'Twas the last meeting before Christmas and all through the shack, no rumors were stirring, as citizens demanded Solicitor Smith be sacked;

Our public comments were placed on the record with care, in hopes that Saint Nick would soon bring local residents a Happy New Year;

Come Gormont, come Updyke, Queen Susan, and alike, and deny the hints of collusion and corruption brought forth to light;

When down from afar, Mooney law appeared with a crash, a strange little man appeared from the Nov 2nd smoke and ash;

He wiggled and jumped and got up like a shot, came over and said, "Man those ethic commission fines were for naught!";

And once more as “Dirty Dave and King John" drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

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Mount Joy residents urge solicitor's ouster

By Jim Hale Times Staff Writer--Gettysburg Times

About a dozen Mount Joy residents urged the ouster of the township’s attorney at a Thursday supervisors’ regular meeting.

Calls for the replacement of Solicitor Susan Smith continued for about 30 minutes during the public comment portion of the meeting.

With two new supervisors elected in November amid controversy about the proposed Brookview solar energy project, commenters expressed hope the reconstituted board will choose a new solicitor in January.

Commenters claimed the township has spent too much on legal fees and alleged Smith has been more helpful to Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources than to residents who oppose its proposal to place electricity-generating solar panels on hundreds of acres along Baltimore Pike.

The township needs a solicitor who is “willing to take a punch for us,” one man said.

Resident Tom Newhart said elected leaders, not lawyers, should set policy. After hundreds of residents signed a petition against Brookview, Newhart claimed Smith “blew it off” in what amounted to a “slap in the face” to citizens.

Smith has strayed from an advisory role to “zealous advocacy,” resident David Larson alleged. He said he has been an attorney for decades, including with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where “we never robbed the commander of his decision.”

The board received four written comments “in opposition to the solicitor,” Chair John Gormont said. As at previous meetings, he did not read the comments aloud.

Resident Scott Sanders said the choice not to read them “sends a message” that the board is “not transparent,” which is among factors that led voters to “demand change.”

The board took no action regarding Smith. After the meeting, she declined to respond to commenters’ allegations.

The meeting was the last for Gormont, who lost to Christine Demas and Todd McCauslin, and David Updyke, who did not seek re-election.

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An attorney representing Updyke rose during the public comment portion to report state ethics officials did not find he had used his township position for pecuniary gain in regard to solar leases he holds.

The state ruled Updyke’s situation did not vary from that of other similarly situated property owners, said Roberto Ugarte of the Mooney Law firm.

Under a consent agreement, Updyke paid $1,250 to cover the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission’s administrative and investigative costs, according to Ugarte.

Updyke also agreed to amend his disclosure of interest documents for 2015 through 2019, Ugarte said. The amendments corrected “technical” faults and amounted to filling in items that had been left blank, Ugarte said.

Updyke met twice with a representative of the commission, which closed his case in September and issued formal notice this month that it had done so, Ugarte said.

Updyke, who has recused himself from proceedings, said he was the victim of “totally made-up allegations” that unfairly “ruined my reputation.”