A little over two years into York Mayor Michael Helfrich’s second term, the state Commonwealth Court has ruled that he is eligible to remain in office.
The challenge to the mayor’s eligibility to serve – brought by several residents – hinged on whether he had taken the oath of office within the number of days outlined in the state law. Helfrich, reelected in 2021 to a second term, went on vacation and then attended a conference in Washington before returning to town to take the oath Jan. 24, 2022, 20 days after city council held it’s reorganizational meeting. State law requires a mayor to take the oath within 14 days of a council reorganization meeting.
The challenge was rejected by York County Common Pleas Court Judge Clyde Vedder, who ruled, essentially, that such a minor offense was not enough to disenfranchise the voters who reelected Helfrich. Helfrich won reelection with 80 percent of the vote in 2021.
The Commonwealth Court’s ruling took a slightly different tack, ruling that the citizens who filed the objection to Helfrich taking office didn’t follow the proper legal procedure out oust the mayor, one of the points Helfrich’s lawyers argued before the court eight months ago.
Previously: 18 ask judge to disqualify York Mayor Michael Helfrich from holding office, make appointment
More mayoral news: Helfrich says he won’t seek re-election as York mayor in 2025, endorses Mike Muldrow
It was the second challenge to Helfrich’s eligibility to serve as mayor. In 2018, a group of voters asked the state Attorney General and York County District Attorney Dave Sunday to rule Helfrich ineligible to serve as mayor because of an old conviction on a drug charge. The district attorney declined to press the case.
Helfrich said the ruling means be gets to serve as mayor “at least for now.”
His term expires in January 2026 and he has already announced he wouldn’t seek a third term. His police commissioner, Michael Muldrow, has announced that he plans to run for the office.
“We have a lot of plans,” Helfrich said. “I look at it like a football game. We’re in the fourth quarter and we’re going to go out with a bang.”
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Court rules Michael Helfrich is indeed mayor of York, Pa.