Weatherly Borough Council on Monday discussed changing its form of government, but took no action.

Mayor/Council President Paul Hadzick called the present optional form of government “asinine” and “idiotic,” and pressed for a “strong mayor” form of government.

The current form of government is the council-manager form, which allows for a borough manager to handle the administrative and executive functions of the borough. The seven-man council focuses on enacting legislation and policy, and the manager carries out these rules.

Hadzick suggested that council ask its solicitor to draft a referendum and ask the voters to choose the form of government.

“The voters could abolish this government,” he told council. “We can go back to a strong mayor form of government, like every other municipality around here.”

Hadzick said that under a different form of government, he might not serve as council president, because he would have to be selected to the position by members of council.

Under the current form of government, Hadzick is elected by the voters as mayor/council president, he said.

“Our government is far and few between in the state of Pennsylvania,” he said. “There’s only five municipalities that have this idiotic government that we have.”

Traditional form

Solicitor James Nanovic said that he wouldn’t call other communities’ form of government, a strong mayor form, but a traditional form.

Hadzick, upon reading the Borough Code, said that mayors get to break ties on council, and that gives him two votes — one as council president and another as mayor.

Nanovic told him that was not the case.

“You don’t get to break a tie. You’re actually on council. You have an equal vote to the other six members of council,” he explained, saying a mayor breaking a tie is in the traditional form of government.

“In this form of government, you have a vote just like the other six do,” Nanovic said. “You don’t get two votes. I think we covered this before.”

Nanovic, whose father was the borough solicitor at the time Weatherly changed its form of government, said council in the 1970s wanted to be innovative and try something different.

They formed a commission by ordinance to study the form of government, and the commission recommended this council-manager form.

“There are various optional forms of government. We’re not the only type of optional form,” Nanovic said.

Council took the recommendation, and by ordinance, placed a referendum on the ballot to allow the voters to decide, he explained.

Nanovic told council that he believed a similar procedure would have to be followed now to change the form of government, but he has not researched it.

“I’m not going to research this until council asks me to do it,” he said.

Hadzick disagreed, saying all they needed was the solicitor to draft a referendum, based on what he was told by the county Election Bureau who reached out to the Department of State.

Nanovic said he believed more was involved, and council would have to pass an ordinance first.

Councilman Joe Cyburt said he didn’t see what was wrong with current form, and believed that council has worked together and hashed out issues.

Councilman Michael Bellizia wanted to know how changing the form of government would benefit the town.

“What gets better?” he asked.

Hadzick then said that now the managers have absolute power, and Manager Harold Pudliner said that they have to come to council for approval for any plans, such as a community project or paving roads.

The manager manages all the borough departments, Hadzick said, and asked what does council manage? He pointed to Lehighton and Jim Thorpe where the mayor oversees the police department.

Nanovic said that’s the difference between Weatherly’s form of government and the traditional form in neighboring towns. The police fall under the mayor’s purview.

Other council members said that they wanted more information and more time before making any decisions, not wanting “to jump into it.”

Councilman Norm Richie said if there are only five boroughs with this type of government, they should look into it.

Cyburt pointed out that just because there are only five in the state doesn’t mean it’s not good or doesn’t work.

“Everybody is different,” he said.

Council members also wanted what would best benefit the people of Weatherly.

Background

Weatherly’s council-manager form came into being in the 1970s. The voters in the 1974 primary approved the form of government, and it became official in January 1976.

Under the council-manager form of government, the borough manager handles the day-to-day operation of the borough and its various departments.

A government study commission in 1974 cited the borough’s growth and expansion of departments, including water, sewer and electric, needing the full-time management, according to published reports at the time.

Council in this form of government acts as a body to enact legislation and policies, and the borough manager carries them out.

The study commission recommended this form, as the borough manager’s position could not be abolished by council, as it was established by the voters. Council does appoint a manager to the position.

The form of government also could not be changed for at least five years after it was established, and the voters could then opt to select a government study commission to review the borough’s options for its form of government again.