Lower Merion Ward 1 Commissioner Applications Due Thursday; Request for Extension Denied

Despite a  from the Gladwyne and Penn Valley civic associations for more time to fill the upcoming Ward 1 vacancy, applications are still due at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3.

Board of Commissioners President Liz Rogan e-mailed her response stating there would be no extension late Feb. 1, in response to an e-mail Gladwyne Civic Association President Karen Aydt sent to the Board of Commissioners the morning of Jan. 27.

The Ward 1 commissioner’s spot was announced Jan. 21—just two days after President Bruce Reed resigned and Commissioner Liz Rogan became president—when Vice President Mark Taylor , effective Feb. 16.

Then, at the Gladwyne Civic Association’s Jan. 25 meeting, community members and commissioners Scott Zelov, Lew Gould and Jenny Brown expressed interest in pushing the deadlines for filling the Ward 1 spot back by a month, which would have been within the 30 days required by township code.

“While delaying action on this interim appointment is strictly legal and doesn’t prevent the Board from meeting its legislative obligation, it does, in fact, leave residents in Ward 1 without a representative and thus no vote in matters that may come up during that period of time,” Rogan wrote in her e-mail. “Neither Commissioner Taylor nor I believe it is fair or appropriate to reschedule the interviews or appointment process and leave his constituents unrepresented, particularly given the Township’s past practices when making interim appointments, the amount of time the community has already had and will have to participate in the process of appointing a temporary representative, and the fortuitous timing of the upcoming elections.”

Rogan wrote in her e-mail that Taylor had been away until the day before she sent her response and she had not gotten a chance to speak to him about the request until then.

Brown said she was disappointed with Rogan’s decision because of questions she’s heard some township residents have had about the boundaries of Ward 1. On Wednesday, she noted in e-mails to other commissioners she would like a more detailed map of the ward than is currently on the township website because the street names are illegible. 

“I think that if the civics in Ward 1 and the residents of Ward 1 would like, reasonably, to wait until March, the board should respect that,” Brown said. 

“No one would be harmed by pushing this off until March… I don’t see why this needs to be rushed.”

Rogan’s e-mail also referenced “important political events” that coincide with the Ward 1 appointment and a concern about delaying the process for that reason. That political event is the Montgomery County Republican Committee's endorsement convention on Feb. 9 (the same night as Ward 1 applicant interviews), which Commissioner Jenny Brown would be attending because of her candidacy for county commissioner. Rogan wrote they could rearrange the order the committee meetings and agenda items scheduled for that night to better suit those commissioners who might have conflicts.

Aydt was not pleased with Rogan’s response nor with the timeliness of her response.

“I was a little disappointed,” Aydt said. “I don’t think it’s a good beginning for Liz Rogan. All she had to say a week ago was, ‘Let me consider this.’”

Aydt said she would have liked to send out postcards to Ward 1 residents informing them of the opening so that they could be involved in the process and that she could have done so last week if she’d known her request would be turned down.

“I think it was a pretty straightforward, simple request,” Aydt said. “I made calls to Ward 1 residents who had no idea that (Mark Taylor) had stepped down. And what it is, is it’s really difficult for people to go to the township website every other day and say, ‘Oh, Mark Taylor stepped down.’”

In Aydt’s Jan. 27 e-mail to the Board of Commissioners, she stated: “Both civic associations would like to have the opportunity to speak with potential candidates for the Ward One vacancy,” stated an e-mail sent to commissioners Thursday morning by Gladwyne Civic Association President Karen Aydt. “It would also give the applicants an opportunity to speak with potential candidates for the Ward One vacancy.”

Aydt said she believes it would be more important to find someone who would represent them well than to hurry to fill the spot this month, in addressing Rogan’s concern about leaving Ward 1 constituents unrepresented for the few weeks between Taylor’s resignation and the appointment of a new interim commissioner if the dates were pushed back a month.

“I’m sorry she’s disappointed,” Rogan said of Aydt. “I’m doing the best I can. She didn’t write to me, she wrote to the entire board and then to the papers. I was confused as to what the most appropriate way to respond was.”

Rogan said that while Aydt may be right in her request, she disagrees.

“Always in the past, this is how boards have done it,” Rogan said. “I respect Mark’s opinion on this. He feels they should have a representative. I think every vote the board makes is important, so I respect his opinion and respect the past practices of the township, and I’m following through with both of those things.

Rogan said she hopes the civic associations continue to be involved in not only the temporary appointment process for the Ward 1 vacancy but also for the primary and general elections.

As of the close of the business day Wednesday, only one candidate has applied for the position—Daniel Bernheim, of Penn Valley.

Bernheim said he’s interested in the opening for many reasons.

“The short answer is that I’m from that generation to ask what you can do for your country,” Bernheim said, adding that applies locally as well. “Certainly when an opportunity here arose, I had an interest in giving back.”

He said he’s heard about the civic associations requesting more time but that he has not been kept in the loop about those decisions, nor did he believe it appropriate that he would be kept in the loop.

“That being said, at the risk of sounding self serving, I think the more participants that are involved in every part of the process, the better. I’m not sure what’s happened historically,” Bernheim said. “I’m amenable to do what anyone wants to do, and I’ll leave it to the judgment of those who are making those decisions.”

Anyone who wishes to apply for the vacancy in Ward 1 (Gladwyne, Merion Park, Penn Valley and Wynnewood) should contact Eileen Trainer at (610) 645-6145 or etrainer@lowermerion.org for more information. Those interested must submit applications by 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, Trainer said.

A Timeline of Events:

Jan. 21: Mark Taylor announces his resignation

Jan. 25: Gladwyne Civic Association meets, discusses extension. Scott Zelov, Lew Gould and Jenny Brown support the idea

Jan. 27: Gladwyne and Penn Wynne civic associations request more time

Feb. 1: Liz Rogan responds, says current deadlines will stay in place

Feb. 2: Karen Aydt, Jenny Brown express disappointment

Feb. 3: Ward 1 commissioner applications due

Feb. 9: Ward 1 interviews scheduled

Feb. 16: Mark Taylor effectively resigns, Ward 1 replacement inauguration scheduled