Jan 24, 2018 2 min read

North Strabane Township supervisors hired a new manager Tuesday to replace Frank Siffrinn, who will be retiring in March.

The supervisors unanimously voted to hire Andrew L. Walz, who has been the manager for Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, for the past five years.

“North Strabane is obviously one of the up-and-coming communities in the area, and I’m looking forward to working here with the board and staff to take it to the next level,” Walz said after the meeting.

Walz, of Jeannette, Westmoreland County, said he wanted to move back to Washington County because he grew up in North Franklin Township and graduated from Trinity High School in 2002. He said he still has family in the area and he wanted to “come home.”

“This is a great community,” he said. “I’m very excited to move here and get to work.”

Walz said he graduated from St. Vincent College in Latrobe with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. His term of employment will run through Dec. 31, 2019, with a six-month probation period. He will start with a salary of $87,500, which will increase to $90,000 Jan. 1, 2019.

Siffrinn said he was in full support of the board’s decision and would make Walz’s transition “as easy for him as I can.”

“I would hope that the board will sit down with him and let him know the direction they’re looking to go and to set the agenda for him,” Siffrinn said.

Walz will start March 7, and Siffrinn, who’s been with the township 25 years, will work with him until March 16, when he retires.

“I’m pleased to say I think he will do an excellent job for the township,” Siffrinn said. “I certainly have confidence in him.”

Siffrinn, who announced his retirement in November, said when he started as manager, the overall township budget was only 15 percent of what it is today. He said in those 25 years, the employee workforce has doubled, the population has more than doubled and the tax base has tripled. He also saw The Meadows Casino move in and bring revenue to the township.

“I truly want to see him be successful,” Siffrinn said about Walz. “I built this township, and it’s important to me that my successor continues that legacy.”