Borough votes to repeal towing ordinance
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - A Talk of Town Towing truck at the scene of a vehicle accident in Turkey Run in 2023.
SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah’s controversial towing ordinance is officially on the chopping block after a heated borough council meeting Monday.
Council voted to advertise a repeal of the borough towing ordinance, which required the borough police department to develop a list of towing providers and rotate between them.
That requirement hasn’t been followed, the owners of Talk of Town, LLC, said, and it’s a concern they’ve raised multiple times in the past few years.
The repeal would need to be approved at next month’s meeting.
Solicitor Shane Hobbs said he suggested that council repeal the ordinance and pass a new one.
“It seems that trying to enforce and follow through with the language as-is seems to be pretty difficult,” Hobbs said.
One concern Hobbs raised is oversight — how is the ordinance going to be enforced.
Dwight and Ruth Williams interjected, re-iterating their concerns, mentioning that seven accidents were reported in the monthly police report and all seven should have gone to an approved towing company, as per the ordinance.
Mayor Andrew Szczyglak asked Council President Joe Boris for a meeting with the law and order committee and a letter from council directing Chief George Carado to follow the ordinance.
“This is every meeting, I’m getting this thrown at me,” Szczyglak said. “I want council to present my chief with a letter that says he has to follow these orders because this is what council wants and I want to know what the reason is why we’re not using other tow companies.”
“I want to sit down with myself, the law and order committee, and the police chief and iron this out and find out what is the problem,” Szczyglak said.
Council approved advertising the repeal of the ordinance unanimously.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, the matter came back up as the Dwight Williams asked what council had done with the meeting.
“My concern is that if you get rid of it, I’ll be in the same situation I’ve been for the last two years,” Ruth Williams said. “I’m hearing a lot of things here but I’m not getting anything.”
Szczyglak reiterated that he wants to meet with the chief to find out what the issue is.
“Be the mayor and be in charge. Take control of the police like you’re supposed to,” Ruth Williams said.
“I’m tired of being thrown under the bus by you, not your husband, by you,” Szczyglak said.
“Thrown under the bus because you’re not doing your job, sweetheart,” Williams said.
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