Sewage authority board member resigns in wake of court challenge by district attorney
Yancey Taylor resigned Monday morning from the board of the Mon Valley Sewage Authority, but a Washington County judge wants a review of votes that might not be valid once Taylor became ineligible to serve as an appointee due to a criminal conviction.
Taylor, 47, of Donora, was present in Washington County Court Monday after the authority board was to meet in special session just hours earlier.
Discussing the matter outside the courtroom, he said acceptance of his resignation was on the agenda at the morning sewage authority meeting, but that a required advertisement of the business session did not appear in advance in a local newspaper.
He was in court so Judge Michael Lucas could schedule a hearing on a petition filed by the district attorney鈥檚 office to remove Taylor from the board because of his conviction earlier this year in Lancaster County for coercing a retired schoolteacher to fork over her life savings under threat of supposed retaliation by the mafia.
Lucas scheduled a hearing for Jan. 21 to provide ample time for the sewage authority and Donora borough council to act on Taylor鈥檚 resignation.
Deputy District Attorney Jason Walsh said any issues on which Taylor cast the deciding vote would be nullified and authority board members would have to vote on them again.
Taylor said his understanding of the matter is that once his resignation goes through, the district attorney鈥檚 office will withdraw its petition.
The state Constitution makes anyone convicted of an 鈥渋nfamous crime鈥� ineligible for public office.
Taylor pleaded guilty in Lancaster County to felony counts of theft by deception and extortion on March 22.
He was sentenced to 14 years of probation and ordered to pay the victim, a Lancaster resident, $159,000 in restitution. After the brief court proceeding Monday in Washington County, he called this 鈥渁 private case. I鈥檓 not discussing the matter.鈥�
Taylor said since March, there has been only one 3-2 vote. 鈥淭he votes are all 5-0 or 4-1,鈥� he stated.
Taylor, a former basketball star at Ringgold High School, had no criminal convictions when Donora Borough council appointed him to fill a vacancy on the sewage authority board in January 2017, about four months before the state attorney general鈥檚 office filed charges against him.
Taylor鈥檚 term on the board was to end in 2022. The website of the authority, which serves Donora, Monessen and part of Carroll Township, lists Taylor as co-chairman. He said the authority鈥檚 finances are being audited, which he supports.
鈥淚鈥檝e changed things,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hings should be done professionally and honorably in the right way. We have great workers, a really good staff.鈥�
But he questioned the timing of last week鈥檚 petition that a judge remove him from the board.
鈥淚f you knew that happened to me in March, why would wait 鈥檛il November to remove me?鈥� he asked.
In their petition filed last week with Washington County Court, Walsh and Assistant District Attorney John Friedmann cited an ongoing 鈥渞efusal鈥� by Taylor to resign and a 鈥渇ailure鈥� by Donora and authority officials to remove him.
鈥淚鈥檓 so happy this over, that this nightmare鈥檚 over,鈥� Taylor said before leaving the courthouse, and added about Walsh, 鈥淗e鈥檚 a good guy. I鈥檝e known him for a long time.鈥�