The Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners met Nov. 7 to discuss an ordinance eliminating the treasurer position.

Ordinance 31-2022 proposes to “initiate a referendum for the purpose of amending the township charter to eliminate the treasurer position … and replace [it] with the appointment of a finance director.”

To be elected treasurer, an individual has to be 25 years of age and a resident of Whitehall Township for at least one year.

“I don’t think the requirements are there in today’s day and age, and that’s how I think we ended up in the mess we ended up in,” board Vice President Phil Ginder said.

It was announced during a January 2021 meeting of township commissioners that the township tax office had gone through a fraud investigation after irregularities were noticed in late June 2019.

An employee of the tax office had been placed on administrative leave following the irregular findings, it was reported. In a unanimous decision made by township officials, the board of commissioners hired a private fraud investigation firm, Buckno Lisicky and Company, of Allentown, to complete an investigation alongside the Whitehall Police Department and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

Buckno Lisicky and Company revealed $77,992 in Whitehall school taxes and township garbage fees in 2018-19 could not be accounted for. Following this discovery, all current township employees were vetted and the employee that was placed on administrative leave was fired immediately, according to a report from the meeting. A vote of “no confidence” was taken in the treasurer at the time.

A recent audit of the department was reportedly unable to be completed by business consulting firm RKL due to missing files such as bank slips, monthly reports and more.

The new, proposed ordinance would require the individual be qualified by education and experience in financial management and public finance. With this new proposal, the commissioners would be able to fire the finance director if the job was not being handled satisfactorily - something they cannot do with an elected treasurer.

Deputy Mayor Jack Meyers reported nearby municipalities, including South Whitehall and Lower Macungie townships, have a separate tax collector position. The tax collector is solely responsible for collecting per capita and real estate taxes.

The commissioners also stressed that, if approved, this ordinance would have no effect on the current treasurer and has nothing to do with her diligent work amending what occurred under the previous treasurer.

No decision was made on the matter during the meeting; however, many commissioners made their opinions known.

“The residents deserve a change,” Ginder said.

President Joe Marx echoed this sentiment, saying the commissioners are responsible for protecting the residents from another “nefarious situation.”

Former Treasurer Thomas Slonaker felt the township should keep the treasurer position. He believes the problem lies in all the extra duties thrown at the treasurer through the years.

In other business, the Adams Outdoor Advertising curative amendment hearing was tabled, with the vote potentially being held at the next commissioners meeting. The commissioners will also vote on various lot line adjustments.

The commissioners next meet 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the municipal building, 3219 MacArthur Road.