CONNOQUENESSING TWP — For the second time in a year, a township supervisor has been found guilty of violations by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission.

The commission this week announced a ruling against township Supervisor Evelyn Hockenberry, stating that she committed four violations of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act, the most significant of which was paying herself $10,000 in township dollars for no valid reason between May 2008 and December 2009.

Hockenberry, who has been a township supervisor since 2006, was ordered to pay $15,000 — $10,000 to the township in remediation and $5,000 to the ethics commission for costs incurred during the investigation — and file amended statements of financial interest.

The ruling also stated Hockenberry had illegally appointed herself township treasurer and secretary, did not file financial interest statements with the state for 2005 or 2006 and failed to disclose all of her income on financial interest statements in 2008.

Hockenberry could not be reached for comment.

According to the ethics commission website, the financial disclosure requirement serves to remind public officials of financial interests that might conflict with their duties and it assists the state and public in monitoring such conflicts.

According to the ethics report, Hockenberry’s violations began in April 2008, when township secretary Sandy Burtner and township treasurer Joetta Edmonds resigned.

Although applicants vied for the positions in mid-April of that year, no one was appointed.

One woman, identified as Patricia Marath in the commission’s report, was told by Hockenberry she was not qualified because she could not be bonded for the sufficient amount, even though she had been previously bonded as a notary public, according to the commission’s report.

On April 22, 2008, Hockenberry completed and submitted a bond application to C.W. Howard Agency. It was accepted and Hockenberry was appointed treasurer and secretary at a special meeting held April 24, 2008, despite the fact that second-class township code states no elected official may hold an appointed office simultaneously.

Former Supervisor Stephen Misko, who resigned Nov. 4, was not at that meeting.

At the conclusion of the township’s May 7, 2008, meeting, Hockenberry, Supervisor Jack Kaltenbaugh and former township solicitor Robert Hawk held an executive session and approved a $500 monthly wage to Hockenberry to “cover expenses,” “consultation” and “day-to-day operations” associated with the township.

This action took place without a public vote.

Connoquenessing Township supervisors are paid $156.25 monthly, and the second-class township code stipulates that the board of auditors is the only body which may determine compensation to a supervisor outside of his or her salary — a point raised by Maher-Duessel during its 2008 audit and ignored by Hockenberry and Kaltenbaugh.

Hockenberry continued receiving the $500 monthly payments through December 2009, when Lee Ann Kradel was appointed as the township’s supervisor. Hockenberry had relinquished her secretary position to Brenda Davis in September of that year.

During her reign as treasurer, Hockenberry received 20 checks issued from the township’s general fund totaling $10,015.86, signing 18 of those checks herself. She also motioned for or voted approval for each of those payments at the township’s meetings.

The $15.86 was determined by the commission to be a valid expense.

Hockenberry now joins Kaltenbaugh on the commission’s list of violators.

The commission last year found that Kaltenbaugh, a supervisor since January 2008, violated part of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act when he participated in a board vote to appoint himself as township code enforcement officer.

Kaltenbaugh again violated the act, the commission found, when he used his position to dismiss code enforcement actions, subject to fines, that would have been levied against him and his brother, Ronald Kaltenbaugh, for property they jointly own.

The commission also found that Kaltenbaugh failed to file a statement of financial interests for 2007 by May 1, 2008.

Kaltenbaugh was ordered by the commission to pay $500 to the state and directed to file with the township a financial interests statement for 2007.

Both rulings can be found online at www.ethicsrulings.state.pa.us

Hockenberry’s term runs through 2011, while Kaltenbaugh’s expires in 2013.

Former Supervisor Stephen Misko resigned Nov. 4 after serving seven years as a township supervisor.

Sherry Lokhaiser, who lost a closely contested race for the six-year seat to Misko in November last year, was appointed to the vacant position on Dec. 1

That seat will become open during the 2011 primary.