Royersford Mayor David Urner To Resign

Quoting Kenny Rogers’ song “The Gambler,” Royersford Mayor David Urner said “'You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em,'” in his resignation letter, read to borough council at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Personnel committee chairman Charles Bowers read the letter during his report. Urner said in the letter that he wants to spend more time with his wife, due to health issues she is suffering. His resignation will become effective Sept. 30.

Urner’s letter also said that he has enjoyed his eight years as mayor, but that the job doesn’t compare to the work done by police officers.

Bowers, in making the motion to accept the resignation, said that the council accepts the letter “with great regret.” Council president Thomas Weikel agreed.

The office’s vacancy will officially begin on Oct. 1. Weikel said that a replacement must be in place by Nov. 1.

“We’ll place an ad [in the newspaper] next week after Labor Day,” Weikel said. “Interested applicants can provide an application and a resume to us, and the personnel committee will review applications and interview candidates.”

The new mayor’s term will run until the first Monday in January 2014, after the next election. The office will be open for election in 2013; should the replacement want to continue as mayor, they will have to run in that election.

The rest of the borough council’s meeting consisted of mostly normal committee reports.

Connie Lawson from Sweet Ashley’s Chocolates on Main Street, gave council an update on the planned , scheduled for Sept. 10. Lawson said there are 15 businesses confirmed and 18 pending, 46 cars entered in the Classic Car contest, and several other organizations have also agreed to get involved.

Council also discussed recurring vandalism at . Councilman John Guest read the public works department report that detailed several incidents of vandalism, including profanity scrawled on picnic tables, shingles torn off the pavilion roof to spell the word “Hi” in four-foot letters, destruction of the tube slide at the playground and picnic tables either overturned or used as skateboarding ramps.

“We’ve tried to provide a nice public park for the community and we have elements in the community who are bent on destroying it,” Guest said.

Weikel said council would reach out to the police department regarding enforcement and that the borough is looking into surveillance cameras to be placed at the park.