Tyrone Borough Council member Sharon Dannaway was appointed interim borough manager at last night’s council meeting.
The position has been open since the firing of former manager Nathan George in June of last year. Since that time, council has not advertised for candidates to take over the job on a permanent basis. The various duties of the manager were absorbed by the department heads in the borough’s administration
Recently, council has met in executive sessions to discuss the appointment of an interim manager. They decided to chose from within with the selection of Dannaway.
The 56-year-old Tyrone resident has served on council since 2000 and has been a member of the Police Pension Committee since 1999 and a member of the borough’s Board of Health since 2003. Dannaway has also had internships with Rep. Larry Sather at his Tyrone office and with the borough manager’s office in Hollidaysburg as part of her public service experience.
She serves on the board of directors of the Tyrone Community Players and on the board of directors of the Mount Aloysius College Alumni.
In the past, she has worked as a property manager for Calibre Residential Inc., a staff accountant for the Huntingdon County Child & Adult Development, an industrial trainer at Big Yank and as a verification coordinator/financial aid secretary at Mount Aloysius.
She also earned degrees in public administration and business administration at Mount Aloysius.
Dannaway’s resume noted her qualifications for the interim borough manager’s position included grant writing, knowledge of the borough’s administration and experience with constituent problem resolution on municipal and state levels.
Council voted 6 to 1 in favor of Dannaway’s appointment by approving ordinance number 1224. Bill Fink voted no and Dannaway abstained.
Solicitor Larry Clapper and Mayor Patricia Stoner both declined to answer whether or not any other applicants were considered for the interim position. Dannaway said she sought the position when she learned the borough was interested in appointing an interim manager and it could pursue fulfilling the opening from within its own ranks or outside.
Both Clapper and Stoner said the move to appoint Dannaway was allowed by the borough’s charter and there had been at least two other times when council members took leave of their seats to serve as interim managers.
As a result of the vote, Dannaway immediately accepted the position as interim manager and took a leave of absence from her position as council member. She was not allowed to vote on other matters that council acted on after her acceptance of the interim manager’s position.
“I’m very pleased,” said Mayor Stoner. “I think it’s important that we could have someone come aboard immediately. She has been in council long enough that she knows the workings of council, she knows the problems of the borough (and) she is certainly as well qualified with her background and (education) as some of the people we interviewed when we were looking for a borough manager (in 2003). She is someone who will take the job very seriously, she will devote her time and energy to it and we need someone in that position right now.”
Solicitor Larry Clapper explained the interim position is for a duration of up to six months to allow council time to work on looking for a permanent manager. Dannaway’s place on council will remain open while she serves as interim manager. No one will be appointed to the council seat during that time.
Clapper explained the borough could appoint Dannaway as a permanent manager at which time she would have to resign her council seat. In the event, Dannaway does not continue as manager, whether she declines to seek the permanent position or should council chose someone else, she would be free to return to her council position.
Dannaway said she was not ready to indicate if she would seek the position permanently. She was expected to be on duty as manager starting today at the borough’s office.
Dannaway will receive an annual salary of $40,000, pro rated based on length of service. She will also receive a maximum of three days which she can take off during her length of service. Those days are in addition to any holidays when borough offices are closed. Clapper said she will receive no other benefits.
In its 2005 budget, the borough had set aside $50,000 for the permanent borough manager’s position.
