A Dauphin County commissioners meeting in 2024. From left, commissioners Justin Douglas, George Hartwick and Mike Pries
A sitting Dauphin County commissioner is calling on his fellow officeholder to step down.
On Tuesday, commission Chair Justin Douglas issued a statement asking long-time Commissioner George Hartwick to resign from the three-person board.
“There will be those who claim this is personal. It’s not,” Douglas wrote. “This is about leadership, public safety, and honoring the standards we ask of everyone who serves. The residents of Dauphin County deserve steady and accountable leadership. Restoring public confidence begins with accountability at the top.”
Douglas’ statement came almost a week after Hartwick crashed his county-issued vehicle into a concrete pillar in a downtown parking garage then audibly slurred his speech during a commission meeting. Yesterday, the state attorney generals’ office charged Hartwick with driving under the influence.
Hartwick is the middle of his sixth term as commissioner, first elected in 2003.
In his statement, Douglas said that he has compassion for Hartwick, but that commissioners must first account for the responsibilities of their office.
“There is redemption available. There is recovery available,” Douglas stated. “But the privilege of this office, including the responsibility to lead, to represent, and to serve, can no longer be his.”
Douglas’ complete statement follows:
Statement on Recent Events Involving Commissioner Hartwick
Before addressing this as a Commissioner, I want to begin as someone who has sat with people in the depths of addiction and witnessed the courage it takes to recover. Addiction is a disease, one that touches us all, directly or indirectly. That is why it pains me deeply to say what must now be said.
According to sworn affidavits made available by law enforcement, Commissioner George Hartwick arrived at our public meeting under the influence of alcohol. He drove to that meeting while intoxicated and damaged his county-issued vehicle. As a result of this incident, he was formally charged with driving under the influence.
This was not a private moment. This was not a one-time lapse in judgment. It was a breach of public trust, a danger to himself and others, and, perhaps most painfully, part of a larger, repeated pattern of behavior documented throughout his time in office.
Any county employee with this history of behavior would have been terminated—and our employees know it. They see the gross double standard that exists between elected officials and the staff who serve under them. It is not fair. It is not just. It cannot continue.
I have struggled with how to respond because I believe in compassion, in second chances, and in the power of redemption. I believe George Hartwick has a path to healing in front of him. I will support him in walking that path, as a fellow human being, as someone who deserves dignity and recovery.
But the path to personal healing is different from the responsibility of continuing in public office.
Holding public office is a sacred responsibility. But that responsibility has been eroded over time, through missteps, through secrecy, and through a pattern of looking the other way. It has pulled focus from the real work of serving our residents and made it harder for us to move forward as a team.
At this critical time in government, we need to expect more from our leaders, not less.
This is not a conclusion I’ve come to lightly. But the pattern is undeniable, and it must be addressed.
For these reasons, I am calling on Commissioner George Hartwick to resign his position on the Dauphin County Board of Commissioners.
There will be those who claim this is personal. It’s not. This is about leadership, public safety, and honoring the standards we ask of everyone who serves. The residents of Dauphin County deserve steady and accountable leadership. Restoring public confidence begins with accountability at the top.
There is redemption available. There is recovery available. But the privilege of this office, including the responsibility to lead, to represent, and to serve, can no longer be his.
– Justin Douglas, Chairman of Dauphin County Board of Commissioners
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