James Rada, Jr.
For nearly half of his life, Pat Boyle (shown right) has been there when Emmitsburg needed help. Over the past forty-two years, he has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission, Parks and Recreation Committee, Emmitsburg Commissioner, Zoning Administrator, and as a Board of Appeals member.
This past January, he finally decided to step back when he resigned from the planning commission. “I’m close to ninety now,” Boyle said. “It’s time for some young blood to help out.”
In the 1970s, before Emmitsburg had a parks and recreation committee, decisions regarding the town parks were made with recommendations from a committee of the players, coaches, and managers of the baseball teams in town. As a coach, Boyle was part of that group.
The town decided to form a Planning and Zoning Commission in 1976 to help with the needs of the growing town.
“The mayor at the time, Richard Sprankle, was my brother-in-law. He asked me to serve, and I said, ‘yes,’” recalled Boyle.
He was one of three members who would be guiding Emmitsburg through some of its growing pains. County officials visited Emmitsburg to help train the new board on what their function and responsibilities would be. At the time, Emmitsburg had about half of the population that it does today and fewer subdivisions.
The next year, the mayor asked Boyle to become the town’s zoning administrator, after the current one moved away.
“I was told the salary would be ‘forthcoming,’” said Boyle. “It turned out to be $10 a year, and I had to go to Frederick for classes on how to do the job.”
Since the job was a full-time one, Boyle also continued to work at his family grocery store in town, although the two jobs overlapped at times. “I had to turn down a few people who wanted to do something that wasn’t in the zoning ordinance. They would come into the store and complain and make a fuss.”
Boyle resigned from the position after seven months, but by then he had lost a couple of friends.
Because of his work as a baseball coach, his next foray into public service was with the parks and recreation committee. He served on the committee for twenty years.
He then became a town commissioner in 1998, and was the president of the commission for a time. He served as commissioner until April 2004, when he resigned.
“I’m proud of my time on the board,” stated Boyle. “We got the water plant built, moved the town office to where it is, and approved some new developments.”
Boyle did make a run for mayor against eventual winner James Hoover and current town commissioner Cliff Sweeney.
“I was disappointed when I lost at first, but within a few months, I was grateful,” said Boyle. “My wife’s health was bad, and I wanted to be with her.”
Boyle returned to public service in 2006, when he was appointed to serve as an alternate on the board of appeals. He served there for a year, until he took a position on the planning and zoning commission in 2007.
And it was here where he ended his service, stepping down at the beginning of the year, having ended up where he started for forty-two years of public service on the planning commission.
“I’m going to miss working with some of the people,” expressed Boyle.
When asked why more of the “young blood” that he says is needed aren’t putting their names forward to help, Boyle said, “I think they’re afraid they’re going to hurt somebody’s feelings. I lost some friends, but you have to do what’s best for the town. I’m proud of this town, and I was proud to help it.”
