Kevin Kunselman removed from Beaver Falls trust fund board

BEAVER FALLS — Mayor Kenya Johns said it was simply to give a new face and a new perspective, others believe it was made as a political move.

During Tuesday’s city council meeting, former Councilman Kevin Kunselman was removed from Beaver Falls’ trust fund board in a unanimous vote.

The trust fund board was created in late 2021 to oversee and monitor the almost $25 million that will be used from the city’s sale of its wastewater treatment plant, providing an estimated annual income of $875,000.

Kunselman was initially appointed to the trust fund board as a councilman, then, following the end of his term, as a citizen, for a five-year term.

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“I was in negotiations for the establishment of this trust. I established the bylaws of this trust. I’ve proven my financial skills and abilities to this city, and I single-handily, before the sale of this plant, saved this city from deficits and bankruptcy,” he said. “So, I guess my question to you is, why am I being removed from this board?”

Kunselman asked since the city is now under a home rule charter style of government, which is based on merit, will his replacement have the same skills and knowledge that he had regarding the trust.

In response, Johns said Kunselman has done a great job serving the city, has laid a good foundation for the trust fund board and will still serve on other boards in the city.

“However, for the time being…I think there are other people in the city that would like to be involved, with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We can open up other areas for people,” she said.

Johns added council will choose a new board member who has the merit to be on the board and council will make each one of its decisions with thought-out care and knowledge.

Several residents who attended the meeting expressed their dismay for Kunselman’s removal, with one resident claiming he was removed because the newer members of council have a vendetta against him.

“It’s a bull.... move,” the resident said.

Kunselman lost his campaign for re-election to council as a write-in candidate during November's election.

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Was the trust fund board even legal?

During the meeting, Johns made comments that suggested the prior’s council’s vote to create a trust fund board wasn’t even legal.

City Solicitor Shannon Steele corrected and clarified Johns’ comments, stating the decision to create a trust fund board was legal.

“It’s just, whatever action was taken after the election, just can’t hold any (new) board. The new board is permitted to do what they want, and they can take action, if they have the votes,” she said. “You (previous council) were permitted to do it. It’s just those actions can’t be held on in January when a new board comes on.”

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Questions made about campaign statements

Also during the meeting, Kunselman claimed Johns and Councilwoman Peggy Evans had not filed their ethics standards and financial disclosure forms to the Beaver County Bureau of Elections.

He said it states under Pennsylvania Title 65, Chapter 11, 104: No public official shall be allowed to take the oath of office, or enter or continue upon their duties, nor shall they receive compensation from public funds, unless they filed a statement of financial interests as required by the chapter.

Following the meeting, Evans stated they both turned in their forms to the election bureau on time, and that they are ready to serve the community and promise to be transparent.

When reached for comment, county Elections Director Colin Sisk said both of their forms were turned in on time on March 8, 2021, with the deadline being March 9, 2021, making them eligible to run in the May 2021 primaries.

Since they were on the ballot afterward, Sisk said they didn’t have to file forms again for the November election.

He added that all elected officials and public employees have to file an annual ethics form, with their political subdivision, which are due by May 1.

Sisk said both Evans and Johns had to fill out a similar ethics/financial form with the city itself in order to run.

When reached for comment, Steele said she was told by Johns and Evans that they did everything that was necessary in order to appear on the ballot.

She also said any challenges that wanted to be made by residents in regard to candidates, such as ethics, needed to be done seven days after an election, and, to her knowledge, no challenges were made.

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Nicholas Vercilla is a staff reporter for the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at nvercilla@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Former councilman Kunselman removed from Beaver Falls trust fund board