Former Franklin Regional school director charged with stealing campaign signs

Renatta Signorini, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·2 min read

Jun. 24—Charges were filed Wednesday against a former Franklin Regional school director after state police said he stole campaign signs belonging to three candidates.

Gary J. English, 65, is facing three misdemeanor counts of theft and a summary disorderly conduct offense. He denied the allegations.

"I didn't steal any signs," English said.

Troopers said they were notified April 5. Two witnesses reported seeing English, who lists a post office box in Pittsburgh as his address in court papers, take three signs two days earlier at the intersection of Route 66 and McCabe Drive in Hempfield.

The witnesses gave authorities several photos of English with the signs in his hands. Police said he put them in his Toyota pickup. The signs, worth about $75, belonged to Bill Bretz, Jerry Radebaugh and Jay Anderson, according to court papers.

Bretz and Radebaugh won Republican nominations for Hempfield supervisor and school director, respectively, during the May primary, according to election returns. Anderson did not win a Republican nomination for township tax collector.

Police said 103 campaign signs were reported missing.

English took issue with signage in Penn Hills in 2016 and asked officials there to find a way to limit such signs in PennDOT's right-of-way. He communicated with PennDOT the following year about apparent concerns over political signs, according to letters English provided to the Tribune-Review.

No court action had been scheduled in his criminal case.

English is registered as a Republican and ran for Franklin Regional School Board in 2019. He served about 10 months as a school director in 2020 before resigning in October. He clashed with fellow board members on a range of issues, including procedure at meetings, the way public comment was handled during virtual sessions and how monthly bills were presented to the group.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .