Upper Darby Township Council approves parking department audit

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) – Upper Darby Parish Council on Wednesday night ordered an audit of the Parks Inspectorate less than 24 hours after a CBS3 investigation 18,000 violations uncovered More than two years were not referred to the local district courts for processing, raising numerous concerns about due process.

The council held a meeting on Wednesday, with residents blasting the community over alleged abuse of parking violations.

At the meeting, the borough council approved a seven-year audit of the parks department. It passed with 8 votes to 1.

A two-month CBS3 investigation found a total of 18,000 tickets were not sent to local courts for processing over two years, in a violation of a long-standing ordinance, council members say.

Council members questioned the municipal government’s schedule to send a backlog of 18,000 tickets to state court offices after CBS News Philadelphia began asking community leaders for more information three weeks ago.

“I find it very interesting that the tickets were sent to Harrisburg and with the timing of Mr. Holden’s report,” Councilor Meaghan Wagner said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Barbarann ​​Keffer was there charged with a DUI on Thursday, was not present and its chief administrator abruptly resigned last Wednesday.

Keffer explained last month that the ticket controversy stemmed from technological issues.

Council members declined on Wednesday.

Our report included confirmation from the Administrative Bureau of Pennsylvania Courts, law enforcement, court records and other sources showing that the municipality mailed those 18,000 tickets to the Harrisburg Courts Department after we pushed for an explanation early last month as to why the Tickets no longer went to the courts.

We spoke to two Council members about our findings prior to the meeting.

“We didn’t know until last night that there were 18,000 tickets,” Council President Brian Burke said. “We heard 10,000, 11,000. 18,000 last night, that’s absolutely insane. We heard around 11, we were trying to do math. 18,000, that’s worrying.”

Parish council members estimate the alleged error cost the parish between $500,000 and $1 million in ticketing revenue and related court fees.

In the meantime, they want an audit to see where the income collected over the past two years has actually gone.

The Council expects a preliminary report in 30 days.