FRANKLIN � Tuesday's council meeting remains scheduled for 7 p.m. at the municipal building but might be canceled and rescheduled if too many people show up, Mayor Paul Crowley said.

By ROB JENNINGS

rjennings@njherald.com

FRANKLIN � Tuesday's council meeting remains scheduled for 7 p.m. at the municipal building but might be canceled and rescheduled if too many people show up, Mayor Paul Crowley said.

Higher-than-usual turnout is expected due to the uproar surrounding Councilman David Fanale and his repeated Facebook posts assailing police.

The union representing Franklin police officers said Monday that officers from �various states,� including New Jersey, plan to address the council.

Crowley said Monday that the council meeting room has a seating capacity of approximately 80, including space for the six council members.

If more than maximum capacity show up, Crowley said the meeting likely will be adjourned.

�There�s only a certain number that can be in the room,� Crowley said.

�If there�s 10 people in the hallway, it will go on, but if it�s 100 people, or 200 people, we would have to call it off,� Crowley said.

The controversy, underway since Fanale criticized a Franklin police officer�s handling of a Feb. 25 fire, escalated two weeks ago after he posted an image of a cartoon character urinating on a �thin blue line� symbol while making an offensive gesture. The police union noted that the thin blue line symbol is associated with police officers killed in the line of duty.

Crowley, on Saturday, called upon Fanale to resign after Fanale allegedly posted a reference to �the chief�s whore,� including an image implying a sex act.

He said on Monday that Fanale had not done so.

Fanale did not immediately return a phone call on Monday.

The municipal building is located at 46 Main St.