Lower Saucon Council's new pledge calls for proper civic discourse at meetings; panel minority isn't convinced

LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — A Township Council majority on Wednesday agreed to sign a new pledge for proper meeting conduct among officials, but the panel minority insisted the document is all for show and isn’t legally binding.

The document as written emphasizes the council stop personal insults, reject misinformation, avoid political speech, advocate for unity and ultimately streamline the meeting process.

Township Council meetings under the current administration have been lengthy, with one showing in August lasting nine hours. Wednesday's meeting pushed the five-hour mark.

The pledge was approved 3-2 along party lines, with Republican Councilmen Jason Banonis and Thomas Carocci opposing.

Carocci even brought forward his own pledge for council, which failed 2-3.

Councilwoman Victoria Opthof-Cordaro wrote up the approved document.

And while a separate code of conduct currently in place applies to audience members as well as council, a pledge was needed to push “respect and courtesy to one another” among the panel, she said.

“You want to argue about [how] you don’t like the Hellertown Library, you don’t like respecting residents and their property, you want to rezone different areas of the neighborhood in a different way," Opthof-Cordaro said.

“You can say all of those things. That’s absolutely your right to say those things, but say them respectfully.”

When introducing the pledge, Council President Priscilla deLeon said, “You have the right to be here, but you do not have the right to be disrespectful.”

'Queens of misinformation'

Banonis said the document was ironic, as the “queens of misinformation” currently have the council majority.

Referencing township legal battles involving the Hellertown Area Library and Bethlehem Landfill, no preliminary township budget yet made public and the current majority’s undoing of tax cuts approved by the previous administration, Carocci said the pledge didn’t hold water and could hinder free speech.

“This code of conduct is just a lame attempt to try and, again, shut people up and because the criticism is getting to them, and they know it,” Carocci said.

“This is nothing more than an attempt to further restrict those who question your actions.”

One township resident, Ginger Petrie, who said she was proud to be a Republican, said she wanted better from the panel minority and ultimately the council as a whole from there.

“This is not the place to air your bullcrap with each other, and the name-calling is horrible,” Petrie said. “Each one of you are respectable people, and the truth is we all do respect you and your intelligence.

"But this bullcrap that’s going on back and forth and making all the people not want to come [to meetings] is ridiculous.”

Resident Anne Marie Slavick said to the council majority, “You cannot actually say what you want to say — which some things are ludicrous that you say — and then not expect somebody else to want to debate that or counter what you said.

"You’re an elected official; that’s just what happens.”

'Good behavior award'

At one point in the meeting, Banonis awarded Carocci a “good behavior award,” saying the code of conduct Carocci brought forward actually aligned with the council’s responsibilities.

His proper conduct would continue for the remainder of his time on the panel, Carocci said.

“A lot of you are going to find this hard to believe, but I’ve never received a good behavior award,” Carocci said, drawing laughs from the audience.

“I’m 54 years old, and I’ve never received such an award. And I want to thank council and Jason for recognizing me. I appreciate it. I want to thank you for recognizing my genial, compassionate nature.”

Opthof-Cordaro said, “Two members of our council just sat here and mocked the members of our township. They want to give themselves awards for insulting people.”

“We mocked you,” Carocci told her, chuckling.