In the last week you may have seen stories regarding an invoice that the Borough sent to a young resident to cover public safety and police overtime costs related to a Black Lives Matter protest and the way she believed the Borough was handling its affordable housing obligation. I have attached the young resident’s letter to me for your review.

First and foremost, let me say that the manner in which this was handled was wrong and I take responsibility for my role in the process. I should have been more vigilant as to the actions of Borough employees and more thoughtful in my personal re­sponse. In retrospect, I should have researched the matter independently of the Borough Administrator and Borough Attorney as I have had many issues in the past with each of them. After my research, I rescinded the bill and apologized for sending it. Nobody is perfect, least not me.

I respect Emily’s opinion and her right to stand up for what she believes. Those rights are enshrined in our Constitution and I am heartened to see our young people engaging in the civic process so passionately.

The news media has reported that I unilaterally sent this young resident an invoice for just under $2,500, and that no one else in local government was aware. This is simply not true and I am writing to you today to set the record straight.

Recently, an article in The Record reported that our Borough Administrator – a holdover from the previous Democratic Administration – and some Democratic Council Members sought to claim that they had no knowledge of the related correspondence with this resident, nor knowledge of the letter that was ultimately sent to her. This is simply false.

Sadly, they – as they do with most things – have tried to turn this into a political attack on me as a means to push through their settlement as it relates to the development of high-density residential housing at 800 Sylvan.

The truth is Borough Administrator Duffy drafted the very letter she claims not to know about, verifying the amount to be billed with Chief Henkelman. Ms. Duffy then included that dollar amount in the letter she prepared and sent it to me for review. This is the very letter with the invoice amount she claims never to have seen. The attached emails prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Please review them for yourself.

Here is exactly what transpired so you are fully informed: After the protest event concluded, I had a phone discussion with Borough Administrator Duffy. She told me the Borough bills private event organizers and I understood this was part of the permitting process that she and the Police Chief took care of. The Borough Administrator and Police Chief organized the event. I asked the Borough Administrator to make sure it was proper to bill and I understood she consulted the Borough Attorney. She confirmed it was proper to bill and she obtained the exact amount from the Police Chief.

The Borough Administrator then prepared the first draft of the billing letter, I revised it, and the Borough Administrator caused it to be delivered. The Borough Administrator never objected to sending it. Members of the Council, and Borough Attorney Mariniello were also provided a copy of the billing letter by the Borough Administrator and no one objected to the billing. As you can see, the allegation that this was some rogue action by me has zero relationship with the truth. In reaction to this, I asked the Council and Administrator to amend our fee collection ordinance to make sure this never happens again and that we preserve everyone’s rights of free speech and peaceful assembly.

Thank you again for your time and please enjoy a safe, healthy, and fun Labor Day weekend.

Sincerely,

Mayor