Smithsburg Mayor, Council Member Cleared of Ethics Violation After Review by County Board

Smithsburg Mayor Donald L. Souders Jr. and Council Member Fritsch, have been cleared of wrongdoing by the Washington County Ethics Commission. The review stemmed from a February 2025 complaint related to Souders’ and Fritsch’s attendance at a Hagerstown Flying Boxcars baseball game nearly nine months prior, which was previously reported on.

Note from the editor: Also see my thoughts on this matter and apology to Mayor Souders. This article was updated to clarify that Council Member Fritsch was also cleared of any wrongdoing, and highlighted his criticisim of Councilmember David Dan during the Smithsburg Town Council meeting on 7/1/2025. This article was further revised on 7/2/2025 to include a statement provided by Councilmember David Dan.

The complaint, filed by Councilmember David Dan, alleged that Souders had received improper benefits for his appearance at the May 2024 game. However, after reviewing the matter, the county ethics board found no evidence that Souders violated any ethics standards, concluding the matter with an official decision issued on June 13, 2025. The mayor publicly announced the findings during the July 1 Smithsburg Mayor and Town Council meeting, ending months of speculation. Specifically, the Ethics Commission did not find that the Flying Boxcars ticket value exceeded the $20 permissible gift limit, and was not believed to be intended to influence Smithsburg’s business dealings with Antietam Broadband. And, according to the Commission, Councilmember Fritsch’s ticket was provided to him by Mayor Souders, who did not tell him the origin of the ticket, therefore absolving him of any ethical concerns as well.

In addition to reading his own statement regarding the matter at the July 1 meeting, Fritsch criticized a previous comment from Councilmember Dan, in which Dan made statements that “if Mayor [Souders] ever follows through with his threats and actually resigns, the most corrupt council member in Smithsburg will take his place.” Fritsch remarked that he believed Dan was referring to Fritsch, who is the Vice President of the council, and stated he felt Dan was implying the rest of the council is corrupt as well. Fritsch then stated that councilmembers Snyder, Renard, and McCormick are not corrupt, Mayor Souders is not corrupt, and that Fritsch himself is not corrupt.

The ethics complaint had raised concerns about the potential misuse of public office, but the board’s ruling means the town avoids any legal consequences, leadership disruptions, or need for further action. In response in a statement to Radio Free Hub City, Souders reaffirmed his commitment to town improvements, highlighting recent investments in infrastructure, public safety, and parks during his administration.

“I filed this complaint to uphold transparency and accountability in Smithsburg’s government,” stated Councilmember Dan in a statement issued to Radio Free Hub City. “Although the ethics commission found no wrongdoing, I hope this review underscores the importance of clear guidelines to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and highlights opportunities to strengthen our ethics laws.”

Under Souders’ leadership, Smithsburg has seen upgrades to its water and sewer systems, roadway improvements, and enhancements to public parks, including new playgrounds and pavilions. The town has also expanded police patrols and installed security cameras in public areas, part of a broader push to increase community safety. With the ethics matter now resolved, Souders emphasized his continued focus on serving the community and advancing local priorities.

Editor’s Statement: I am very happy to hear that no ethics violation was found against the mayor, and that the tickets were not found to exceed the permissible $20 value. We look forward to working with Mayor Souders and the Town of Smithsburg in our upcoming efforts to provide positive, community focused news for the town. One of the primary missions of any news outlet should always be to shed light on government activities which need further attention. In this case the system worked exactly as it should – a concern sent to us was brought to light, investigated, and properly addressed through the correct measures. With that said, we have now put in place a policy that going forward, we will not cover ethics complaints or similar until such complaints have been filed by an involved party, and clearly disclose who filed the complaint and the releasable details of the complaint, as we did with Hagerstown Councilmember Flaherty’s complaint.

Also see my thoughts on this matter and apology to Mayor Souders.

The full ethics opinion is available below.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon information from the Town of Smithsburg and the Washington County Ethics Commission findings

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