Lansford Borough Council censured its mayor. Nesquehoning Borough Council censured one of its members. A Lehighton Area School Board member went to court to get rid of five of his colleagues.

Is it just coincidence that these startling developments have happened simultaneously recently in our usually politically peaceful communities, or is this indicative of the angry and foul mood that nearly everybody seems to be in these days?

In case you missed it, here is what has been going on:

• Lansford council voted unanimously last month to censure Mayor Michele Bartek for calling in a complaint to the employer of an employee’s spouse.

• Nesquehoning council unanimously voted in June to censure Councilman George Sabol III following an incident at May’s council meeting that involved Sabol cursing at Councilman Lou Paul and then council, before storming out of the meeting.

• Carbon County Judge Roger Nanovic ruled that he will not remove five Lehighton Area School District board members after legal actions were brought - one by board member David Bradley Sr. and the other by board candidate Barbara Bowes.

“Censure” sounds pretty ominous. What does it actually mean? The truth is: not much. Sure, some might say that it is a “black mark” against a public official, but it has no real impact on a member’s legal standing.

It certainly does not mean that the person will be removed from office or compelled to sit in a corner at upcoming meetings with a “censure” sign around his or her neck or anything significant like that. I’d compare it to a slap on the wrist.

The definition of censure is “to express severe disapproval of someone, especially in a formal statement.”

Nesquehoning council Solicitor Robert Yurchak was asked by one of the members prior to the censure vote what impact it would have. He said it basically means that council does not approve of a member’s action, but, as Yurchak correctly points out, it does not stop the member from speaking at future meetings or continuing to enjoy all of the rights and privileges that a member of council has.

As for “bad blood,” this is one of the real issues, because when your colleagues take such a step, unless you have an extraordinary view of the world, you are not going to be happy, probably resentful that you have been held up to uncomplimentary public scrutiny. God forbid, you might even have revenge in your heart.

I’ve been covering public meetings of borough council, township supervisors and school board meetings for more than 60 years, and I know that these actions do not result in a vacuum.

Most often, there has been a string of previous dust-ups that have led to smoldering feelings that then boil over when a straw-that-broke-the-camel’s-back incident occurs. That’s what we can see in the three cited instances in this column.

Let’s be honest: In some of our small communities, unqualified candidates get into positions of power through voter apathy or because truly qualified candidates want no part of the ugly partisan atmosphere that has descended over our political system these days.

In some cases, candidates are motivated by a burning issue, such as mask-wearing, taxes, etc., even grudges. Some who have no business in office are appointed to vacancies because no one else wants the job. It doesn’t take long to see their true colors, but by then the other members are stuck with the results of their ill-advised appointment until the next election.

It’s an extraordinary step to want to get rid of the entire school board majority in one fell swoop as was the case in Lehighton. That’s what Director David “Citizen” Bradley Sr. wanted to do. Since his election to the board, Bradley has repeatedly clashed with the five-member majority, and his requests for records, challenges of board actions and attempts at other roadblocks have gained traction to the point where some residents wonder whether everything is on the up-and-up when the board takes action.

Judge Nanovic’s Solomonic wisdom was on display when he tactfully said in his opinion, “We do not impugn the integrity of the petitioners’ (Bradley and Bowes) claims, or their sincerity in making such claims, but believe the claims are made for the most part honest disagreements, in part motivated by different policy objectives of the parties, but best left to the voting public to decide.”

So there you have it. In the end, it comes down to you and what to do with your vote. In between the casting of your ballots, however, it is equally important that you stay in tune with what is going on in your community, express your viewpoints and encourage your leaders to remember that their number one objective is to do what is best for the community, not to settle scores or to advance their own agendas.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.