Fireworks Flew At N.P. Commissioners Meeting

By NEIL A.SHEEHAN

Times Correspondent    

NETHER PROVIDENCE — There were some post-election fireworks at the most recent meeting of the Board of Commissioners, with Democratic members crying foul over the Election Day activities of township Solicitor Joseph Lesniak.

The Democrats raised concerns about whether it was appropriate for Lesniak, who in his role as solicitor is to represent all of the board and the township, to actively campaign for Republican candidates.

Lesniak also serves as the Nether Providence GOP vice chairman, in addition to holding a full-time job as an assistant district attorney for Delaware County.

“The issue is the blurring of these roles” said Commissioner Frank Noyes, a Democrat.

For his part, Lesniak denied doing anything inappropriate, saying he was supporting candidates in his capacity as a private citizen.

In the Nov. 8 General Election, four board members — two Democrats and two Republicans — were up for re-election. All won their races, leaving the GOP in command of the governing body with a 4-3 advantage.

Matthew Sullivan, the board’s vice president and a Democrat, began the discussion by asking Lesniak if he had distributed a handout at the polls featuring the township logo.

“It’s the seal of the township,” Noyes said. “No one should be using it for partisan reasons.”

Lesniak responded that the logo was not copyrighted and there was nothing appropriate about making use of it.

When asked by Noyes if he had served as campaign manager for one of the board candidates, Lesniak said he did work on behalf of the campaign for Gina Gorbey Zarko, the Republican challenger who unsuccessfully faced off against Sullivan in the 7th Ward.

However, Lesniak also said he had filed the required disclosure forms for any financial contributions to Zarko, who is also a county assistant district attorney. In addition, he asserted that a former township solicitor, Democrat Robert Scott, had likewise made donations to board candidates.

Another issue raised by Sullivan pertained to activities at the 5th Ward polling place on Election Day. Sullivan said he learned Lesniak had threatened to have a judge of elections there arrested over proximity to the voting area.

“I was going to contact the constable. I was doing that as a private citizen,” Lesniak said.

“As solicitor, I think you need to refrain from this kind of activity,” Noyes said.

As the discussion drew to a close, board President Nate Much, a Republican, said the concerns expressed by the Democrats had been duly noted