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.
Two candidates nominated, but fall short of votes needed
A month after the abrupt resignation of Towamencin supervisor Laura Smith, the rest of the board is still deadlocked on naming a replacement.
The four remaining supervisors nominated, but failed to agree on, a fifth supervisor in a special meeting Monday night, meaning that vacancy is now likely heading to county court.
“We are deadlocked again. And at this point, that really concludes our business for this evening,” said supervisors Chairman Chuck Wilson.
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 accepted the resignation on Feb. 4, after dozens of residents sounded off on the video and the board’s subsequent response.
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 and a seat on the township’s vacancy board. Supervisors said the deadline for board action would be within 30 days from the Feb. 4 resignation or the vacancy could be filled by county common pleas court.
During the special meeting, board Chairman Chuck Wilson said a total of 11 applications had initially been received by the board, then winnowed to nine after two withdrew. Of those, two were nominated but fell short, receiving 2-2 tie votes.
The board held a brief executive session prior to the meeting to discuss whether comments submitted on the vacancy were appropriate to read during the meeting, according to Wilson. Supervisor Joyce Snyder then noted that emailed public comments from residents Lynn Sweet-Reimel and Candi Roberts were “edited due to the fact that it mentions private citizens,” before reading several comments sounding off on the vacancy and the current board’s actions so far.
Candidates make their cases
Dan Bell, who served on the board in 2020 after the passing of prior supervisor Jim Sinz, kicked off the in-person comments by explaining his reasons for seeking the spot, saying he saw three key priorities: to develop an updated comprehensive plan for the township, build trust with the public, and “move past partisanship.”
“The board needs to commit to engaging in authentic, organic and inclusive conversations with all members of our community, and lean into what really matters for Towamencin. And then we need to take those learnings into action, whether that’s in laws and events, or priorities, we have to truly represent the breadth of experiences, beliefs and desires of this community,” Bell said.
Don Litman said he’s a 35-year resident of the township, and 40-plus year practicing attorney, who sought the seat “because I see this community lacking trust in the board of supervisors.”
“I believe that this community needs, foremost, to have respect and trust in its board, and in the law. And the principles I stand for are inclusion and openness,” Litman said: “I believe this community is made up of good people, who deserve to be told the truth. And I believe that would be something I would stand for.”
Steve McMasters said he applied because he has worked for the township’s public works department for almost 20 years, currently as assistant director, and said he could bring “my knowledge of the infrastructure: sewer, storm, roads, parks: we do a lot of work in the parks, and have great events out there. We see the community’s happy there. We’re hoping everybody can move forward, and get our community back where it needs to be.”
Vaugn Trader said he applied because, “I saw the vacancy, and I said ‘Why not?’ I’ve never been on a committee, never been on the board. I served 33 years in the military, retired in 2021, and what I learned in that time is that people are people, people make choices, people make decisions, people make mistakes. We all do. But what’s most important with people is, working together. Doesn’t matter whether you’re on the left, or the right, or in the middle. Solving problems is what any committee, or any board, needs to do.”
Rich Burlingame said he’s “hoping to bring my years of engineering, strategic planning, and previous board experience, to assist the township.” He then thanked Osei and Snyder for taking time to interview one-on-one, and said he thought based on Osei’s “very detailed evaluation process, I failed to meet these qualifications. It is very clear that they have a vision for this township, and their passion to execute on that vision is very obvious. They’re playing the long game, it was obvious from the conversations I had with the two of them. That will change the dynamics of the board, and in my opinion it will change the nature of our township.”
Amer Barghouth said he’s a neighbor of Burlingame, and applied after living five years in the township, in which he found it “to be a great community to raise kids, and I hope I can contribute to keeping it that way.” His priorities would be to maintain fiscal responsibility “and ensure the township lives within its means;” build efficient, responsive government; maintain “safe and clean neighborhoods,” and promote local economic development, “specifically mom and pop shops that will keep more money in the town’s economy.”
Nominations both fail
Wilson kicked off the formal nominations by motioning for a candidate who did not offer comments: Vince Sherpinsky, the longtime Republican head of the North Penn School Board from 2003 through 2017.
“Of all the resumes that we got, he had the most extensive background in local government and public policy, including about 20 years on the North Penn School Board,” Wilson said, citing 14 of those years leading that board, and stints on similar boards for the North Montco Technical Career Center, Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, and North Penn YMCA.
“I think he brings to us a great deal of experience. I didn’t solicit his resume, he came to us, and I was very glad he did, because I think he has an outstanding background to take this position,” he said.
Supervisor Kristin Warner then seconded that nomination, and she and Wilson voted in favor, Osei and Snyder voted against.
After that vote tied, Wilson asked for any other nominations, and Osei nominated Bell.
Wilson called for another vote, and Osei and Snyder voted in favor of Bell and Wilson and Warner voted against, yielding another deadlock. In a post on his Facebook page, Osei said the board had “agreed to not disclose names (of applicants) if they aren’t voted on” during the special meeting.
Towamencin’s supervisors next meet at 7 p.m. on March 12 at the township administration building, 1090 Troxel Road; for more information visit www.Towamencin.org.
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