Weatherly Borough Council shifted leadership Tuesday, as it selected a new mayor/council president from its ranks.

Councilman Michael Bellizia was appointed to the position, which is a dual role in the borough’s form of government.

The appointment was necessary, as the mayor position did not appear on the ballot for the November general election following the resignation of former Mayor Paul J. Hadzick in April.

Council filled the void for 2025 with the appointment of Councilman Norman Richie as mayor/council president, but voters should have selected someone to fill the remaining two years of Hadzick’s term.

County election officials said they did not receive notification of Hadzick’s resignation, so the position did not appear on the ballot. Borough officials have said that the county was notified.

“We attempted to have a mayor election in the last election,” Bellizia said following his appointment. “We contacted the Election Bureau via phone and via letter, and they did not put it on (the ballot). I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. But at the end of the day, that’s what happened.”

Appointing a mayor/council president to continue into new year was council’s only legal avenue as a result, Bellizia said.

Resident Beth Parker said there have been questions about whether Hadzick had legally resigned, giving the situation with the election.

“That’s absolutely not true,” Bellizia said, confirming that Hadzick did legally resign.

“Nobody wants to be appointed,” Bellizia said. “They would rather be elected, including me.”

Council continued with appointments, including Jeffery Miller as council vice president; Tracy Grover as borough manager/treasurer, and Nanovic Law Firm as borough solicitor.

Council tabled the appointment of a consultant. Council has been considering bringing on newly retired borough manager Harold Pudliner to continue some projects.

Council appointed William Brior as sewage enforcement officer and Robert Fugate as alternate, and Atlas Technical Consultants as borough engineer.

Mauch Chunk Trust will be the borough depository, and the mayor, vice president, borough manager/treasurer and borough secretary were authorized to sign checks.

Council meetings will remain on the fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m., except in May when it is May 26 due to the Memorial Day holiday. Council also changed its January meeting to Wednesday, Jan. 28, instead of Jan. 26.

Water emergency

The west side of Weatherly remains under a boil advisory due to leaks in the water system, which severely affected the town’s water supply over the weekend.

The boil advisory could be lifted as early as this afternoon, Grover said, but the borough is waiting to hear from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The borough needs a second water sample to come back negative for the advisory to be lifted, Grover said. The first sample was taken Monday, and the second on Tuesday, and they are waiting for those results, she said.

A water buffalo remains at Eurana Park for affected residents, Grover said, and it will remain until the advisory is lifted.

An emergency declaration was issued over the weekend, and council on Tuesday acknowledged the declaration and terminated it, as the emergency has passed.

Bellizia explained the emergency declaration was issued as a safeguard to open the path for funding, if the situation got “really bad.”

Grover told residents that they believe there are two leaks in the system and that crews were working on digging one on Iris Alley on Tuesday night. Crews plan on digging for the second potential leak today, which she believed was at Carbon and Second streets.