Thompson Resigns from Hellertown Borough Council

Hellertown councilwoman Liz Thompson resigned from both her council and planning commission seats during Monday night’s borough council meeting, effective immediately.

“This decision does not come from weakness–it comes from clarity,” she said. “I will not lend my name, my time or my integrity to a body that continues to operate in secrecy, hostility and self-interest.”

Reading from a lengthy, impassioned resignation letter, Thompson, a Democrat, said her decision to resign was due to differences with other borough elected officials.

“We’ve had elected leadership corner employees, warning them not to trust certain council members,” she said. “We’ve had executive session information–meant to remain confidential–leaked for political gain. This behavior is not only unprofessional–it is unethical.”

Without naming any individuals, Thompson accused other officials of having “lied to residents, staff and community organizations…to protect their own interests and manipulate perception.”

She also made references to the conviction of ex-borough police chief Robert Shupp on theft charges, which occurred earlier this year following a council-initiated investigation into financial irregularities related to his payroll. Shupp was accused of stealing over $100,000 from the borough during his tenure. As part of a plea agreement, some of that money was later returned in the form of restitution, but Thompson and council member Andrew Hughes were critical of the fact that approximately $80,000 Shupp took was unobtainable as restitution because it was in the form of comp time that was approved for payout despite the fact that the chief was not entitled to receive comp time per the terms of his contract. The dispute between Thompson and Hughes and Mayor David Heintzelman–who oversees the police department–came to a head in May, when both sides clashed, but also signaled possible readiness to begin the work necessary to reestablish trust in each other.

“According to the judge (in Shupp’s case), the former chief initially cited political pressure from the borough mayor and borough council president (Tom Rieger) as the reason for his time card fraud,” Thompson said at council’s May 12 meeting.

At that time, Rieger responded to her by saying he had “no idea what (the judge was) talking about–‘political pressure.’ I think we all gave pressure for him to do a job, which apparently he was not doing, but I have no idea what he is talking about.”

Heintzelman later responded by saying he was manipulated by the former chief, who he said “was trusted by everyone.”

“(Shupp) saw cracks in the system, and he exploited them,” he asserted.

He also called the questions regarding his oversight of the police department raised by Thompson and Hughes “divisive,” and accused Hughes of eyeing the office of mayor for himself, which Hughes denied doing.

Thompson, at the second council meeting in May, said she did not solely blame the mayor for the lack of oversight, and that she apologized if he felt that all of the blame reflected in her questions seemed directed at him.

She revisited her criticisms related to the fallout from Shupp’s arrest and conviction in her resignation letter, however.

“This wasn’t just an administrative failure–it was a moral one,” she wrote. “And when members of Council tried to get answers related to the theft of nearly $100,000, we were met with anger, hostility, theatrics and a myriad of lies.”

“I encourage every resident, everyone: follow the patterns,” Thompson said. “Question the silence. And don’t settle for the version of events that’s been crafted to protect people. The residents of Hellertown deserve to be protected from manipulation and lies, and they have a right to the full truth.”

“To the residents of Hellertown, thank you,” she added. “Serving you has been an honor I will always carry with pride. You deserve leadership that listens, leads with integrity and puts people before their own power and control.”

Thompson is an Iraq War veteran who has a master’s degree in education. She was appointed to the borough’s planning commission in 2021 and to borough council in 2022. She was elected to a full council term in 2023.

According to the borough’s Facebook page, council is now seeking registered voters who live in the borough to apply to fill Thompson’s seats on council and the planning commission. Thompson’s unexpired council term ends on Dec. 31, 2027 and her planning commission term ends in December 2028. Visit the Borough of Hellertown Facebook page for more information.

The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Hellertown Borough Hall. Meetings are also livestreamed via the borough’s Facebook page. Meeting agendas are published in advance on the borough’s website.

Thompson’s full, unedited July 7 letter of resignation appears below.