Following the resignation of Al Drayovitch as Tyrone Borough Manager, the borough has been functioning without a borough manager.
With the work of Mayor Pat Stoner, Phyllis Garhart and the department heads, Tyrone has continued to proceed with its government business and continued to provide services to its residents.
After advertising the position nationally, the borough received 27 applications for the opening and could have a new manager hired by mid-October.
“The initial interviews have been completed,” said Tyrone Mayor Pat Stoner. “We have taken our time to make sure we get the right person for he job.”
As part of the Home Rule Charter that Tyrone has adopted as its form of government, the borough manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the borough.
Stoner told The Daily Herald that the search has been narrowed to two candidates.
“We interviewed four candidates for the position,” said the mayor. “All four are well qualified and I believe that we have narrowed the four down to two finalists. We are hoping to have them in for a second interview. We hope that we can have the new manager hired at the second council meeting in October.”
The new borough manager will be walking into the middle of the 2004 budget process for the borough.
“We start working on the budget in August,” said Stoner. “The department heads submit their budgets and Phyllis (Garhart) guides the budget process. We hope that the new manager will have input into the 2004 budget.”
Stoner believes that the candidates that have been interviewed are able to walk in and take the position of borough manager and be effective.
“We originally narrowed the list of candidates down from 27 to four or five to begin with,” said Stoner. “We are pretty sure that all the candidates can do the job. Now we are looking at experience and what they bring to the table before we make the final decision.”
One of the candidates interviewed recently withdrew himself for consideration because he accepted another job with another municipality.
The mayor is hopeful for the outlook of the 2004 budget.
“The department heads have done a great job in staying under the 2003 budget,” said the mayor. “I don’t expect there to be a tax hike next year.”
The borough is facing deficits in the sewer department due to the loss of Act 339 money and the closing of Westvaco in 2001.
“We are close to finalizing the setup of the Tyrone Sewer Authority,” said Stoner. “It will work just like the water authority. The group will set sewage rates once it is established.”
The possibility of a sewage hike is real for 2004.
“It has been 29 years since there was a hike in sewage rates,” said Stoner. “Tyrone has been fortunate to enjoy one of the lowest sewage rates in Blair County.”
The 2004 budget for the general fund, water fund and sewer fund must be proposed to the borough council in November and approved in December.
