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Lower Paxton supervisor resigns; board adopts fast timeline to fill vacancy
Summary
The Lower Paxton Board of Supervisors accepted Dr. Charles E. Stewart’s immediate resignation and agreed on a public application and interview process with applications due July 14 and potential interviews July 21 to meet the 30‑day statutory timeline for filling the seat.
The Lower Paxton Township Board of Supervisors voted July 7 to accept the immediate resignation of Dr. Charles E. Stewart from the board.
The resignation was read aloud by the chair, who said a copy of the full letter is available from the township manager. After a brief comment period, Supervisor Thompson moved and Supervisor Shibe seconded a motion to accept the resignation; the board approved it by roll call (Lindsay: Aye; Shibe: Aye; Campbell: Aye; Thompson: Aye).
Why it matters: Under state law discussed at the meeting, the board must fill a vacancy within 30 days or the authority to appoint moves to the vacancy board for an additional 15 days. Solicitor Stannett told the board that failure to act would risk losing the board’s selection power and could push final appointment decisions into county court if the vacancy board does not act.
The board agreed to an expedited, public application process to identify an interim supervisor. Solicitor Stannett and Manager Gossard proposed the following schedule: applications due July 14; supervisors submit scoring/recommendations to the manager by July 18; public interviews of top applicants on July 21 with the option to appoint that night or at the August 3 meeting. The manager said applications would be posted on the township website and social channels and could be submitted by email or hand delivery by the deadline.
Board members discussed desirable supporting materials and process safeguards. Supervisors asked for an application accompanied by a letter of interest and a resume; the manager said an application is required and supporting documents are optional but recommended. Supervisors agreed to use a simple rubric and numeric scoring to narrow applicants to a shortlist for public interviews. Several speakers urged transparency and urged the board to choose a candidate who can command broad support.
Next steps: The manager will post the application and guidance, collect submissions, and coordinate scoring and interview logistics for the July 21 session. The solicitor reiterated the statutory timeline and recommended the board act promptly to retain appointment authority.
Sources and attributions: The resignation letter was read at the meeting by the chair; Solicitor Stannett explained the statutory timeline; Manager Gossard outlined logistics for applications. Resident comments urging transparency came from Anthony Cristillo and others during public comment.
Ending: The appointment process timeline and application materials will be posted by the township manager; interviews are tentatively scheduled for July 21 with a possible appointment that night or at the August 3 supervisors meeting.
