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Residents criticize city and media response after arrest of Lehigh County commissioner Zach Kolborgie
Summary
Several residents used public comment to criticize the city's and local media's handling of the arrest and firing of Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Kolborgie, calling for due process and restraint from officials and reporters.
Multiple speakers at Bethlehem City Council public comment criticized the way local government and media treated Lehigh County Commissioner Zach Kolborgie after recent criminal allegations.
Mary Tomlinson, speaking for End Mass Incarceration Power Lehigh Valley, said the arrest and immediate public actions created a “rush to judgment” and that the manner of his arrest, high bail setting and firing from his job were handled in a way that lacked context and due process. Tomlinson said news outlets “regurgitated the sparse allegations disseminated by the DA's office” and that the community had not been given appropriate context about the charges.
Sharon Finnegan also addressed the council about an August incident involving a city employee and said the city had issued a terse statement that the employee was “no longer an employee of the city” without further comment. Finnegan said the handling was “dirty and sloppy,” and contrasted Bethlehem's response with Lehigh County's, where the county did not immediately presume guilt and the commissioner remains on the Board of Commissioners.
Why it matters: public commentary raised procedural and ethical concerns about how allegations against public servants are handled by government employers and covered by local media. The speakers sought greater adherence to the presumption of innocence and more cautious public statements by city officials.
Council response and context
Council did not take formal action on the public comments during the meeting. Council members heard the remarks during the public comment period and acknowledged receiving them.
What residents asked for
Speakers urged the council and city administration to adopt practices that protect due process for public employees, avoid inflammatory public statements before formal charging and to consider whether internal policies guide how and when the city should comment on criminal allegations involving public servants.
Provenance
Public comments were made near the start of the meeting in the first public comment period, when each speaker was given a five‑minute time limit. The transcript contains the speakers' full remarks.
