Council Rock School Board Member Moves Up Resignation Date

NEWTOWN, PA — State Rep. Kristin Marcell has moved her resignation date up to Feb. 9, ensuring that the open seat will appear on the May 2023 Primary ballot.

Marcell had originally submitted a resignation letter to school board president Ed Salamon effective Feb. 16, which would have been three days past the deadline for candidates to run for the open seat in the primary.

"After contacting the Board of Elections for clarification yesterday, my last day is being moved to Feb 9 to ensure the 2023 primary petition process can occur," she wrote in an email to Patch.

Marcell represents Region 9 on the school board, which includes Wrightstown and two voting districts in neighboring Newtown Township.

Marcell's original resignation date prompted a backlash from some residents accusing the board member of political gamesmanship and attempting to disenfranchise the voters of her district by holding off her resignation until after the deadline for candidates to file for the election.

"I'm glad she decided to move up her resignation date so that we can have a primary, which we should all want," said Wrightstown resident Rebecca Tillet.

Tillet along with several other residents spoke at the January school board meeting encouraging Marcell to resign before the middle of February to give voters in both parties the opportunity to select their candidates for the seat.

"Why shouldn't we have a primary? Fundamentally it is the right of voters to make these decisions for their parties, not like some backroom thing," said Tillet.

Neil Schnitzer of Newtown had also called on Marcell to resign before the middle of February.

"That is the condition that will make the resignation meaningful to your constituency," he said. "Timing it to political advantage for anyone is irresponsible and a perversion of the intent of the laws governing this body. I appreciate you doing the right thing."

Jonathan Seamans, of Newtown Township, broke with the other speakers at the meeting expressing disappointment that Marcell had chosen to resign. "I'm actually hoping contrary to everyone else who spoke tonight that she will reconsider and stay on the board," he said.

"We've heard talk about how close the election was when Kristin won and that automatically her opponent should get the seat ... Her region voted for a Republican. Her region should be represented by a Republican and if it's not going to be Kristin, pick somebody else who shares her views," he said.