Pocono Township’s Board of Commissioners makes the decisions that shape daily life in the township, and this outlet has tracked how some of those decisions hold up. Residents still don’t know where the money went after a library tax was collected for nearly a year with no library open to spend it on.
This outlet also found that Commissioner Ellen Gnandt’s early warnings about a controversial development turned out to be right, while Commissioner Winot voted on his own business deals and then sued a fellow commissioner for calling it out. Winot’s conflicts extended beyond the dais — this outlet also found his construction firm connected to the disputed sale of a historic Tannersville church and cemetery, sold by an agent married to one of his employees.
If it happens with Pocono Township’s Board of Commissioners and it’s of public interest, we’ll cover it — check back here to stay current.
You can also find more articles about Mike Velardi, a former commissioner whose resignation followed a run of conduct questions.
For almost a year, residents of Pocono Township and Jackson Township have been paying a library tax for a library that doesn’t exist. Nobody has told them how much has been collected. Nobody has told them where it went. At the June 15th Board of Commissioners meeting, Donna McMahon stood at the podium and asked:...
Pocono Township meeting minutes show Commissioner Brian Winot abstained on votes when his business ties were obvious — but voted yes on others involving the same companies. No written disclosures appear in the record. When Charles Keppler raised ethics concerns from the podium, Winot sued him.
Tannersville church sale raises conflict-of-interest questions as ties emerge between listing agent's family and ex-commissioner's construction firm.