PLUMSTED – Proponents of a public prayer before Township Committee meetings have criticized municipal officials for not advancing the idea.
During the Aug. 5 meeting of the governing body, representatives of the Bible Baptist Church of New Egypt decried a lack of public prayer as a major misstep by elected officials.
“We are in a war against a culture pushed toward all that is ungodly, unrighteous and wicked,” said Dominick Cuozzo, pastor. “Someday, without revival, this country will be in despotism and your children will want to know what you did to try to turn the tide.”
In April, Committeeman Vincent Lotito and Township Attorney Denis Kelly outlined a proposed resolution that would have established guidelines for a sectarian prayer to be recited at the start of each meeting of the governing body.
Lotito said he proposed the resolution in part because other public entities in Plumsted that conduct meetings start those meetings with a prayer.
In May, officials decided leave the decision of whether someone prays before a committee meeting to each individual, rather than purposely crafting a resolution allowing the practice.
“We already have the right to pray,” Mayor Jack Trotta said. “To pass a resolution granting permission for something you already have permission for is incorrect.”
Kelly said the legal basis for the resolution the committee initially considered could be found in a May 2014 decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in Town of Greece, New York, v. Galloway, in which the court ruled public prayer does not violate the U.S. Constitution because it “comports with America’s tradition and does not coerce participation by non-adherents.”
The issue of public prayer resurfaced on Aug. 5 when Lotito and Committeeman Mike Wysong brought the issue back to the dais.
Rather than acting on another proposed resolution or coming to a decision on the matter, the committee members tabled further discussion until September because Deputy Mayor Eric Sorchik was attending the meeting via telephone.
That decision was a potentially dangerous one for the committee, according to Cuozzo, who said, “By not doing something because someone is not present, you have jeopardized the authority and legality of all past and future decisions that are made with a committeeman via phone conference.”
Sorchik, who has served on the governing body since 2007, regularly attends meetings via telephone because of work commitments.
According to Township Clerk Dorothy Hendrickson, state law permits Sorchik to attend meetings via telephone.
Other members of the public voiced support for a prayer to be said before each meeting.
One person who did so was Barbara Diblin, who said, “As citizens of Plumsted and loving our precious town … [I suggest] that we would come and have the citizens lead in prayer at 8 p.m. before the township meeting begins. We want to take a few minutes and pray, being that it is our constitutional right to do that.”
The issue may be discussed by the committee members when they meet on Sept. 2.