Poll Results: No Confidence Vote for Mayor Would Be Appropriate

Voters in last week's Patch poll said a vote of no confidence for Macungie Mayor Rick Hoffman would be appropriate.

Out of 192 votes, 182 -- or 94 percent -- said Hoffman should be told residents of Macungie have no confidence in his mayoral governance.

Eight votes, 4 percent, said a no confidence vote is not appropriate.

Two votes -- 1 percent -- were cast for "other."

This is not a scientific poll, and that a little more than 3,000 people live in the borough.

The most recent issue stems from the mayor's decision to allow the to operate without staffing all 30 shifts each week with Macungie police officers. The mayor is allowing only 25 shifts per week to be filled, leaving five eight-hour shifts open. On those varying and confidential occasions, answer calls in the borough.

at a recent meeting to suggest to the mayor that they support 24/7 police coverage.

Hoffman, however, did not attend that meeting or the two following meetings to respond to council's suggestion. The mayor said no after Council President Jean Nagle wrote to him to ask him to respond to the letter.

One commentor to the poll story, John Rogers put the poll into clear perspective:

"A no confidence vote does not have any teeth....But, the pressure must be maintained for two reasons.

"First, if council continues to take the heat for the mayor, maybe, and I emphasize maybe, they will step up and pass an ordinance to do what the citizens want regarding police coverage.

"They do have that authority...

"Hoffman can not simply be given a 'free ride' for the next year and a half. If he finally submits to the will of the citizens then maybe this community can move on to other issues," he said.