HONESDALE, PA — Seven months after four council members were elected on their promise to create a borough manager position, the promise was kept. By a 4-2 vote at its July 18 meeting, the Honesdale Borough Council named longtime borough secretary Judy Poltanis to the position. Vice President Bob Jennings, who at first sought to abstain, and Bill Canfield cast the dissenting votes. Jeremy Ebert was absent.

Canfield said after the vote that although he supports the concept of a borough manager and agrees it is necessary, he cannot justify the expenditure of funds that he thinks would be better appropriated now to the borough’s beleaguered police department.

Jennings said, without elaboration, “I don’t think it will work.” To which President Mike Augello responded, “If it doesn’t work, we’ll undo it.” The borough manager serves at the council’s pleasure, not for a specific term of office.

Praising Poltanis for her long and conscientious service to the community, Augello said, “Judy has demonstrated her investment in Honesdale borough and her absolute commitment to it in many ways for many years, always acting in the best interests of the borough and its people.”

He added, “Communication is a key component of this job. Judy speaks from her heart, and has always been an excellent facilitator of communication between and among council and borough officials and the businesses, agencies, organizations and individuals with whom the borough works.”

Poltanis will retain her current job and receive a salary increase commensurate with her added responsibilities. Per Augello, Poltanis’s current job description will be upgraded to include some, but not all, of the duties and responsibilities outlined in the borough manager job description. Noting that Poltanis was uncomfortable with the borough manager title, he said her title will probably be that of secretary-manager.

Poltanis, who has rarely missed a council meeting during her 27 years service to the borough, was on vacation and left no comment regarding the announcement.

Delivering his report, finance committee chair Mike Dux responded to Canfield’s concerns about money spent on a borough manager salary as the police department struggles to pay overtime salaries necessary to 24/7 policing. “By promoting Judy, rather than hiring an external candidate, we’ll realize a $20,000 savings in benefits and sign-on costs. Police overtime salaries are $10,000 over budget, but other police department expenses are down.”

Dux also reported that year-to-date expenses are under budget, but that revenues are also lower than anticipated, due largely to delay in construction of the Wayne Memorial Hospital addition. Loss of construction permit fees has made for a $42,000 revenue shortfall.

After the one-hour meeting adjourned, Augello said in private remarks about borough employees in general and the borough manager in particular, “They are professional administrators. However well intentioned, we [the council] are strictly amateurs.”