Local News

The Ellwood City Chamber of Commerce took issue with council’s decision to charge nonprofits recoup fees for events held in the borough. At Monday’s Ellwood City Borough Council agenda meeting, chamber President Ray Santillo urged council to reconsider. Santillo argued that events such as Relay for Life and the Concert Series promote a healthy local economy and urged council to compromise and solve problems amicably while marketing the community positively. He also pointed out that chamber members pay dues, and the chamber helps with funding events, such as providing electric panels for the downtown car cruise. Santillo praised the quantity…

At the Ellwood City Borough Council agenda meeting, Dawn Santagata requested that the entire council resign due to alleged violations of the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech. In a prepared statement, Santagata asserted her freedom of speech was violated when her comments were deleted from a Facebook page titled Ellwood City Council – Rob Brough and Lisa Guerrera. The two council members use the page to post information on council topics. Santaga cited a 2017 court case, Davison vs. Loudon County Board of Supervisors, in which a federal court determined a public official couldn’t delete dissenting viewpoints from…

At Monday’s Ellwood City Borough Council meeting, visitor Dave McQuade criticized council for a slow response to his Right to Know Requests, for its decision to charge events recoup fees and for statements made on social media. McQuade filed two requests on the weekend of March 2 and said the borough had yet to respond. By state law, an agency has five business days to respond in writing.  The first request was for the current procedures for holding events in the borough. The second request was for the police contract. The requests were in response to council’s decision in February to…