New faces to lead in 2018
Area governing boards swear in new members, elect officers
The President of the United States certainly dominates the headlines all year long, but as 2018 begins, its other presidents and chair people who get their moment in the spotlight.
On Jan. 2, numerous municipalities around the region re-organized for the coming year, electing chairpersons, presidents and other officers to boards of commissioners, supervisors and borough councils.
In many places, such as in Lower Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, North Coventry and Douglass (Mont.) townships, little changed in terms of board officers.
But there are some new faces with gavels in their hands, due either to a shake-up or election results. Here is a run-down of some of them.
Upper Pottsgrove
Perhaps most surprising of these was the election of Trace Slinkerd to the post of president of the Board of Commissioners in Upper Pottsgrove.
His election is surprising not only because he replaces long-time president Elwood Taylor, who nominated Commissioner Martin Schreiber for the post, but also because he has never held elected office before.
Slinkerd said Thursday he was “approached by several people” to take the president’s post “and I agreed to go ahead and do it.”
He said “it is really quite humbling” adding that he had no plans for any major changes to the way the board operates — “nothing major or earth-shattering.”
Township Manager Carol Lewis said Slinkerd was nominated by Commissioner Renee Spaide, a former commissioner who ran again for the board in November and won by two votes.
Spaide was joined by Slinkerd himself and Commissioner France Krazalkovich for the change to be made.
Krazalkovich was unanimously elected vice president.
All other posts, solicitor, engineer, secretary— which are also decided at re-organization — remained the same.
New Hanover
Charles D. Garner Jr. was busy Tuesday night.
Not only was he re-appointed as the solicitor for the boroughs of Pottstown and Phoenixville, as well as Upper Pottsgrove and Lower Pottsgrove townships, he was also elected chairman of the New Hanover Township Board of Supervisors.
The election was unanimous, even earning the vote of the previous chairman, Phil Agliano.
Also unanimous was the election of Marie Livelsberger to vice chairman.
Livelsberger, a Republican, won election in November running as a Democrat after being struck from the Republican primary ballot due to a filing oversight.
She was accompanied in the winner’s circle with her running mates, William “Ross” Snook and Kurt Zebrowski, who was elected to complete the two years left on the term of Ralph Fluharty, who resigned in July, 2016.
All other posts, solicitor, engineer, secretary — which are also decided at re-organization — remained the same, according to Township Manager Jamie Gwynn.
Upper Providence
Two men who tried for two years to have the board of supervisors expanded from three to five members not only succeeded in expanding the board, but are now the board’s president and vice president.
John Pearson, a former supervisor who was voted out of office in 2015 and supported the successful 2016 petition drive to ask voters to expand the board, is the new board chairman, according to the township website.
And Supervisor Al Vagnozzi, who attempted but failed to convince the sitting supervisors to put the matter to the voters in 2016, is the board’s new vice chairman.
Collegeville
A Democratic sweep of the borough council race here put some new faces on the board, and into leadership posts.
Marion McKinley was elected president of Collegeville Borough Council and running mate Matthew McKinght was chosen as vice president.
Catherine Kernan, another running mate, was elected president pro tem.
The other significant change to occur was a change in solicitor.
By a 3-2 vote that occurred after some discussion among the board members, council replaced former solicitor Mark Hosterman with Sean Kilkenney, who also happens to be the Montgomery County Sheriff.
West Pottsgrove
Few things changed on the West Pottsgrove Board of Township Commissioners — Steve Miller remains chairman and Thomas Palladino is still vice chairman — with the exception of a new commissioner.
According to Township Manager Craig Lloyd, Mark Green was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board at the Dec. 20 meeting.
Green replaces Dominic Gentile, who announced his resignation in November.
Lloyd said Green will also take over Gentile’s posts as the liaison with the zoning board, planning commission and metropolitan regional planning commission.
Douglass (Mont.)
There was a new face installed on the Board of Supervisors Tuesday night when the oath of office was taken by Joshua Stouch. He defeated John Stasik in November for the opportunity to finish the two years remaining in the term of former supervisor Fred Ziegler.
Ziegler resigned in December 2016 as part of a plea agreement while on trial for theft and embezzlement of township funds and Stasik, a former supervisor, was chosen last January to replace him until the election.
But Stasik won’t be entirely gone from public service.
According to information provided by Township Manager Peter Hiryak, Stasik was appointed to a fouryear term on the township planning agency Tuesday night.
Anthony Kuklinski and Alan Keiser remain chairman and vice-chairman respectively, and all other consultants remained the same as last year with one exception.
Bob Dries, who worked part-time as a code enforcement official formany years and oversaw the construction of the public works’ departments new garage, retired.
He was replaced by Mark Johns, who will be a fulltime employee, according to Hiryak.
Phoenixville
Two new council members were sworn in Tuesday night — Beth Burckley, a Democrat who now represents the Middle Ward, and former Councilman Richard M. Kirkner, who was elected again to represent the North Ward.
West Ward Councilman James Kovaleski was reelected to the president’s post, but reelected West Ward Councilwoman Dana Dugan was replaced in the vice president’s post by Middle Ward Councilman Jonathan Ewald.
Peter Urscheler was also sworn in to his first term as mayor.
North Coventry
Candidates running for open seats on the board of supervisors were unopposed in November, so there are no new faces and Jim Marks and Spencer Claypoole remain chairman and vice chairman, respectively.
What was new, said Township Manager Kevin Hennessey, was the person doing the swearing in.
Newly elected District Judge John Hipple — who won the seat in November to replace James DeAngelo for the 15-3-01 seat — was on hand to administer the oath of office to Rebekah Elliot and Richard Scheler.
Another change, said Hennessey, was the retirement of Deborah Russo, who has been the township’s codes officer since 1997. Her duties will now be conducted by LTL Consultants Ltd.