Fallout over Jay Twp. appointment continues

May 20, 2012

Photo by Colin Deppen - At Thursday's meeting of the Jay Twp. Board of Supervisors, Supervisors Jeremy Rippey, left, and Fran Gustafson, right, responded to continued criticism of their appointment to fill a vacancy within the township's Water Authority Board.

The fallout over the Jay Township Board of Supervisors' appointment to fill a vacancy within the township's Water Authority continued at Thursday's meeting of the board.
Attendees, including Weedville resident Helen Bonanno, accused Supervisors Jeremy Rippey and Fran Gustafson of violating procedure and exercising a bias in casting their votes, creating arbitrary qualifications for vacancies, and recruiting applicants.
"This is a government, not a monopoly, but that's what it looks like to the public. It looks like two of three supervisors are having meetings. One motions it, the other passes it, it's done. You recruit these people ahead of time. We voted you in, as citizens we deserve answers-- we shouldn't be brushed aside. It just can't be 'we do it this way, this time' -- for the next person it's different," Bonanno said.