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North Strabane supervisors fail to make appointments

2 min read

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The North Strabane Township board of supervisors is short two members, and the three current supervisors have until Jan. 30 to decide who to appoint.

The vacancies were created when Robert Balogh won both two- and six-year terms on the board in the general election and Vice Chairman Jeff Stanley resigned in December.

Sonia Stopperich, Brian Spicer and Balogh did not reach a consensus on appointments during the township’s reorganization meeting Monday. As a result, the positions of chairman and vice chairman went unfilled. Because a majority of the board is needed, all three supervisors would have to agree.

Township manager Frank Siffrinn said a motion was made to reappoint Bill Brooks, who in the general election came in second behind Balogh for both the two-year and six-year terms. Balogh is filling the six-year term and an appointment must be made to fill the two-year term. However, that motion died for lack of a second.

Another motion was made to appoint Marcus Staley, a member of the planning commission, to fill Stanley’s vacancy and complete his term, but the motion died with a 2-1 vote.

Neil Kelly, who received 18 fewer votes than Brooks for the two-year position, said the appointments should be “an easy solution” because he and Brooks trailed closely behind Balogh in the general election.

“The board should be serving the residents, and those residents have spoken by their vote,” Kelly said.

Siffrinn said the three supervisors have until Jan. 30, when a final decision must me made. If they fail to reach an agreement, Stewart White, the appointed chairman of the vacancy board, will be the deciding vote.

If the vacancy board reaches a tie, the matter would then proceed to the Washington County Court.

Spicer also made a motion to open the position of solicitor, but that motion died with a 2-1 vote.

“Until they reconsider the matter, or until we have a full compliment of board members, or until the matter is brought up again, Jim Jeffries is still the solicitor,” Siffrinn said.

Meetings will continue to be held the third and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7 p.m., with special exceptions in April, May and December.

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