Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams is pushing back against a civil contempt motion filed by the Harrisburg City Council, calling the legal move both surprising and disappointing — especially since it came just hours before the two sides were set to meet.
According to PennLive, the council filed the motion around noon on Friday (March 6), even though a follow-up meeting between Williams and council members had been scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that same day. That meeting was subsequently canceled.
The contempt motion centers on Gloria Martin-Roberts, who serves as the city's interim Director of Building and Housing. The council says Williams is violating a February 10 agreement in which she agreed to stop appointing interim department heads without council approval. Local 21 News reports that the council claims Williams has refused to allow a formal vote on Martin-Roberts' appointment.
Williams disagrees. Her position, as reported by CBS 21, is that Martin-Roberts is grandfathered into her role and is not covered by the agreement. Council attorney Casey Coyle disputes that claim, writing that grandfathering employees was never part of the deal.
In a statement released Sunday (March 8), Williams said she had already met with the council on Monday (March 2) to discuss Martin-Roberts' position and had made clear her intention to bring it before the council for a formal vote.
"The residents of Harrisburg deserve a government that works together to solve problems," Williams said. "I have been clear that I am prepared to bring this position before City Council for a vote so that the matter can be addressed transparently and through the proper legislative process. Litigation should never replace communication when we have the ability to sit down and work through our differences."
The council is asking Dauphin County Judge Jeffrey Engle to fine Williams $1,000 per day — drawn from her personal finances — for every day she remains in violation of the agreement, up to 30 days. If she is still found to be in violation after that period, the council is asking the Dauphin County Sheriff's Office to arrest and jail Williams until she pays the fines and removes Martin-Roberts from the interim role. The council is also seeking reimbursement of attorney's fees from the earlier lawsuit.
This latest conflict is the newest chapter in a months-long battle between Williams and the council. The dispute began with a 2026 budget fight in which the council voted to defund four positions in the mayor's administration. Williams sued, but Judge Engle dismissed the case, ruling the council was within its authority. Williams had planned to appeal but instead reached the February agreement with the council — the very agreement now at the center of the contempt motion.
Williams says she remains committed to resolving the dispute through dialogue. "The administration believes disagreements between branches of government should be resolved through dialogue, transparency, and the legislative process rather than through continued litigation," her office said. No new meeting between the mayor and council has been announced as of Monday (March 9).