To the Editor:

As a three-decade local elected official and student of local government, one reaches a point when one thinks one has seen it all. Not so, as again, Catasauqua Borough Council provided another eyebrow-raising moment at a recent meeting.

A councilman — a former council president who was voted out of the council president office by his peers in January — apparently wrote a Resolution of Council by himself. He reportedly did not tell anyone on council about his resolution until the night of the council meeting.

Stunningly, raising eyebrows, he blindsided council with a resolution condemning the Catasauqua mayor, who has been mayor about nine months. Earlier this year, this council member refused to meet with the mayor, reportedly telling the mayor, “I don’t meet with people like you.”

The motive of the council member’s reticence is unclear. Does he not want to meet with the mayor because he is taller, drives a bigger vehicle or because the mayor is a Democrat and he is Republican? All this bashfulness to meet with a friendly, affable mayor is unknown.

Council was perplexed and reportedly was not even given a copy of the resolution prior to the misguided presentation at the council meeting. And, embarrassingly, when council voted on the resolution, the only council vote for the resolution to condemn the mayor was the councilman who wrote the resolution — one yes to condemn, four abstain and one no vote.

Talk about having your nose rubbed in curdled sour cream — only one vote out of six present council members to condemn the mayor. When I read this in a recent Catasauqua Press article, I gasped as the printed episode took my breath away briefly.

This type of political hi-jinx — understand this is only one example from this councilman and perhaps two other appointed officials in what appears as vindictive behavior — is divisive and generates unwarranted animosity between people on council, the mayor, borough staff and the community. Council and the mayor need to work together to benefit the community.

Catasauqua council meets two Mondays a month. If it is a slow TV night, borough residents can consider attending a council meeting for entertainment. You never know what will be pulled out of thin air.

If borough officials or others who expect to continue with this type of activity, perhaps council, at its Monday meetings, can begin with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the playing the theme song of “Entertainment Tonight.”

Bill Leiner Jr.

Coplay

Editor’s note: The writer is the current Coplay Borough mayor and formerly held the positions of Coplay Borough councilman, Lehigh County commissioner at-large, Whitehall-Coplay School District director and judge of election.