Judith Henckel is a well-known environmental activist who currently serves on Northampton County’s Open Space Advisory Board. At their March 21 meeting, council members re-appointed her to a two-year term, with no discussion. They did so despite a $1,000 fine levied by the state ethics commission against her last year for engaging in a conflict of interest as an Upper Mount Bethel Township supervisor. She had been accused of using her public office to steer public work to her son, a landscape architect. She signed some of the checks paying him. She never disclosed this relationship. She claimed it was unintentional.

Henckel led a “save or pave” drive supporting a 2007 referendum in which Upper Mt Bethel taxpayers agreed to a 0.25 tax hike dedicated to preserving open space. That year, she also won a six-year seat on the Board of Supervisors, where she pursued an environmental agenda that included the 2008 purchase of a 300-acre quarry owned by Eastern Industries, financed with a $2 million bond. That purchase was criticized by Ron Angle, who charged that the Township was buying “barren land” that could never be developed. But Henckel countered that the move was essential to protect the “Mount Bethel Fens.”

Upper Mount Bethel Supervisors began looking in 2016 at records of payments made to Urban Research and Development, a well-respected Bethlehem-based firm that employs prominent landscape architect Leonard Policelli. Supervisor Anthony DeFranco revealed that Urban Research had been paid $360,000 during Henckel’s tenure for different projects, including the development of a community park spearheaded by Policelli.

According to the Pennsylvania Ethics Act, a conflict or conflict of interest exists when a public official uses the authority of her office or any confidential information received through that office for the private pecuniary benefit of herself, a member of her immediate family or a business with which she or a member of her immediate family is associated.

“If in fact her son was getting a pecuniary benefit, there could be a conflict,” said Upper Mount Bethel Solicitor Ron Karasek. “In all due respect, I was not aware that Mr. Policelli was Judy’s son.”

“She lobbied for these things,” argued resident Angle, “knowing that a close relative would benefit.”