Locks are good, but now is the major test

On Wednesday afternoon at Honesdale Borough Hall, something quite extraordinary took place.

A locksmith was on premise and changed locks on the two doors leading to the borough zoning office. This might not sound like something extraordinary, but in the big scheme of things it was actually astonishing.
What it showed is that at least some people have decided to step up to the plate when it comes to the obvious boatload of questions which surround the office of planning and zoning. These questions have been in the hopper for years, yet it seemed nobody wanted to address the issue.

Enter Mayor Ed Langendoerfer.

Recently appointed as the mayor by the council, Langendoerfer is taking his new role very seriously. Disgusted with the lack of action, the mayor took the bull by the horns and insisted that following the most recent incident involving the zoning office, the locks be changed and nobody be granted access until a decision is made about the future of code enforcement officer Wayne Earley.

That decision was made last night during a special meeting called by the council. Langendoerfer made it clear that was the subject of the meeting and it would be up to the council to find the next course of action.

There is no doubt that something needs to happen. There are just too many mysteries surrounding the issues of planning in zoning in Honesdale as well as Texas Township. Missing records, muddled information and much more are the norm when it comes to these records and that’s just not the way it should operate. And it is not lost on the mayor that the tie-in to Texas Township is a major component in this matter.

Probably the most important part of what happened on Wednesday was the fact Langendoerfer stood up for the taxpayers of the borough. That is something we haven’t seen in a very long time. He was adamant that this issue be brought to the forefront and is trying to put pressure on law enforcement officials to take on this case and understand the importance of what is happening.

He came right out and said he was trying to get their attention and hopefully it will work.

If you think about it, it’s hard to ignore how serious a problem might be when the mayor of town which has been embroiled in controversy for a couple of years cries out for assistance.

The mayor also understands that missing records and a tie-in with Texas Township is not good for the borough. That tie-in involves Earley as well as some of the biggest projects which have been undertaken in Wayne County. What that means is big money and everyone knows that when money is involved, sometimes rational thinking gets tossed out the door.

The mayor was also quick to point out that by locking the doors, it also gives some protection to Earley. If he’s innocent, it would seem a detailed investigation by law enforcement would prove just that. He was giving him the benefit of the doubt and that has to be noted.

But if it turns out there are shenanigans involved and more players from the community, then that should come to light as well. Langendoerfer knew the only way that could happen is for a complete and thorough investigation.

The next big step in this matter now rests on the shoulders of the council members. Many of them came into office last month saying they wanted transparency and open government. To date, they have made an attempt to do that but this is the real test case.

If last night they did anything short of suspending Earley then they failed. With so much riding on these matters, the only answer is for outside investigators to get to the bottom of this and there should be absolutely no interference from Earley or any of the council members. Anything short of that will be a failure.

The time has come for honesty in government and there’s a big chance for many people to step up to the plate and hit it out of the park. If they don’t, it’s the taxpayers who will go down swinging.