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After 2 Lose Colwyn (Pa.) Borough Jobs, Council Plans Meeting to Regroup

By Jim Melwert

COLWYN, Pa. (CBS) -- The Colwyn Borough Council will meet tonight for a closed-door meeting to discuss last week's firing of two local government officials, an action that later erupted in controversy.

Colwyn Borough Council voted Thursday night to fire borough manager Paula Brown and code enforcement director Daniel Rutland, prompting Brown to lock herself in her office for nearly 24 hours.

Since the two were fired, mayor Michael Blue claims that borough funds and accounts have been frozen.

"Gasoline and lights, and everything."

He says the banks have a hold on their accounts to the point where they had to scrounge for money for gasoline for police cars:

"They are out patrolling," he tells KYW Newsradio.  "You might see two (officers) in a car, but they are patrolling."

But council president Fred Lesher disputes Mayor Blue's characterization.  Money is available for operations, Lesher says, with the only problem being the gasoline account.  He says this is just someone playing politics.

And Lesher says they didn't vote to fire anyone -- they voted to eliminate the positions. The closed-door meeting is set for 6 o'clock tonight.

For the eight years she served as mayor of Darby, Pa., Paula Brown was at the center of several controversies.  During one, she locked herself in her mayoral office in the Darby police station.  She was defeated for reelection there in 2005.

 

 

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