Election 2011: No One Running for Three Open Seats on Coopersburg Council

Editor's note: Upper Saucon Patch journalist Matt Poulter asked each man stepping down a few "exit questions." You can find the answers by clicking on the names of each council member below.

Three incumbents are not seeking re-election to Coopersburg Council, and no one so far has filed the necessary paperwork to run for the seats.

The incumbent councilmen are , and .

Mayor Timothy Paashaus said he hopes the seats would be filled. “Besides talking with different people to get them involved,” said Paashaus, “I hope that one or two of the [incumbents not currently running] will change their minds. It would be nice to serve on a board that has that experience.” In spite of such hopes, Paashaus said, “Hovis and Pummer have both served numerous years. They’ve put in a lot of service.”

Council has tried in the past to increase interest in serving on council. “Three or four years ago we tried to advertise in the newsletter,” Councilman Richard Nalichowski said at a February council meeting. “There was a public forum on the newsletter to get interested people to run.” Those efforts were unsuccessful. “We got zero applications,” Nalichowski said. The current issue of the Coopersburg newsletter, not yet released, will also have information about how interested people can run for council, Paashaus said.

Paashaus has also been in talks with several outsiders who are considering running. “I’ve been in talks with people who’ve expressed an interest,” he said, “but nobody has actually declared that they’re running.”

Paashaus said he was not certain how the empty seats would affect the running of council. “I’m not exactly sure of the process,” he said.

Anyone interested in getting involved on Council is encouraged to attend the next public meeting at 7pm on April 5  at  , read the upcoming borough newsletter, or visit the Coopersburg website to find out how.