Bristol’s mayor is suing the borough council alleging that it usurped his sole authority over police department operations, rewrote its internal affairs policy, and violated state public transparency law in the process.
The July 28 civil lawsuit filed by Mayor Frank Peranteau Sr. is asking a Bucks County Common Pleas judge to void a council resolution involving police internal affairs he alleges conflicts with state code and the riverfront borough’s code and ordinances.
The complaint also seeks to have the court invalidate any countermanded or direct orders to police officers and declare the council has no authority to overturn Peranteau’s directives to the police chief and officers.
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Perananteu, a former Bristol police chief, has also asked the court to find that the council violated Pennsylvania Sunshine Law by taking official action outside of a publicly advertised meeting.
In his lawsuit, the mayor maintains that his office has sole final authority and control over the borough police department operations, its officer and chief — not the council— citing state and local codes and ordinance.
Andrew Michael Rongaus, who represents the council and its eight members, said in an email he was unable to comment on specific allegations citing the active litigation, but council believes it took appropriate action as the “final policy maker,” under the Borough Code authority.
“The Borough looks forward to clarifying the authority and roles of the Mayor and Borough Council in the operation and direction of the police department under these circumstances,” he added.
The conflict center on officer Ritchie Webb, who was on duty and responded to a triple fatal accident involving a Amtrak train in April 2025 that killed three members of the Cramp family, who had deep ties to the community.
Webb had been out on workers’ compensation while receiving treatment since the fatal accident, though his treating doctor cleared him to return to work in late January, according to the lawsuit and Webb.
But the borough informed Webb it would not let him return to work until he undergoes an “independent medical examination.” The council voted at its May meeting to terminate Webb, Peranteau confirmed.
When told he could not return to work in January, Webb responded in an email to Peranteau and council that he believed he was being subjected to a continuing pattern of retaliation, obstruction and abuse of authority after he reported alleged misconduct within the police department years ago, according to the lawsuit.
More than a decade ago Webb sued the borough alleging that he endured retaliation from fellow officers and borough officials after he testified against a former borough police officer convicted in 2009 of official oppression. The borough settled with Webbfor $440,000 in 2013.
Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe informed Webb that his latest criminal allegations were forwarded to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, the lawsuit alleges.
DiGuiseppe also notified Webb that the council hired an outside law firm to investigate “all complaints” in his email and ordered him to appear for a medical examination and an “investigative interview” with the labor attorney.
Peranteau contends that DiGuiseppe and the labor attorney did not consult with him before ordering Webb to appear at the appointments, the lawsuit alleges.
In response, the mayor issued a written directive to Moors, ordering that he have no contact with Webb regarding the council’s investigation or the medical exam, the lawsuit alleges.
The mayor also ordered that information and correspondence involving the medical exam be managed through his office, citing the mayor’s authority over the Moors and police department under Borough Code.
Peranteau also issued a written order to Webb not to participate in the labor attorney investigation, but to cooperate with the DA’s office, and appear for his medical exam, the lawsuit said.
The day after Peranteau sent out his directives, the lawsuit alleges, DiGuiseppe notified the mayor that the council had reversed his written orders to Webb and Moors.
The notice allegedly stated that the council, not the mayor, had exclusive authority to assign the chief duties and to decide how discipline is to be imposed in the event of police misconduct, the lawsuit alleges.
The council also notified Webb that it reversed Peranteau’s orders and ordered him to appear for an interview with the labor attorney and to reschedule his “Fitness for Duty” exam.
DiGuiseppe also allegedly demanded that Peranteau recuse himself from matters involving Webb and withdraw his directives to Webb and Moors, the lawsuit alleges.
In late March, the lawsuit alleges that council adopted a resolution revising the police department’s internal affairs policy, allegedly giving council the power to pick who it wants to supervise the department, subjects officers’ conduct to the direction of council, and allows only council to make changes to the policy.
Peranteau contends the new policy is invalid because it directly violates Pennsylvania Borough Code and the borough’s own code, which vests supervision of the police force and chief with the mayor.
The mayor also contends that the council repeatedly violated the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law with its actions involving Webb and the police department.
The lawsuit alleges there is no evidence that council took official action at any publicly advertised meeting to counter Peranteau’s written orders to Webb and Moors.
Under the Sunshine Law public agencies can only act on official business at advertised public meetings where the item appears on the agenda and the public has an opportunity for questions and discussion before a vote. Case law, however, has allowed agencies to correct a potential violation at a subsequent public meeting.
The lawsuit also alleges no record exists showing the new internal affairs policy was properly advertised, presented to the mayor for approval or veto or recorded in the borough’s ordinance book.
The lawsuit also accuses the council of violating the Sunshine Law when it retained an outside law firm for the Webb investigation and allowed it to start work weeks before the council voted on the contract at a publicly advertised meeting in March.
Crime and Courts Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bristol mayor suing council alleging it usurped his authority over police
