SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — The governing body in South Whitehall Township is looking for a new member.
South Whitehall Board of Commissioners is seeking applications to fill a vacant seat.
The current commissioners will conduct public interviews with applicants at a special meeting on Dec. 28, then vote to appoint one of them.
The vacancy was created because former Vice President of the board David Kennedy decided to move out of the township to be closer to his grandson.
Township commissioners pass laws, make hiring decisions, adopt the township budget, appoint committee members and more.
The term would last for two years, until the end of 2025.
Interested applicants must have been a South Whitehall resident for at least a year and be registered to vote.
Candidates should submit a letter of interest and resume by 12 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27. Letters and resumes can be emailed to petruccit@southwhitehall.com, delivered in person or mailed to the Township Municipal Building, 4444 Walbert Ave.
Interviews will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28 at the municipal building.
Disagreement with the timeline
Township Manager Tom Petrucci said that because Kennedy terminated his residency on Nov. 30, the board only has until Dec. 30 to fill the vacancy.
If the board does not appoint someone by then, the commissioners would have to hold a meeting with the township vacancy board, which consists of one township resident and the commissioners, to fill the seat.
Commissioner Jacob Roth argued that the board should not fill the vacancy so soon and instead hold a meeting with the vacancy board after the Dec. 30 deadline.
“I just think we owe it to the residents to give them a longer period to decide whether or not they want to apply and to get those resumes and cover letters in."Commissioner Jacob Roth
Roth said residents should have at least two weeks to apply, and the Dec. 27 deadline only gives them one week during a holiday.
“I just think we owe it to the residents to give them a longer period to decide whether or not they want to apply and to get those resumes and cover letters in,” Roth said.
Commissioner Brad Osborne, who had his last meeting with the board Wednesday, added that commissioner-elect Thomas Johns should be part of the vote, and he will not be sworn in until Jan. 2.
Board President Diane Kelly said Kennedy’s departure was reported in several media outlets, so township residents already are aware of the vacancy.
The board voted 3-1 to hold the special meeting on Dec. 28 and to meet with the vacancy board if a decision is not made then. Osborne cast the dissenting vote.
Kelly asked Petrucci to invite Johns to the special meeting.
A former candidate will apply
Former candidate for the board Chris Peischl said in an interview that he will apply for the position. He ran in a group in this year’s election with Kelly and Roth.
Peischl lost by a little more than 100 votes to Johns, who will be the only Democrat on the board.
Peischl said in an emailed statement after the election that he felt “a number of people voted party lines without researching the candidates.”
“For example, the person who received the third-place votes [Johns] voted to raise taxes when he was a commissioner," the statement read. "So people voted for a person to raise their taxes."
Democrats won in several key races in the area, such as the Parkland School Board and Lehigh County Commissioners, and did well across the region.
Brad Osborne’s final meeting
Wednesday was Osborne’s last meeting with the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners. He was elected to fill a vacancy two years ago and decided not to run for re-election.
“I want to thank you for your sacrifice. All of us sitting here tonight as officials know the time commitment that it requires to do this role effectively, and I know that you have put many hours in behind the scenes.”South Whitehall Commissioners President Diane Kelly
The board gave him a Distinguished Service Award for his two-year term, but Roth pointed out that Osborne previously served for seven years on the board, as well as on the township Board of Authority and Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.
“We’re recognizing you tonight for two years, but really it’s over 20 years of public service that you’ve given to this community, and you’ve done it well,” Roth said.
“I want to thank you for your sacrifice,” Kelly said. “All of us sitting here tonight as officials know the time commitment that it requires to do this role effectively, and I know that you have put many hours in behind the scenes.”
Osborne in May launched a new radio show called "Good Morning Lehigh Valley," in which he interviews local politicians, business owners and other local leaders.
