Smurl’s Slip: From Petition Problems to Pride Controversy, Scranton’s Council President Faces Scrutiny

Scranton City Council President Gerald Smurl’s campaign for reelection as an independent was meant to signal integrity and independence. Instead, it’s beginning to look like a scramble for damage control.

Smurl, a longtime Cognetti ally and the current face of City Council, has faced mounting criticism in recent months — from mishandled petition signatures to an embarrassing lapse in leadership during a council meeting where hate speech went unchecked.

Back in March, Smurl abruptly withdrew from the Democratic primary, admitting that “some of my campaign people got a bit overzealous” and collected signatures they hadn’t actually witnessed. At the time, he framed it as a small mistake made out of honesty — but the situation may have been more serious than he let on.

At a recent council meeting, resident Mark Margavage directly asked Smurl whether investigators had visited him or his workers over his nomination petitions. Smurl responded, “Yes.”

Weeks later, Smurl announced he would run for reelection as an independent, claiming he wanted to lead with “integrity and independence.”

Then came June’s Pride Month incident. During a council meeting, Smurl sat silently as perennial agitator and former felon Bob Bolus delivered a tirade filled with anti-LGBTQ remarks, directly targeting resident Angela Ramone. Instead of using his gavel to stop the hate, Smurl thanked Bolus and moved on.

That silence didn’t go unnoticed. Fellow council members and residents immediately called him out. Councilman Bill King told Smurl flatly that he “needs to start using that gavel.” Resident Norma Jeffries accused him of failing to maintain order, and dozens of community members returned the following week to condemn the council’s inaction.

Only after that backlash did Smurl read a prepared apology. “It is my job as council president to not allow hateful and derogatory remarks,” he said, adding, “I apologize for not performing my job properly.”

But for some, it was too little, too late. In a city where the Cognetti administration constantly preaches inclusion, Smurl’s silence — followed by a scripted apology — exposed an uncomfortable truth about Scranton’s leadership: accountability comes only when public outrage forces it.

With three council seats up for grabs in November, the race is already crowded: incumbents Smurl and Tom Schuster, along with Sean McAndrew, Patrick Flynn, Marc Pane, and Virgil Argenta.

For a council president who ran on independence and integrity, the year has instead been defined by petitions, apologies, and questions he still hasn’t fully answered.