SUNBURY – New concerns are being raised about Northumberland County’s representatives on the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority. In 2001, Don Purcell pled guilty to retail theft in Lancaster County. He was appointed to the authority board, along with his friend, former county commissioner Stephen Bridy on December 27, 2013.
Minutes from the commissioners’ meeting reveal that Bridy made the motion to appoint himself and Purcell to the JRA. Commissioner Vinny Clausi seconded the motion and only commissioner Rick Shoch opposed the appointments. Shoch said later in the meeting that Frank Sawicki had expressed interest in staying on the authority, but Clausi and Bridy chose to go “in a different direction.”
Now, Shoch tells WKOK he was not aware of Purcell’s theft conviction and that it is “very concerning.” Allegations about both Purcell and Bridy’s conduct as JRA members have come to light during the authority’s legal battle over its RFP process to award a new operating contract. Shoch says as they receive information from discovery in that lawsuit, the current board of commissioners will “need to assess the situation and then determine if action to remove one or both of them from the JRA board is warranted.”
WKOK attempted to contact Mr. Purcell for comment, but our call was not immediately returned.
