Slatington Borough Council filled its vacancy Monday night during its monthly meeting.

Thomas Bartholomew, a resident of the borough since 2016, was chosen for the vacancy left by Jared Kern, who resigned just two months after being sworn in.

Bartholomew was up against longtime resident and borough meeting fixture, Edwin “Ed” Ziegler.

The retired Children and Youth counselor moved to Slatington from Nazareth and said he fell in love with the town.

“I would like the opportunity to serve this town to the best of my ability,” he said.

Though he does not have political experience, Bartholomew said he looks forward to bringing attention to the town’s amenities.

“What I hear going through town is there is nothing to do here, but there’s a plethora of things to do,” he said.

“There is biking, fishing, the marvelous pool at Victory Park, so much to do that I didn’t have the ability to do in Nazareth. I would make it my mission to bring awareness to the area.”

Bartholomew said he would like to begin to dispel the negative reputation the borough has gained over the years.

“The biggest challenge is to improve the look and image of this town, then work on our assets. I’d like to see this town better known. There is so much here,” he said.

“I think this is really the most underappreciated town I’ve ever lived in.”

The council voted unanimously to appoint Bartholomew, who will be sworn in at the next council meeting.

The borough will look to hire a part-time utility clerk for the office. Interviews will be conducted soon with the hiring committee authorized to hire the right candidate.

The police force is also looking to add a few more part-time officers to its roster.

“We would like to weed out some of the officers who are not available because of other obligations,” Chief David Rachman said.

Rachman told residents to contact him with any concerns or suggestions regarding parking in Slatington.

“There are several areas that could use attention,” he said.

The borough has been checking a lot of cars on the streets in town.

“If a car is tagged and not moved for 96 hours it will get towed,” he said. Rachman said six vehicles have been towed.

“Numerous tickets have been issued. Especially on the south end. We can clean up some of these cars and free up spaces. Please give me a call,” he said.