Towamencin supervisors Chuck Wilson, Kristin Warner and Kofi Osei and solicitor Bob Iannozzi listen to comments about the pending resignation of supervisor Laura Smith during a special supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. Photo by James Short.
Board members continue to spar over viral video
Township officials have announced a special meeting slated for Monday, March 3 to fill the seat left empty after now-former supervisor Laura Smith’s controversial viral video in January.
“The purpose of this meeting is to consider an appointment to fill a recently vacated Supervisor seat for the remainder of the term, expiring on December 31, 2025,” read the notice, posted by the township on Thursday afternoon.
On Feb. 4 the township supervisors held a special meeting to accept the resignation of Smith, who created an uproar in late January by posting a now-deleted TikTok video mimicking an alleged Nazi salute in the manner of Elon Musk at the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
After more than a day of growing uproar online, the township announced Smith’s pending resignation on Jan. 26, and the board voted unanimously, after dozens of residents sounded off on the video and the board’s subsequent response, to accept the resignation on Feb. 4.
In their subsequent meeting on Feb.12, residents continued to sound off about the uproar and the rest of the board’s reactions, and the township subsequently issued calls for submissions to fill the vacant supervisor seat with submissions due by Feb. 28, and a seat on the township’s vacancy board, with submissions due on the 24th.
The notice, issued by township Manager David Kraynik on Thursday, states that the special meeting will be held at 5:30 pm. Monday at the township administration building, 1090 Troxel Road, and will be streamed online.
Several residents sounded off about the vacancy, the initial Tiktok video, and the supervisors’ and their followers’ subsequent comments about it, during the Feb. 25 meeting, and asked for details on when and how the vacant positions would be filled.
During that meeting, Kraynik said a total of seven applications had been filed for consideration as of that night. Supervisor Joyce Snyder made a motion to nominate former supervisor Dan Bell to fill the vacancy. Supervisor Kofi Osei declined to second that nomination because it had not been advertised beforehand, and the board ultimately agreed to hold a special meeting to make nominations, field comments from candidates, and vote.
For more information visit www.Towamencin.org.
