Carlisle council adopts resolution opposing any U.S. takeover of Gaza Strip after public debate

Deputy Mayor Landis introduced and moved adoption of a resolution “condemning and opposing any proposal or action by The United States to take over the Gaza Strip,” and the Carlisle Borough Council approved it by roll call vote on June 4, 2025, after public comment and debate.

The resolution’s sponsor, Deputy Mayor Landis, told the council the item had been raised previously last fall but fell off the agenda and that the situation had become more urgent with ongoing developments. Landis said the text before the council was a version drafted in March and urged members to act now. “When I first brought it up… we did not take it and discuss it, publicly as we normally do,” Landis said.

The measure drew extended discussion from council members and from more than a dozen residents. Mayor Schaller and several council members said they opposed issuing foreign-policy pronouncements from the borough. “I do not support as a general rule the use of resolutions of this borough to make statements on either federal or ... foreign policy,” Councilmember Kate Millen said, adding that she preferred sending letters to state and federal representatives to open dialogue rather than a formal municipal resolution. Mayor Schaller said he opposed the resolution, calling foreign policy outside the council’s role while saying he personally opposed the violence in Gaza.

Residents who spoke during the public-comment period urged passage. Speakers included John Lerner, who said he did not find the resolution inflammatory and described federalism precedents for local statements; Brian McDermott, who read a statement from Eric Smith urging immediate action; Reverend Anthony Saturno, who urged the council to send copies of the resolution to federal and state officials if it passed; and Tina Ziegler, who provided casualty and population figures to contextualize the humanitarian crisis. Several speakers framed the resolution as a moral statement aligned with Carlisle’s local history and institutional commitments.

After the public comment and council debate, Councilor Shiles seconded Landis’s motion. The mayor conducted a roll call. The chair announced the result as passing “4 to 2 with 1 abstention.” The roll-call answers recorded on the transcript were: Deputy Mayor Landis — aye; Miss Mellon — no; Miss Carrie — abstain; Miss Reese — aye; Mister Shower — aye; Mister Stuve — aye; Mayor Schaller — nay.

The council did not attach implementation tasks or departmental assignments to the resolution in the meeting record. Several residents and the deputy mayor requested that copies be forwarded to elected officials at the state and federal level; a resident explicitly asked that the resolution be sent to the president, state senators and state representatives.

The passage follows more than a year of informal discussion in Carlisle and comes amid a national debate about U.S. policy and military involvement in Gaza. Council members who opposed the resolution said they feared the borough’s limited local responsibilities and resources made such statements a poor instrument for affecting federal policy, while supporters said the resolution is an important moral stance for the community.

The resolution text on the table champions a ceasefire and opposes “any proposal or action by The United States to take over the Gaza Strip.” The council’s meeting minutes and any final signed resolution should be consulted for the precise, final wording and for any subsequent distribution actions.