Weatherly Borough Council again talked about changing its form of government, but took no action.

Mayor/Council President Paul Hadzick again decried the borough’s current form of government, calling his role as mayor useless.

“I’m useless. There’s nothing I can do about anything,” he said. “Why don’t we go to a traditional form of government where the mayor has some kind of authority? Not that I want it.”

Councilman Vincent Cuddeford II asked what authority would the mayor have, and Hadzick responded that the mayor is “the chief law enforcement officer anywhere else in Pennsylvania except Weatherly.”

Last month, Hadzick suggested the borough authorize the solicitor to draw up a referendum to be placed on the ballot for the May Primary, and let the voters decide.

Solicitor James Nanovic, whose father was involved in the process to change to the current, council-manager form of government, explained then that changing to another form was more involved.

On Monday, Nanovic said the Carbon County elections director said a handbook explains how to place a referendum on the ballot.

Nanovic believed that Weatherly would have to go through the same process that borough leaders did in the 1970s, and found through his research that was the case.

“An optional form of government may be repealed only through the election of a duly elected study commission,” he said. “You got to go through the same procedure that we did when we got into this, 50 years ago.”

First step

The borough would first have to ask the voters if they think the borough should have a government study commission appointed, Nanovic said.

“The electorate would decide if a study commission would be appointed,” he said.

The study commission would then take on the task of reviewing the different forms of government and would make a recommendation to council, Nanovic said.

Then, if council chooses to change the form of government, they would put the question on the ballot again, he said.

So, the borough would have to put two referendums on the ballot, Nanovic said.

In the 1970s, the process took several years to complete, and the new form of government had to remain in place for at least five years before voters could again opt to form a government study commission.

After Nanovic’s explanation, Cuddeford again asked Hadzick what other powers, outside of being in charge of the police force, the mayor would have under a traditional form of government.

Cuddeford pointed out that Hadzick now had the same authority as every other member of council, other than he, as council president, runs the meeting, as “a figure head.”

“We’re all equal, except that you run the meeting,” Cuddeford said.

Hadzick said that council members can’t select their own council president under this form of government, as he is elected to the position, mayor-council president.

Also, Hadzick is unable to break tie votes on council under the current form, because he sits on council. Under the traditional form of government, mayors can break ties, he said.

Nanovic said that is correct. Under a traditional form of government, the mayor is not also president of council, he said. The mayor is separate from council, Nanovic said.

Cuddeford again asked what other powers the mayor would have, and Hadzick said none. Cuddeford then asked what about duties as chief law enforcement officer.

“I’m not going to be here bossing the police around,” Hadzick replied.

“But you could,” Cuddeford said.

Hadzick said that he would be an adviser to the police, and Cuddeford asked if he could be the boss of the police force.

“I could, yeah,” Hadzick said.

Hadzick then asked if there would be any other discussion, as it appears that council would not be moving forward.

Cuddeford asked about other forms of government, and if there were options where there was no mayor and council could select their own council president. Nanovic said he wasn’t sure.

“Is there a reason to have a mayor?” he said.

Nanovic explained again that under the current form of government, voters select a mayor/council president. There are six or seven other forms of government and he believed they all had mayors, but said he wasn’t certain.

Under the traditional form of government, the mayor has the ability to break ties, but isn’t required to do so, Nanovic said. The mayor also oversees the police department and conducts the reorganization meeting every two years, he said.