to his Forest Avenue home, his landscape contractor and a tree expert advised that a front-yard tree be taken down because it was overgrown and had suffered storm damage. Neither him, the landscaper nor tree expert was aware of the tree having any kind of "treasured" status, which was referenced by a newspaper letter writer, he said.

The mayor said there was no mention or provision for the old tree during his Verona Zoning Board application, which focused on a retaining wall and reconstructing the garage. "I think we’ve substantially improved the property and the landscaping," he said, adding more than 130 shrubs and trees have since been planted in his backyard.

McKenna said he would address the issue at tonight’s Verona Township Council meeting.