Few examples of political hypocrisy run deeper than that of Albert Leach, candidate for Upper Pottsgrove Commissioner and one of the plaintiffs suing his own township’s residents.
Leach is part of a group along with Elwood Taylor that filed suit to stop construction of the new municipal complex at 2290 Gilbertsville Road, claiming the land is “preserved.” Yet in court, neither they nor any of the other plaintiffs could point to a single document, ordinance, or resolution showing that the property was ever placed in any “preserved” category. The Township, representing the taxpayers, presented clear evidence that the land was purchased over a year ago as an alternate municipal building site if needed.
But the hypocrisy doesn’t end there. In a recent social media post, Leach suggested that instead of using 2290 Gilbertsville Road, the Township should build on Heather Place—the very property that displays a sign reading “Heather Place – Permanently Preserved for Public Use.” That’s right: the man suing over supposedly “preserved” land now wants to build on the a property that actually is preserved—and has been for decades. As commissioner, Taylor already tried to put a building on the park but failed in 2017.
Heather Place is one of the Township’s most popular parks, especially among young families. It’s also home to a beautiful and recently dedicated Veterans Memorial.
As part of settlement discussions concerning the Evans (Smola) lawsuit (now on appeal), a proposal was raised to relocate the municipal complex to the Heather Place site. Taylor—who is once again a candidate for township commissioner—recently testified that he participated in those discussions. Under that proposal, the complex would be built where the park currently sits, and the Veterans Memorial might be moved. The Township’s legal team immediately rejected this proposal from Taylor’s group.
When asked about the idea, Commissioner Don Read explained:
“During our alternate site search, we looked at Heather Place Park at least twice. Even with significant redesign, the building simply wouldn’t fit without removing the park and possibly relocating the Veterans Memorial. That’s a nonstarter for many reasons. I’d much rather fight in court two candidates who suddenly have an issue with our current building site, ironically during election season, than take on young families and combat veterans who use and cherish that park every day. If these two candidates get their way, I suppose we’ll soon be seeing ‘Save Heather Place Park and Veterans Memorial’ signs popping up.”
Leach insists his lawsuit wasn’t politically motivated. Yet now that his case seems to have collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions, he and the other plaintiffs are scrambling to distance themselves from it—calling themselves “whistleblowers.” In reality, there’s a clear difference between blowing the whistle and tooting your own horn.
Upper Pottsgrove taxpayers deserve better than political theater disguised as civic virtue. They deserve leaders who tell the truth, not those who twist it for political gain.
Remember that when you vote.
Upper Pottsgrove Journal