Reading Mayor stages walkout from Council meeting over Marijuana

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on October 18, 2017.

Mayor of Reading City, Wally Scott, staged a walkout from the City’s Council meeting over marijuana resolution. The Mayor walked out with a few other members of his administrative members including Managing Director Glenn Steckman, Deputy Police Chief James J. Marascoand Reading Area Water Authority executive director Bill Murray.

On Monday night, the Council has passed the resolution allowing the State to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The resolution suggests possession of marijuana in small amounts is a summary offense, rather than a misdemeanor.

“This is a sad day in the history of Reading,” Scott said. Disrupting the proceedings of the next resolution he said, “It’s very important what you did. You walked into the homes of people and you passed something here that is terrible.”

The discussion on an ordinance had been going on since months to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, but had only began focusing recently on a resolution after Scott’s recommendation.

The resolution which was passed 4-2 with President Jeffrey S. Waltman Sr. and Councilwoman Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz in opposition.

Prior to the vote, Scott made it clear that he didn’t support the move.

You're completely out of your element. This is something that somebody thinks is a popular vote. I think you’re all going to get smacked in the end,” he said. 

Stating that the move will promote the use of marijuana he said, “It is destroying America, and this something you shouldn’t even be encouraging.There's just something wrong with you folks doing this. I don’t know that you really represent all the people in the city of Reading,” he said.

Disagreeing that the resolution promoted the use of marijuana, Councilman John Slifko said that the move was taken to ensure that a young man’s life is not compromised for possessing small amount of marijuana.

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