Charleroi councilwoman censured, fined for social media post

By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com

Charleroi Councilwoman Heidi Cramer said she is tired of playing “cat and mouse.”
Near the end of a business meeting Wednesday, Cramer made a motion to censure and fine fellow Councilwoman Jody Cheplic.
A censure is a formal statement of disapproval intended to be put on the record. It does not remove them from office.
“I have to make a motion on something that I am not happy about doing,” Cramer said. “This really bothers me, but I have tried and tried again to get council to discuss things and I feel like it is sitting on deaf ears.”
Following an executive session, which council Vice President Jerry Jericho recused himself from, Cramer made a motion to censure Cheplic for “disclosing executive session material to the public in violation of a resolution that was just passed last month.”
It is the second time in two months Cheplic has been censured by council.
Cheplic was censured in June by Councilwoman Jeannine Motycki for improper actions against another council person.
The move Wednesday stems from 2018, when Motycki and Cheplic were sworn into office and volunteered to take a newly-elected officials class.
Before the class started, Motycki said she became ill for several weeks and was unable to attend the class paid for by council.
Motycki said her legal representation told her she did not have to provide medical documentation and because she was pestered would not repay the borough $225.
On June 11, the day after the borough’s business meeting, Cheplic made a comment on social media about what lead to the censure.
Cramer claims the comment violated the resolution that was passed 24 hours prior.
“Within 24 hours this happened,” Cramer said. “We made this resolution last month and we need to follow it.”
The resolution passed at the June 10 meeting outlines polices, procedures and penalties for executive sessions.
Among the stipulations is that all council members must refrain from disclosing information discussed during an executive session.
Failure to do so can result in a censure, fine of up to $500, or both. The actions must be voted on during a regular council meeting in accordance with state law.
Cramer claims Cheplic commented on Facebook about an issue involving Motycki that had been discussed “two or three times in executive session.”
“It is black and white,” Cramer said. “She admitted it was discussed in executive session.
“You can’t do that.”
Had Cheplic not included the words ‘executive session’ in her comment, it would not have been a problem, Cramer added.
“Sometimes in the heat of the moment when you are commenting, it happens,” Cramer said. “I understand what she was trying to do. She was trying to save council from embarrassment and being thrown out there on Facebook.

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