May 24, 2017 3 min read

South Strabane Township supervisors authorized solicitor Dennis Makel Tuesday to investigate the distribution of a newsletter from the parks and recreation council.

Supervisors Tom Moore, Jack Keisling and Bob Weber also authorized an audit of the council’s funds for 2017, and requested reimbursement from chairman Daryl Price in the amount of $2,209, the cost of printing and mailing the newsletter.

Supervisors said Price, a Republican candidate for supervisor who bested Keisling and Supervisor Ed Mazur in the primary election, placed his name on the newsletter twice, even though he was directed not to do so because it was to be distributed so close to election day. Township residents received the letter May 15 and 16, the date of the primary.

“There was extensive discussion at the last meeting, stating emphatically there would not be any individual names on the newsletter,” said Moore. “It was simply to say ‘South Strabane Township parks and rec council.’ Period.”

But Price said Wednesday he was instructed not to list names on a letter that was sent out to potential sponsors, not the newsletter. He said the newsletter was not supposed to go out right before the election, but at the beginning of May. Mailing was delayed, he said, because he was waiting for supervisors to sign a check to pay for postage.

“I feel it’s very important that our board – that works very hard and puts nice things together – (for people) to know who is on that board. We donate our time. I put in a lot of hours creating that letter. There was no wrongdoing on my part. I listed the members of the park and rec council. I don’t see anything wrong with that at all,” said Price, who did not attend the meeting Tuesday. “This is politically motivated because Mr. Keisling lost the election.”

When questioned by supervisors, Manager Brandon Stanick said he was shown the proof of the newsletter that supervisors were provided and approved. Stanick said Price indicated that a blank space on the newsletter would be a spot for postage and the name of the addressee, but that’s where Price’s name ended up, in the return address and again below with the names of the other board members.

“That’s not what was provided,” Stanick said.

The members of the parks and recreation council serve the board of supervisors in an advisory capacity. Price was appointed by supervisors in January to serve a six-year term.

“People need to know who to communicate with, especially when seeking advertisers and sponsors,” Price said.

Mazur and Laynee Zipko voted against taking action on the newsletter.

“You can’t unring a bell. It’s done. Move on,” said Mazur. “To sit here and go through what we’re going through in relation to this issue is political B.S. I’m one of the people that lost, and I feel that way.”