Resignations Roil Honesdale: Borough to Seek to Fill Borough Manager, Council President Vacancies

This story originally appeared in the River Reporter by Liam Mayo

HONESDALE BOROUGH, P.A. — Honesdale’s borough government will look to fill a pair of key vacancies in the coming months, as the current borough president and borough manager have both announced their resignations.

At the Monday, June 22 meeting of the Honesdale Borough Council, the council accepted the resignation of council member and council president Tiffany Rogers. Seperately, in an email dated Tuesday, July 2, borough manager Kendra Nelson tendered her resignation to the borough. 

Rogers’ resignation

Rogers was originally appointed to the borough council in May 2023, and was elected to a full term in November of that same year. Council members voted her to be president of the council at its reorganizational meeting on January 5. While the borough did not cite a specific reason for her resignation, councilors mentioned a recent loss in her personal life. 

Rogers sent an email on May 29 notifying the borough manager and solicitor of her formal resignation. The council voted to accept that resignation with regrets effective June 22. 

“I would just like to thank Councilor Rogers for her service,” said Mayor Derek Williams. “I thought she was wonderful to work with over the years, and I wish her and her family all the best.”

Councilor James Hamill voted against the motion, saying that he could not support a motion that accepted Rogers’ resignation “with regrets.”

“I understand that this comes at a time where there’s a significant loss in her personal life,” said Hamill. “I don’t think that what I have to say necessarily doesn’t acknowledge that, but I do think that there’s a certain level of behavior and work ethic, professionally, that warrants a resignation with regret. I do not, based on actions, believe that I have any regret about this resignation.”

Hamill and Rogers feuded in the later months of 2025, with Rogers leading an effort to censure Hamill for what was described as a pattern of behavior leading to an erosion of public trust in the borough. Rogers identified Hamill’s actions of using the borough’s Parks and Rec Facebook page without authorization, putting out a video with disputed information regarding the borough’s Central Park playground, as a reason for the censure.

“This council only works when we can all have a dialogue with each other, partnering up to implement solutions to issues that the borough faces on a daily basis,” Rogers said, speaking during the November 2025 meeting at which the motion to censure was made. “It falls apart when we focus more on divisiveness and ego instead of using our collective strengths to benefit the community.”

Speaking during the June 22 meeting, Hamill took issue with some of Roger’s actions, including the signing of certain contracts regarding incoming borough manager Kendra Nelson. “I think that we have a real and absolute need for somebody with good moral fiber and character to join [the] council in this stead,” said Hamill. 

The council will select a new borough councilor at a meeting scheduled for Monday, July 20 at 6 p.m. Applicants are asked to submit a resume and letter of interest through a link at www.form.jotform.com/261744419104050. 

Former borough councilor James Cordaro told the River Reporter following the meeting that he planned to apply for the seat. Cordaro joined the borough council in April 2025, filling a vacancy, and narrowly lost the 2025 election to continue in the role, falling just short of Hamill’s vote total. 

Speaking after Hamill’s comments on Rogers’s resignation, Williams said, “I would just like to thank Councilor Hamill for how freely and frequently he has expressed the failures of others over the years that I’ve worked with him.”

“It comes with the territory, Mr. Mayor,” said Hamill. 

Council vice president Patrick Resti interrupted the discussion. “Mr. Hamill, Mr. Mayor, I think you both made your points.”

“I myself only got to work with Ms. Rogers for a few months,” Resti said. “In that time, she faced some great adversity in her life. I’m sorry all that happened, and as Mr. Hamill stated, this is a new page for everyone, a new slate for us to start, so hopefully everyone takes that in their heart and we can move forward with all of this.”

Nelson’s resignation

The borough council voted to hire Kendra Nelson as the borough’s chief administrative officer on Monday, March 23. She came in to replace interim borough manager Kevin Kundratic, who had served in that role since April 2024. 

Nelson announced her resignation in a letter to borough officials emailed on Thursday, July 2, a letter which she shared with the River Reporter on Monday, July 6. She said her last working day with the borough would be Wednesday, July 8. 

“I had hoped that we could find a way to work together towards a better future for Honesdale,” wrote Nelson. “Unfortunately, it has been made clear that there is not a path forward for me in the capacity of Borough Manager as things currently stand with Council. At the very least I need to know that a majority of Council Members want to retain me as Borough Manager in order for me to continue this work. If that is not the case, then I do not have the authority or minimum support needed to carry out this role.”

In the email, Nelson claimed to face hostility and to be the target of misinformation from Hamill and finance committee chair William McAllister.

Nelson additionally claimed to face patterns of gender discrimination in the workplace. 

In an email response to a River Reporter inquiry, Hamill said he was not permitted to comment regarding personell matters. “I stand by my record of supporting good public policy, fostering accountable municipal administration, exercising sound judgment in the hiring of public employees and ensuring government serves the entire community,” he said. 

During public meetings, Hamill has objected to Nelson’s hiring since the meeting when she was appointed, claiming Nelson to be under-experienced for the role and stating that the executive committee which had made the decision to hire her had “bumbled the entire process.”

Hamill’s criticisms reoccurred during the meeting of June 22, at which he and Nelson sparred over the process for authorizing a purchase request related to playground equipment in Central Park. During the discussion, Nelson maintained that she had followed the appropriate procedures for the purchase. 

Responding to Nelson’s comments, Hamill said, “I really don’t think it’s helpful to bicker or to push back on something that is pretty clearly a short-sighted, maybe inexperienced—”

“OK, Mr. Hamill,” Resti interrupted, speaking over Hamill as the latter tried to continue. “Avoid personal attacks—”

“There’s no personal attacks!” said Hamill. 

“—and maintain respectful dialogue, please,” Resti concluded. 

“And that’s exactly what I’ve done,” said Hamill. “But I think it’s very fair to represent to both the broader public and to anybody who’s in the community room tonight that we should not be bypassing things that we have in place.”

During the meeting, Nelson maintained that all necessary procedures were being followed. 

Williams confirmed the resignation in a text with the River Reporter, and said the borough has a special meeting scheduled for Friday, July 10 at 6 p.m. “If I were a regular voting member of council, I’d be accepting that resignation with true regret,” he said.

Image: Honesdale Borough Manager Kendra Nelson (left) and borough council president Tiffany Rogers. (Liam Mayo)