Mayor Addresses 2 Police Incidents Involving Council Members

HATBORO, PA — Mayor Tim Schultz has come to the defense of two Hatboro Borough Council members who have appeared in police reports over the past few months.

Over the course of two months last fall, Councilwoman Nicole M. Shay was involved in an incident at a popular borough bar.

Meanwhile, then-Council President George Bollendorf was involved in a motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian.

"People have a right to their private lives," the mayor told Patch. "They weren't breaking any laws or hurting people. People screw up all the time."

Shay was accused in a "disturbance" reported at 12:57 a.m. on Oct. 26 at Crooked Eye Brewery, a police report states.

One month before, on Sept. 9, then Council President George Bollendorf was involved in an accident involving a pedestrian.

Both incidents were never revealed publicly by either council member or in any statements from the borough to the public about their elected officials.

The mayor was criticized recently by residents for hanging the American flag upside down outside his home for several weeks to protest actions by the Trump Administration.

Schultz also serves as chairman of the Hatboro Democratic Committee.

Schultz said that both incidents have "nothing to do with the borough."

"Our job is to get local and state officials elected," Schultz said about the Democratic committee's goals.

Under Pennsylvania's Ethics Act, some of the codes of conduct for public officials require high ethical standards both on and off duty, emphasizing public trust, impartiality, and the avoidance of conflicts of interest.

Key rules prohibit using public office for private gain, accepting improper gifts, and misusing confidential information, extending to personal financial disclosures and outside employment restrictions, the Ethics Code states.

While public officials have a right to a private life, their actions outside work are constrained by the need to maintain public confidence, the code states.

Violations can lead to penalties, including fines, removal from office, or criminal charges, depending on the severity and jurisdiction.