ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown City Council was set Monday night to sort through 13 candidates in an effort to fill the vacant seat left by the recent resignation of Democrat Josh Seigel.
To select a winner, a candidate would need four votes from council.
But after seven rounds of voting, the board could not come to a consensus and have punted making a decision until early next year.
- Allentown City Council failed Monday to fill the vacant seat left by the recent resignation of Josh Siegel
- After seven rounds of voting, the board could not come to a consensus
- A special meeting is now planned to make a final determination
Council plans to hold a special meeting and make a final determination on Jan. 4.
“It would be optimal if council filled that seat this evening,” council's solicitor Chuck Smith said after members were unable to select a replacement.
Siegel resigned his seat after winning an election to represent the state's 22nd House District.
Following the city’s charter, council has thirty days following the “occurrence of a vacancy.” Smith reminded the board that Siegel resigned on Nov. 30, meaning the seat should be filled before the end of the year.
If not, the decision-making process could turn over to the Lehigh County court, who could appoint any qualifying resident of the city — not just one of the 13 people who applied to fill the seat.
“It’s scary to me that a judge could pick anyone out there,” Councilwoman Candida Affa said as council discussed next steps.
“We have looked at all these. We vetted everybody. We listened to everyone speak here. Now a judge is going to just pick somebody?”
Council President Cynthia Mota agreed.
“We as a body need to pick the next city councilperson,” Mota said.
By holding an upcoming special meeting, council will retain the right to select the individual to fill the seat.
And though council was unable to select a candidate on Monday, the board had a wide field to from which to choose.
Those who applied hailed from a variety of backgrounds — from a recent college graduate to a former officer of Allentown Parking Authority to an assistant director of admissions for Kutztown University.
“We as a body need to pick the next city councilperson."Council president Cynthia Mota, calling for the board to not pass this decision on to the courts.
But even though council members couldn’t select a single candidate, a number of individuals received consistent support.
Several council members voted repeatedly for Santo Napoli, the owner of Assembly88, a men’s shop in downtown Allentown, as well as a number of residential and commercial properties.
In making his pitch to council, Napoli related the work he has done as a small business owner, and how he believed the experience could serve him on the board.
“You have to think fast on your feet," he said. "You have to adapt. You have to move. That’s how cities are. That’s how businesses are."
Several members of council also supported Rodney Bushe, a real estate agent and community engagement specialist for Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.
Asked what the most formidable issues facing the city could be, Bushe pointed to a need for affordable housing and the problem of homelessness.
“We need to create a space where the homeless population can go, in a dignified manner, where they can get the resources, get the developments so that can later move on into stable living situations,” he said.
Former council president and former Allentown Police Chief Roger MacLean also received a number of votes from council.
In speaking on his own behalf, MacLean noted his history with the city and detailed how his experience in working with the city’s budget gives him a “unique perspective” on how Allentown operates.
“I’ve been here," he said. "I’ve been on both sides. As council, I tried to think things through on both sides of the issue. Look at it from all angles and make the right decision that was the best for the citizens of Allentown and the city itself.
“I would continue to do that if chosen for this position.”
Others who applied were Luis Acevedo, Tino Babayan, Nicholas Bialis, Timothy Wesley Hahn, Louis Wyker Holzman, Marquise Lee Moore, Andrene Browne Nowell, Patrick Palmer, Sandra K. Simon and Michael Skros.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Sandra K. Simon's husband Don works in the finance office at Lehigh Valley Public Media.
