WRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. — An ordinance that would abolish a decades-old ward system in York County was vetoed after intense pushback from community members.
Wrightsville Borough residents expressed their concerns for the possible change at a council meeting on Monday. Some residents said that replacing the three ward system with a single district would make it more difficult to connect with their local government.
“I have two representatives for my ward. That’s who I go to when I have a problem. If we don’t have that, I have to go to all seven people to reach out; that’s not efficient for us,” said Karen Oster, a resident of Ward 3.
But Councilmember Eric White says eliminating the wards would lead to an additional council member for the area, expanding representation and bringing in new ideas.
"The more representation the better chance for good ideas,” White said.
The issue arose after the U.S. Census revealed a significant 11.8% difference in voter population between the three existing wards.
According to White, Ward 1 includes 425 voters, Ward 2 has 445 and Ward 3 has 567.
This overage puts the local government out of compliance and potentially invalidates future elections if the issue is left unresolved.
During the meeting, community members spent over an hour expressing their views on the matter during public comment.
Mayor Tayne Slenker ultimately vetoed the motion to abolish the ward system, citing fairness to community members and their concerns. Slenker expressed, "We need the whole council to be working together as one, to make our borough one."
But the decision is not yet final. The council can vote again with a majority plus one to override the veto and put the ordinance in place.