HONESDALE, PA — Mayor Derek Williams opened things up with a few words on leadership in local politics.

“Politics can be very sensationalized at the national level,” he said the Honesdale Council’s first meeting of the new year. “So locally, we need to be mindful that none of those negative ideas seep through. Because we all already have the potential to be leaders, these subtitles don’t change our potential to do good work… I think a lot of the time the public just wants us to play nice and fix broken things.”

To  keep the nomination and voting process from becoming like a “game” or a “race,” Williams said leadership positions can be changed through the year as needed, and that councilors may rotate through these roles collaboratively.

Councilor James Hamill lauded Williams for his speech and referenced his own time as council president, a role he filled for just over a year. Councilor David Nilsen, who objected to his leadership style, successfully called for his removal in last March.

“I have to own up to the actions and behaviors that led to that role being taken,” Hamill said. “Because I think, at the time, I could have listened a lot better….I think this is the perfect time to throw all that bad blood — if there’s bad blood — away.”

Support key to president’s success

Williams swore in the council members elected in November: James Brennan, who has served on councils in past years; Tiffany Rogers, who was appointed to the council last May; and Noelle Mundy; who was appointed to the borough’s planning commission last April.

Nilsen said the council should nominate someone “indifferent” to the role of president. 

McAllister said that no matter who the president is, the support of the other council members is “key” to their success. 

Rogers agreed. “We have to unite as a group to be able to move forward,” he said.

William McAllister nominated Rogers but she declined, saying she wanted more experience before taking on that role.

Nilsen nominated Mundy, who also declined, for similar reasons.

Nominations then rolled in for Brennan, McAllister and Hamill. All said they’d accept the position if elected. 

Going in order of nomination,  Judith Poltanis, the borough secretary, conducted a roll call vote for Brennan first. Councilors Mundy, Hamill and Rogers voted no. Councilors Jason Newbon, McAllister and Nilsen voted yes. 

Despite the mayor’s earlier comment that voting for oneself could be seen as unethical given the slight increase in pay that a president receives over a regular councilor, Brennan cast a yes vote for himself. With a 4-3 result, Brennan became president.

The council next voted unanimously — minus one abstention from McAllister — for McAllister to serve as vice president. 

Rogers was elected president pro tempore.

The council’s next meeting will take place on Monday, January 22, at 6 p.m.