Burke pointed to a section of the township charter, explaining if the mayor is absent for any period, he steps in. But in a not-so-fast response, members of Keffer’s staff said she isn’t absent at all, according to their attorney.<\/p>\n
Their statement says she continues to carry out her duties.<\/p>\n
![\"barbarann-keffer.jpg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barbarann-keffer.jpg#.jpeg\")
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“If Council President Burke would like to be mayor, he should run for office,” Councilmember Andrew Hayman said.<\/p>\n
The public twist over township leadership has council members at odds.<\/p>\n
“She may not be physically present in the building, but there is no requirement for the mayor to be physically in the building,” Hayman said. “She’s provided a clear chain of command.”<\/p>\n
Councilmember Meaghan Wagner, on the other hand, said she believes Keffer to be absent.<\/p>\n
Leadership questions were raised after the mayor was charged with a DUI two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
That came a day after her second-in-command abruptly resigned.<\/p>\n
“If she is, in fact, is getting the help that she needs, which I sincerely hope she is, then she would be absent,” Wagner said. “I’m familiar with those types of in-patient treatments, and that is what she should be focusing on. And if, in fact, that is where she is, then, yes, I do believe she is absent.”<\/p>\n
Bill Vinsko, a longtime government attorney, reviewed the statements and the township’s charter at CBS Philadelphia’s request.<\/p>\n
“So she is temporarily absent. She is admitting that the day-to-day operations are going to be done by the chief administrative officer,” Vinsko said. “So for those purposes, I think that legally, the president of council does assume the role until she is back.”<\/p>\n
CBS Philadelphia was told not to expect the matter to be settled without possible court action.<\/p>\n
“This is an attempted coup,” Hayman said, “but it’s done on social media and it’s done through press releases. \u2026 Claiming to be the mayor, I can claim to be the king, but I’m not.”<\/p>\n
Burke says he’s operating as the township’s interim mayor.<\/p>\n
CBS Philadelphia sent a list of follow-up questions to the township’s attorney. We never heard back.<\/p>\n
CBS Philadelphia also asked if Keffer would take any questions since in her statement she says she’s still carrying out her duties. There was no response to that either.<\/p>\n
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