Nov 28, 2013 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – Jefferson Borough petitioned the Greene County Court to reduce the number of members on council from five to three.

Council made the decision to reduce its numbers because of a lack of interest by residents in serving on council, said council President Theresa Knight. “Nobody wants to do anything,” she said. “I think it is that people are busy and just don’t want to be bothered.”

Three seats on council were on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election, two for a four-year term and one for a two-year term. Only one candidate’s name appeared on the ballot and that was for incumbent Lance Sahady who was seeking re-election to a four-year term.

Two others, however, were also elected to the other two open seats, each receiving two write-in votes.

It takes only one vote to get elected in a general election. According to the county elections office, Charlie Barno was elected to the four-year term and Steve Dulik was elected to the two-year term.

The elections office received no notice as of Wednesday from either Barno or Dulik on whether he would accept the position. Neither could be reached Wednesday afternoon.

A difficulty in filing vacant council seats also was cited by council in 2005, when the court granted its motion to reduce the number of council members from seven to five.

The current members of council are Knight, Sandra Dulik, Marvin Knight, Darlene Shipley and Sahady. Marvin Knight and Shipley decided not to seek re-election. Theresa Knight said her husband, Marvin, is busy serving on the local sewer authority, while Shipley has served on council for years.

The borough filed a petition with the court Nov. 22, accompanied by a petition signed by 33 borough residents, which represents at least 5 percent of the number of registered voters in the borough as required by law.

An order issued Tuesday by Judge William Nalitz sets a hearing on the petition for 9 a.m. Dec. 31 before Judge Farley Toothman.