Canonsburg Councilman Resigns

A.J. Williams, who at 19 became the youngest person to ever serve on Canonsburg Council, resigned Monday just short of completing his first term.

The 23 year old Democrat cited family and his job as reasons for stepping down. He had already won another term after easily winning the May primary. There is no Republican nominee in the November election.

Williams is the second councilman to resign in 2011. Mike Kazmarski, citing personal reasons, left this spring. He was replaced by former County Commissioner John Bevec.

Also Monday, by a 7-2 vote, Canonsburg Council opted to participate in the Drug Enforcement Agency, effectively delegating one of its police officers to work full time for the DEA. The borough will absorb the cost of the officer.

Voting against the plan were councilmen George Coleman and Paul Sharkady.

Coleman said, "Losing an officer we need in this town is not the right thing to do. This is a good concept, but what's best for the town, what's best for the people, is for the police officer to stay here."

Sharkady added that, "This is not good government. It's a big blow to Canonsburg. Perhaps the officer can be replaced, but it won't be someone with his experience."

Sharkady, as chair of the building committee, also updated council on the $650,000 R-cap grant that will be used to update safety items in the building, including a police department upgrade, addition of a generator and remodeling several bathrooms to ADA specifications.

Sharkady said the committee recommended council make a $400,000 loan as a match to the grant. The remaining $250,000 match would come from Community Development Block Grant monies.