Bowmanstown borough council members who fail to appear at regular meetings will be docked for their absenteeism.

On a 4-1 vote, borough council adopted the council pay ordinance. Councilwoman Kara Scott was opposed.

Councilwomen Donna Winter and Candace Rodrigues were absent.

Afterward, Mayor Zach Snyder told council it’s his intention to veto the ordinance.

Councilman Rob Moyer said he wished Snyder would have told council of his intention beforehand.

However, Snyder told Moyer he previously let it be known to council that was his intention.

Later in the meeting, resident Sharon Krebs asked Snyder why he plans to veto the ordinance.

“I think it’s best served at the ballot box,” Snyder said.

Snyder added he thinks there needs to be a larger pool of people running for council, and believes that docking council members for not being in attendance isn’t going to solve the matter.

Last month, council on a 4-1 vote agreed to advertise the council pay ordinance for adoption at this month’s meeting. Scott was opposed.

Before that vote, borough solicitor Lisa Pereira said she prepared a draft amending an ordinance which set the new rate of compensation in 2017 to add a new section that spells out no compensation to council.

The ordinance states that no compensation should be paid in any month to a member of council who has failed to attend any regular meeting unless the member’s absence is due to an illness, an immediate family member’s illness, or the death of an immediate family member.

Scott said she believes the language about illness “opens a can of worms.”

Councilman William Ravert said at that time he didn’t necessarily believe it would prove difficult to know whether a council member was sick.

Council members are paid $100 a month.

In 2022, Rodrigues missed eight meetings, Ravert missed seven (most of which were medical issues), Winter missed five, Scott missed two and council President Pam Leiby missed one.