The majority of the Upper Pottsgrove Township Commissioners believe it’s important to respond to the misleading and inflammatory statements being made about the Township newsletter distributed earlier this month.
The newsletter’s purpose was simple: to inform residents about the potential financial impact of a politically charged lawsuit filed against the Township. If this lawsuit is successful, it could cost taxpayers the equivalent of a 100% tax increase lasting 4–5 years. The newsletter was factually accurate—no one has disputed that—but its plain facts clearly struck a nerve. Three of the individuals involved, who also happen to be candidates for township commissioner, quickly scrambled to issue a public rebuttal.
These candidates—Elwood Taylor, Albert Leach, and Tyrone Roberson—wrote, “First and foremost, the lawsuit filed by [us] was not political.” Really, not a political stunt? Out of roughly 6,000 township residents, the only three people who decided to file this lawsuit are all running for Township office during an election season. Before their complaint was even officially served, they had already arranged on-camera interviews with local TV news to promote their case. Statistically, that’s about a trillion-to-one coincidence. Even the presiding judge acknowledged the political aspect of this case and wisely deferred issuing his ruling until after the election.
Their timing also exposes their true motives. The lawsuit revolves around a bookkeeping entry from November 2024. They had eight months to raise any concern or file a complaint—but instead waited until July 2025, after $9 million in contracts were executed and construction was underway. That delay was no accident; Mr. Taylor admitted under oath that they withheld the information. As a result, their lawsuit threatens to disrupt an already approved project and could cost taxpayers millions.
Their claim that “this action does not put residents at financial risk” is simply false. The township has already invested about $2 million in the project. If a court halts progress—even temporarily—the Township cannot recover those funds and will still face up to $9 million in contractual obligations, potential settlements, or litigation with contractors.
Ironically, one point in their response we fully agree with is their statement:
“We encourage all Upper Pottsgrove residents to seek the facts and ask questions before November 4th.” We completely support that advice—and we encourage residents to look at all the facts, including the past records of these candidates.
Mr. Taylor, during his prior tenure as commissioner and planning commission chairman, pushed through one of the most unpopular dense housing developments in Township history—even against the advice of the Township’s professionals and legal counsel. The Township staff explicitly warned that the project would lead to overdevelopment, traffic congestion, noise, and strain on public resources. Then commissioners Taylor, Martin Schreiber, and France Krazalkovich approved it anyway. In the next two election cycles, voters—Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike—voted them all out of office and elected a board committed to stopping overdevelopment.
That project remains tied up in court, awaiting a new board of commissioners that might revive it. In his recent candidate interview, Mr. Taylor said, “I will insist that developers must obey the Township’s approved and established zoning and land development regulations.” What he fails to mention is that he pushed through an age-qualifying ordinance that allowed developers to build on land zoned for only one house per two acres. This made large-scale developments possible in the first place. The majority of the Board has since rescinded that ordinance.
It’s also worth asking: Why are these candidates trying to run against the current commissioners—none of whom are even seeking re-election, and three are retiring? The answer seems clear: they’d rather distract voters from their own records by creating controversy, filing lawsuits, and spreading misleading statements.
Upper Pottsgrove residents are smarter than that. We trust you’ll see past the noise, look at the facts, and make informed decisions about who truly has the Township’s best interests at heart.
Board Majority, Don Read, Hank Llewellyn, Trace Slinkerd