To the Editor:
In their Letter to the Editor, Chart New Course Charter Study candidates, Chad Goerner, Michael Markulec, Tamera Matteo and Stephen Klopfer, claim to be “truly independent” (twice) “to study the forms of government available to Hopewell Township.” Yet, in their letter, they admit alignment with the group calling themselves Chart New Course.
Everyone should be familiar with the Chart New Course public positions from a few months ago. They are the folks that did not want a study of our township government because they already made up their minds: 1) that we should have new government; 2) with a figurehead mayor and weak council; and 3) power concentrated in an unelected township manager. In fact, candidate and former two-time mayor and two-time former committee member Michael Markulec is one of three out-of-power township mayors that are founding members of Chart New Course. The others are John Hart, who is currently running for a seat on the township committee, and Vanessa Sandom.
Are we to believe that Mr. Markulec and his followers will conduct an unbiased study that he and his group previously rejected? Of course not. These four Chart New Course supporters are simply deceiving the public. If elected as commissioners, would anyone be surprised when, not if, they conclude that the unelected township manager/figurehead mayor/weak council government is again chosen by them to replace our tax-cutting current committee? Of course not.
If the public chooses to have a charter study, it needs to be a real study, not a forgone conclusion.
Harvey Lester, Titusville
Former Hopewell Township Mayor
