Bowmanstown plans to create a new ordinance that will spell out whether or not council members get paid for missing meetings.

On a 4-1 vote, borough council earlier this month agreed to move forward with having borough solicitor Lisa Pereira write a new ordinance.

The ordinance will state that if a council person does not attend the meetings and does not have a legitimate reason, they will not be paid for that month. Council members are paid $100 a month.

Before the vote, Councilman Rob Moyer, who cast the lone vote against the motion, said he would prefer to wait before voting on the matter.

“I’d rather we speak to the people not in attendance,” Moyer said. “This is my third term (on council), and this is the first time we’ve had an issue.”

Councilwoman Donna Winter and Councilman William Ravert were absent from the meeting.

In 2022, council members Candace Rodrigues missed eight meetings, Ravert missed seven (most of which were medical issues), Winter missed five, Kara Scott missed two and council President Pam Leiby missed one.

Residents question routine absenteeism

The routine absenteeism of several council members at meetings resurfaced at last month’s council meeting.

Under the law portion of last month’s council meeting agenda was the topic of council’s pay for missed meetings.

Resident Sharon Krebs said at that meeting she can understand if a council member is absent from a meeting for reasons such as illness or being hospitalized.

Otherwise, Krebs said that council members are elected officials, and therefore, required to attend council meetings.

She said there have been instances where one council member missed eight of 12 meetings, and another five of 12.

“How is that acceptable?” asked Krebs, who noted it’s a council member’s civic duty to be in attendance. “It’s not fair to all of you who work so hard.”

Krebs told council there are people in the community who are aware of the regular absenteeism of several council members.

Councilman Darren Thomas said he understood, but believes there needs to be latitude.

Thomas reiterated his point from December that council members oftentimes assist in matters that go on behind the scenes.

Resident Joe Civitella said that if a council member cannot attend 50% of the meetings, he doesn’t care what they achieve behind the scenes.

“Part of your (council’s) job description is to be at meetings,” Civitella said. “If I miss so many days, I’m going to lose my job.”

Mayor Zach Snyder said at last month’s meeting that “in an ideal world, essentially everyone would be here 100% of the time.”

Civitella said if you’re elected into public office, you’re expected to be there.

Resident Ben Price concurred.

“But if they’re not here, they don’t vote,” Price said.

Thomas noted at last month’s meeting that committees do all of the discussion and bring their recommendation to council to vote on.

Price said that whatever matter council votes on is very important, and that coming to meetings is the bare minimum.

“They can’t have a public voice behind the scenes,” Civitella said.