Councilwoman Resigns Over Residency Questions

Doylestown Borough is looking for a new council member.

Council member Marlene Pray has resigned from the board after questions were raised about her residency.

The remaining eight members of borough council voted Monday night to accept Pray’s resignation, with regret. She did not attend the meeting.

"I’m very sorry to see that it’s come to this," councilman Don Berk said. "I think Marlene is a stellar example of a council person. I hope that her situation resolves quickly and that she is able to run again."

Though Doylestown Borough encompasses only about 2 square miles, it is divided into three political subdivisions. Each ward elects three members to borough council.

Pray won election in November 2011, representing Ward 1, which included her home on Forest Drive. But personal issues forced her to leave the home, a move which she announced at a council meeting in December.

She said she initially looked for a rental in Ward 1 but couldn't find anything she could afford. After being assured that temporarily moving out of her ward would not pose a problem, she moved with her young son to a rental home she owns near the SEPTA station. It is in Ward 3, one-third of a mile from the boundary with Ward 1.

At a January council meeting, a frequent critic of Doylestown Council called on Pray to resign. Ward 1 resident Dick Schoenkopf said she should step down, since she had moved out of the ward she had been elected to represent.

Schoenkopf, who has previously called for all nine members of council to resign en masse, threatened unspecified legal action over Pray's move.

Pennsylvania's borough code requires a candidate for office to have lived in their ward for one year prior to election, which Pray did. It is vague, however, on specific residency requirements once elected.

Other borough council members have, in the past, moved out of their wards temporarily and still retained their seats on council.

The borough's solicitor, David Conn, said that as long as a move is temporary, it does not impact a council member's ability to continue serving. But because Conn and Pray are in a relationship, the borough sought additional opinions, as did Pray herself.

The Bucks County District Attorney and Pennsylvania Attorney General were asked whether they had a legal opinion on the matter; both offices declined to see a reason to get involved.

Still, Pray decided to step down.

In a letter to her fellow council members, Pray said her resignation would be effective as of Tuesday, March 19.

Though she said she still expects her residence in Ward 3 to be temporary, she told council she decided to step down because she has no firm date in mind by which she would be able to find a new home in Ward 1.

"It has been my privilege to serve them," Pray wrote, of her constituents, adding that she tendered her resignation "with deep regret."

Many of those constituents turned out last month to support Pray publicly, saying they wanted her to remain on council.

"She is the type of person that I want on borough council," Ward 1 resident Tom Knoble said then. "She has the spirit of civic mindedness, and she also is an inspiration to our youth."

One of those young people thanked Pray publicly on Monday for her inspiration.

"She’s always been really supportive of young people in the community," said Hannah Borghi, who credited Pray with inspiring her to seek an appointment as Doylestown's junior council member.

"Marlene really raised the bar in terms of the community and governmental affairs committee" said council member Susan Madian, of the committee that Pray chaired. "I want to thank her for that and wish her the very best."

Sharon Montanye, another attorney from the borough's law firm, said Monday night that she will replace Conn as the borough's solicitor, going forward.

With a vacancy on the board, Doylestown now must appoint a replacement council member.

Council members agreed Monday to advertise the vacancy publicly. Anyone interested in applying for the seat may contact their local political parties.

Council members will interview prospective candidates and choose someone to appoint to fill the vacancy. That person would serve out the remainder of 2013, borough manager John Davis said.

A special election will be held in November to fill the seat for another two years.

Related Stories:

• Dozens Rally to Support Councilwoman
• Councilwoman's Residency Questioned in Doylestown