Transitioning the Office of the Mayor
As most of you are aware, I have been elected the PA State Representative of the 156th legislative district, which includes West Chester Borough, East Goshen, parts of West Goshen, Westtown, Birmingham, and Thornbury. I was sworn in last month and am very excited to be serving you in this new role.
I am still serving as the Mayor of West Chester, and my plan is to leave the Office of the Mayor on February 18, 2021.
Why I Ran for State Office
Throughout my experience as Mayor, I came to understand that public service is where I belong. It is challenging, and it is sometimes downright hard. Yet, it is a place where one can truly make a difference. I am honored to continue working for the people of the greater West Chester area in this expanded capacity.
Why I Temporarily Serve in a Dual Role
I decided to serve temporarily in both roles (Mayor and State Representative) for one reason: I had unfinished business. I made a promise to the West Chester Borough residents when I took my oath as Mayor, and I felt a deep and personal obligation to fulfill this promise. This included restaffing our understaffed police department so we can maintain our excellent level of public safety. In my view, there is nothing more important than public safety when it comes to municipal services. I made a promise to our new Police Chief I would not leave him so desperately understaffed during these times of crisis and challenge – and I meant it. During the past few months, I led the Department through an extensive interview process, and just this month we hired four new police officers. At the February 17th Borough Council Voting Session, I hope to present to Borough Council an additional PD candidate to replace newly-retired Detective Corporal Scott Whiteside.
Why I Chose February 18th
I chose this date to vacate the Office of the Mayor for two reasons. First, as mentioned, I hope to present another police officer candidate for Borough Council approval at the February 17th Voting Session, pending acceptance of the offer by our chosen candidate. Second, this will give the people of West Chester Borough the most influence over the process. Here's why:
According to Borough code, an Interim Mayor must be elected or appointed to serve out my term through the end of 2021. The process depends on the date I vacate office. If I were to vacate the Office of Mayor before February 17th, this would trigger a special election in May for Interim Mayor. After this date, Borough Council is required to appoint the Interim Mayor.
On the surface, it may appear a special election is the most democratic process; however, it is not. In the special election, the voters do not decide the candidate. The political party does. That is, the 15 West Chester Borough Democratic committee people would choose one Democratic candidate to be on the ballot, and the 3 West Chester Borough Republican committee people would hand-pick a Republican candidate. Given the voting history of the Borough, the Democratic candidate would be the likely winner.
Conversely, the appointment process creates opportunity for any Borough resident to apply for the Interim Mayor position regardless of political affiliation. The appointment process also gives all residents the opportunity to participate in the selection and interview process and to make their voices heard to their duly-elected Borough Council representatives. Our Borough Council representatives have been chosen by all Borough voters to represent them, and it is their duty to listen to their constituents. The appointment process is clearly more transparent and inclusive.
Incidentally, if there were to be a special election for Interim Mayor, Borough Council would still be required to appoint an Interim Mayor to serve from mid-February until the May special election date. This creates potential for 3 different individuals to serve as Mayor over the course of 11 months. This would be highly disruptive to the WCPD and would severely limit the ability of any one of these individuals to effectively serve.
Note: There will be a traditional primary election this May and a general election in November for the next Mayoral term (2022-2026).
