Taylor ousted after two decades
UPPER POTTSGROVE >> The Republican candidates won the hotly contested race for two open seats on the township commissioners board Tuesday, according to unofficial results.
The Montgomery County elections website put challengers Cathy Paretti and Dave Waldt in the winners circle with 562 and 569 votes, respectively.
Incumbent Elwood Taylor, who has been on the board of commissioners for more than 20 years and this year changed his registration from Republican to Democrat, was ousted by voters.
The other Democratic candidate, Tyrone Robinson, who two years ago lost by two votes, was defeated by a larger margin Tuesday.
Unofficial results gave Robinson 519 votes and Taylor the least number, 502 votes.
The results may complicate a long-simmering dispute on the board of commissioners.
In August, the board voted 3-2 to adopt a resolution banning commissioners from serving on other boards or commissions or the boards of non-profits which receive funding from
the township.
The majority said it was to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Taylor insisted he was targeted by the move.
Taylor, who has served in the Township Planning Commission for even longer than the board of commissioners, refused to comply with the resolution.
In September, the board voted 3-2 to remove Commissioner Martin Schreiber from the Civil Service Commission and Taylor from the planning commission.
But Taylor contested the board’s authority to remove him and demanded a hearing.
Last month, that hearing was held before the commissioners, but the results have not yet been made public.
With Taylor’s loss in the election, he will no longer be in conflict with the commissioners’ resolution come Dec. 31 when his current term as a township commissioner officially ends.
His term on the planning commission does not end until Dec. 31, 2020.
It remains to be seen if the commissioners will press forward with his planning commission removal or let the matter drop.