Photo by James Short.
Solicitor Rebecca Geiser said the policy would offer a layer of protection to the borough.
Collegeville Borough Council tabled a discussion Wednesday night on a possible Facebook and social media policy that could be enforced among its elected officials and appointed board and commission members.
“It’s my understanding that the only thing under my report tonight was the Facebook policy, but upon further review, it seems as though there may be some changes we want to the proposed resolution,” said borough Solicitor Rebecca Geiser. “I recommend possibly tabling it for this evening and bringing it back for council, should council want to bring it back.”
Council President Catherine Kernen said the policy’s purpose was so that people affiliated with the borough – namely elected officials and those appointed to various boards and commissions – understood that, when they post on their respective Facebook or social media accounts, they are not posting as the borough.
“They’re posting as individuals,” said Kernen. “The idea is to make sure that the borough’s reputation is safe, so that people that might have political views or something else they want to put on there, they cannot speak on the behalf of the borough.”
Borough Manager Tamara Twardowski said the policy was made at the suggestion of the solicitor’s office, to protect the borough in response to something posted by the mayor, for instance.
The policy comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on social media in Texas and Florida handed down in July, and a recent worldwide fervor over a Republican Souderton Area School Board member’s vulgar anti-Kamala Harris comment on social media account X.
“In an nutshell,” Geiser said, “we suggest this to all our municipalities. It’s just an added level of protection for the borough.”
