Tamaqua will have a new mayor in 2018.

The question will be if that mayor is elected by the people or appointed by council.Current Mayor Chris Morrison has announced he will not be running for re-election this year and hopes his announcement comes in enough time to generate some interest in potential candidates.Morrison is a staunch believer in term limits, which is one of the reasons he has decided not to run for a fourth term."Elected positions shouldn't be for life. Many people should have the opportunity to serve their community."When he first took office in 2006, Morrison got off to a bit of a rocky start, feuding with the police department hierarchy over scheduling issues. Despite that, he was able to work with the officers to create a team to deal with the increase of heroin/fentanyl abuse. The team was successful in rounding up dozens of drug dealers, although the problem is once again on the rise."There were some bad times early on, but it made for a great learning experience," he said.Morrison said the best part of his time as mayor is the friendships he has developed, especially becoming part of the American Legion family."The Tamaqua post has traditionally sold the first poppy of its annual campaign to the mayor. I was proud to become part of that tradition, but even more, they warmly welcomed me to all of their parades and events. It made me realize how much I regret not serving in the military. It's a real brotherhood. But, they also made me realize that serving as mayor is also important. The military is not for everyone, but even if you don't serve your nation in that way, you can serve your community in many other ways."Mayor's dutiesIn Pennsylvania's boroughs, the mayor's main responsibility is to ensure that all laws and ordinances are being enforced, overseeing and directing the police department.As the ceremonial head of borough government, a mayor also ratifies any ordinance approved by council and has veto power. In case of a council tie vote, it is the mayor who casts the tiebreaking vote. The mayor also has the power to administer the oath of office to appointed and elected officials and to officiate marriage ceremonies.Morrison estimates he has presided over close to 500 marriages in the past 11 years.Election processIf you're registered with one of the major political parties, the first step would be to obtain a nomination petition packet from the county election bureau. The first day the packets will be available for the 2018 primary election is Feb. 14.Potential candidates will need to gather signatures from 10 voters registered with their same party affiliation. The signature forms must then be notarized and returned to the election bureau by March 7.The first day to circulate and file nominating papers for minor party and independent candidates is March 8.The primary election is on May 16.Final thoughtsMorrison hopes there are candidates interested enough in the position to go through the nominating process."It would be a shame if it was left up to council to appoint the next mayor. Tamaqua is a great community with a fantastic group of volunteers determined to make improvements for the community. Tamaqua doesn't wait for federal or state agencies."We set the bar, with many government agencies using this borough as an example on how to get things done. Where we go next depends on us. People need to get involved," Morrison said."My time as mayor has helped me both professionally and personally. I've learned you're not just giving to the community, you're getting back so much more."