Johnstown Ethics Board Debate
The debate over dissolving Johnstown’s voter approved city ethics board had its day in court Tuesday.
The case was heard in a virtual court hearing presided over by Cambria County Senior Judge Timothy Creany.
Activist John DeBartola, acting as his own lawyer, is seeking an injunction to prevent its dissolution. He argued Tuesday that the board is independent of any council decision and would be, in his words, “voter suppression” if the council gets rid of the board overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2017.
The city’s solicitor, Elizabeth Benjamin, argued all city ordinances approved by voters can be changed or removed after a two-year moratorium, and that any outstanding complaints with the city’s board, including one the DeBartola has a court order for the ethics board to handle, can be referred to the state’s ethics board.
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