WM council names new councilman to fill vacancy
May 20—WEST MIDDLESEX — Although West Middlesex council's appointing a new member at their Wednesday meeting wasn't silent as the grave, it didn't come close to the emotional eruption at council's last meeting.
Lifelong borough resident Tim Webster was voted in to the council post to replace Michael Williams, who resigned last month.
Webster and Ron Preston, a former West Middlesex councilman who lost his bid for re-election in November, applied for the post.
Councilman Bob Lark made a motion for Preston to fill the seat. The motion died for lack of a second.
Lark also made a motion to let Mercer County Common Pleas Court decide on filling the vacancy, but that also died for lack of a second.
Councilman David Moyer, who attended the meeting by video, moved for Webster to fill the slot. Councilman Bill Novak seconded the nomination.
Council President Eric Lucich and Moyer voted for Webster, so the nomination would have passed with three votes, even if Lark opposed the measure — it wasn't clear if Lark cast a vote. Lark couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Immediately after the vote, Webster was sworn into office and took a seat next to Lark at the council table.
Wednesday's meeting, unlike council's session last week, featured no shouting or hurled accusations among the council members.
Webster said Thursday that he was gratified for council's support.
Over the past several years the retired steamfitter said he pondered going after a council seat. Nobody pressured him to apply to fill the vacancy, he added.
"I saw there was an opening and decided this was the time for me to do this," Webster said.
Further, he said he's keeping an open mind on the borough's two major issues — a municipal merger between the borough and Shenango Township, and consolidating the West Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department and Shenango Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Webster said he plans to review the state study, completed a couple months ago, that urged a consolidation of the two fire departments.
"In both cases I want to do what's in the best interest for our community," Webster said.
Some people, including Mayor Stacey Curry, thought that Lark and Novak would support Preston, with Lucich and Moyer backing Webster, leaving Curry to cast the tie-breaking vote.
"I was so in shock," she said of the vote. "If there was a tie I would have voted for Preston. I can't believe the vote went the way it went."
Novak said Thursday that he wasn't pressured to vote for Webster. Rather, Novak said his vote was based on the borough's best interests and a review of who was the best person.
"It was based on the conversations I had with the people of West Middlesex," he said of his vote.
Novak said he joined the West Middlesex fire department earlier this month, but he has to clear state-mandated background check before he can respond to calls.
Curry said her support of Preston wasn't a criticism of Webster.
"I don't have anything bad to say about him," she said. "I'm going to give him a fair shake. I think he has the town's best interest at heart."
NOTE: This article has been edited to clarify the names of council members who voted in favor of Webster's appointment.
