Man’s ‘dying wish’ leads to board appointment

Commissioners honor longtime employee

Ross Township commissioners reappointed Walter Salachup to a position on the township’s vacancy board — despite the fact that Mr. Salachup died Jan. 30.

“He was appointed to honor him,” commission President Steve Korbel said after the Feb. 3 decision.

Mr. Korbel said that either Mr. Salachup or his wife, Frances, asked, “on multiple occasions if I would submit his application and make sure that he was reappointed to the [board]. I viewed it as his dying wish.”

Mr. Salachup, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, worked for the township public works department for many years.

Mr. Korbel said that the agenda with Mr. Salachup’s reappointment was already set when commissioners learned that he had died.

“I spoke to most commissioners, and all thought it was the right thing to do in order to honor him, his memory and his service to the township,” Mr. Korbel said.

The vacancy board is a littleused group that meets if there is a vacancy on the board of commissioners and the commissioners cannot agree on a candidate. It was last used in 2013 when commissioners were deadlocked 4-4 on appointing either Paul Trilli or Patrick Mullin. Mr. Trilli, a Republican, was appointed after four commissioners boycotted the vacancy board meeting.

Mr. Mullin won the seat in the next election and was re-elected in November.

With the current 8-1 Democratic majority on the commission, Mr. Korbel said that it is unlikely that the board will be needed in the near future. However, commissioners will repost the position and hope to appoint somebody in April.