Foley Vows to Investigate Claims Against Fellow Commissioner

John Foley, one of three Haddon Township commissioners, said Wednesday he would investigate a claim from a resident that fellow commissioner Paul Dougherty "targeted" her for erroneous code enforcement violations.

Stephanie Hojnowski spoke during a public comment portion of a Haddon Township commissioners meeting this week and leveled the allegation against Dougherty, a neighbor of hers in the 300 block of Bedford Ave.  

Hojnowski said she was "tired of being afraid" of Dougherty.

"I was afraid if I spoke up, it would get worse for me.," she said Tuesday after accusing Dougherty, one of three Haddon Township commissioners, of "targeting" her for alleged code-enforcement issues with her home. 

Hojonowski said Tuesday she finally decided to take action after Dougherty stepped down as the township director of public safety. That happened in the spring after the Haddon Township police issued a letter of no confidence in the two-term commissioner. As the public safety director, Dougherty also oversaw township code enforcement.

Dougherty told Hojonowski he had no ideal what she was talking about. After the meeting, he spoke further.

"She's way off base in everything she said," Dougherty said after the meeting. "She's an angry person. She's unhappy."

Hojonowski, 40, said the dispute with Dougherty, who lives two doors away from her in the 300 block of Bradford Avenue, started after she and her husband separated in 2009 and divorced in 2010. 

Foley, who took over for Dougherty as public safety director, said he would ask code enforcement officers Betty Band and Lee Palo why they cited Hojonowski for code violations for her pool, a fire pit and for allegedly running a daycare business out of her home.

"I will ask to find out what documentation there was to go to her house and ask about these things," Foley said.