Former Tulpehocken Township supervisor cited by Pa. State Ethics Commission

April 08--The Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission said a former Tulpehocken Township supervisor violated ethics rules during his time on the board.

The commission directed Ronald Whitmoyer to pay the township $3,750, which he has done.

Whitmoyer, who served as a township supervisor from 1994 through 2011, approved nearly $15,000 in township funds to cover medical expenses and failed to file statements of financial interests for 2010 and 2011.

But Whitmoyer said that he elected to receive benefits through his wife's employer -- the United States Postal Service -- and not be included in the township's health insurance after 2006 to save money.

He then began receiving payment from the township for the same amount as was deducted from his wife's paycheck for her health care coverage contribution, according to the ethics commission investigation.

"I thought it would be cheaper for the township," Whitmoyer said. "And I couldn't approve the payments by myself; it was approved by the supervisor board."

According to the ethics commission report, Whitmoyer admitted that he first learned of the need for the board to approve the payments in 2010, when he received a notice from the ethics commission regarding an unrelated matter.

Whitmoyer also failed to file required financial statements in 2010 and 2011, which the commission has asked him to complete within the month, which cost him most in the investigation.

He said that he filed the form in a timely fashion and said it could have been a clerical error. The ethics commission requested payment of $3,750, equal to two years pay as a supervisor, for the infraction.

Township supervisors said that the board brought the issue to the solicitor's attention after seeing the payments weren't approved in a public session.

"We found some insurance issues and couldn't understand how they were paid out," said Supervisor Richard A. Kramer. "So we contacted our attorney and decided it was best to let the ethics commission look into it just in case."

Whitmoyer said that when supervisors voted on the payments in an executive session, the township did not have a lawyer present at every meeting, as is currently the practice for many municipalities in the county. He said if he had legal advice to abstain from the vote or to separate the items, he would have.

"We just approved the checks along with a whole list of bills," Whitmoyer said. "At that time, I didn't know that I couldn't vote on something like that."

Whitmoyer submitted a response to the commission in which he explained that the reimbursement checks that covered his medical expenses was much less than the amount afforded to him if he had taken the township's health insurance.

Under the township plan, Whitmoyer would have received around $60,000 in family coverage. He was reimbursed for $14,392 in medical expenses.

Whitmoyer did, however, say that the board did not let township auditors review the reimbursements nor did supervisors approve the payments in a public meeting as required by township code.

Both Kramer and former Chairman John Kintzer said they were satisfied with the commission's final ruling.

Kintzer was the contact person with the commission until he resigned in August of 2013.

"I would have liked to see some more money paid back to the township," Kintzer said. "But whatever decision the commission made suits me fine. I think this shows people that the system works."

The state ethics commission sent Whitmoyer a letter on March 25 that stated they considered the matter settled.

"In spite of all of this, I am still proud to have served the township for 18 years," he said.

Contact Anthony Orozco: 610-371-5015 or aorozco@readingeagle.com.

___

(c)2014 the Reading Eagle (Reading, Pa.)

Visit the Reading Eagle (Reading, Pa.) at readingeagle.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services