CARROLL VALLEY BOROUGH, Pa. – Choosing his words slowly and deliberately, Councilman Daniel Patton made a motion to force Thomas Wolf to resign as council president during the March 13th council meeting.

Patton commended Wolf for his passion and tireless work on behalf of the borough, but suggested his “autocratic, opinionated, and often rude” manner in which he used his position to facilitate the council meetings and forward his own personal agenda was not in line with the intention of his office. “I feel that the face of the borough is not being represented with Mr. Wolf as president at this time,” Patton said.

Before the motion was made, Patton asked Wolf for his resignation (having also done so in private earlier in the week). Wolf’s response was an emphatic, “No!” Patton then made the motion and Councilman John Van Volkenburgh seconded it.

Councilman Ted Talbert delivered an impassioned speech in defense of Wolf. Although he acknowledged that Wolf could be heavy handed and rude at times, he felt that the president had accomplished a lot for the borough. “This is entirely inappropriate and divisive!” he said. “You newcomers don’t know what the hell is going on. You haven’t lived here long enough. When you don’t know the history, you’re doomed to repeat it.”

Wolf defended himself, admitting that this could be the last time he got the last word. “I think that at the moment I can handle the job as well as anyone on council.” He added that he does a lot more than hold the gavel at council meetings, citing his mentoring of Borough President David Hazlett as an example. “If I’m voted out tonight, I’m voted out with great regret.”

A roll call was held to decide the matter and Wolf was forced to resign by a 4-2 vote, with only Fitzsimmons and Talbert siding with the ousted president; Wolf himself abstained from the vote. Fitzsimmons immediately took over as president and Councilman Steven Semiatin motioned to make the move permanent. Fitzsimmons immediately declined the nomination. After a quick consultation between Hazlett and Borough Solicitor Thomas Campbell concerning proper protocol in such matters, another roll call was held to determine the next president. Van Volkenburgh won with four votes to Wolf’s three.

Fitzsimmons immediately resigned as vice president.

Talbert said, “I am ashamed and embarrassed to be associated with my colleagues. I resign from the council effectively immediately. To hell with you guys! Good luck running the borough!” With that he grabbed his belongings and walked out of the meeting.

Amongst the silence that followed, Hazlett reminded Van Volkenburgh that it was his meeting and he had a vice president to appoint. The evening’s third roll call produced nominations of Wolf, Patton, and Tammy Lyttle, but no one gained the majority. Lyttle declined the nomination and another roll call gave the vice presidency to Wolf by a 4-1 vote, with Wolf himself abstaining. Wolf immediately declined the nomination. A final roll call produced Patton as the vice president with four votes; Wolf and Fitzsimmons abstained.

Clearly shaken from the turn of events and his new roll, Van Volkenburgh opened the meeting for public comment. Finance Committee Chairman Gordon Lamb, who was in attendance, offered his resignation from that committee with a strongly worded condemnation of Patton’s actions. The council voted to accept his resignation, with Semiatin refusing it, saying “Mr. Lamb is far too valuable to lose.”

The resignation was nevertheless accepted, and Wolf and Fitzsimmons were heard muttering to each other, “More to come…more to come.”

The meeting was adjourned and as the stunned audience filed out, Wolf approached Patton saying, “Great job, Dan. You’ve done more damage to this borough than anyone in the last 20 years.” Lamb also approached Patton, adding, “You’re a despicable person!”

Leaving the borough office, Wolf and Fitzsimmons lamented the turn of events. “There’ll be more fallout from this. They have no idea,” Fitzsimmons said.