This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.
Cornwall Borough Council agreed to appoint local business owner Nathan Walmer to council at December’s meeting.
Walmer will serve the two-year remainder of former councilman Al Brandt’s term, and at that time will be up for reelection.
While council has not yet received an official resignation letter from Brandt, Brandt has communicated to chairman Bruce Harris that he has both moved out of the borough and registered to vote in a new municipality.
Walmer previously ran for the position, ultimately losing by 14 votes. He and wife Jessica run landscaping business Pondscapes and Patios.
In opposition to Walmer’s appointment were Ron Ricard and Bruce Conrad.
“I’m very concerned about the optics of what we’re doing with this. I don’t know this gentleman very well at all, but in the primary he lost,” Conrad explained. “The voters did not put him in this position, and now we’re putting him on council.
“I’m concerned about how this looks to the voters.”
Before Walmer was selected, councilwoman Beth Yocum nominated local Julie Bowman, noting that as of now she is the only woman on council.
When put to a vote, all other members of council were opposed, and the motion failed.
Walmer was not present at the December meeting, as he was not made aware beforehand that his letter of interest would be selected.
He along with newly elected councilman Tony Fitzgibbons were sworn in at the council’s reorganization meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2.
Ricard also announced that he will let his term expire at the end of the year at December’s meeting.
He said part of his reasoning for not running for reelection is that he saw the number of qualified candidates who submitted letters of interest to fill Brandt’s seat.
Cornwall Borough Council meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Build the future of local news.
Cancel anytime.
Monthly
🌟 Annual
- Fewer ads
- Member newsletters
- Exclusive events
- All monthly benefits
- Most popular option
- Make a bigger impact
Already a member? Log in here to hide these messages
An informed community is a stronger community. LebTown covers the local government meetings, breaking news, and community stories that shape Lebanon County’s future. Help us expand our coverage by becoming a monthly or annual member, or support our work with a one-time contribution. Cancel anytime.
