Lansford Borough Council on Thursday deadlocked on hiring a police chief and hiring two full-time officers. The mayor cast the deciding affirmative vote, but not without controversy.

Council voted 3-3 with Councilman Jack Soberick absent to offer Sgt. Shawn Nunemacher the police chief’s position, which has been vacant for more than a year.

Nunemacher has been serving as officer-in-charge since the departure of former Chief Kyle Woodward in March 2025.

Council President Joe Genits and Councilmen Joe Butrie and John Zym voted to offer Nunemacher the chief’s position, while council members Michele Bartek, Gwyneth Collevechio and Bruce Markovich voted no.

There was immediate opposition to the Mayor Denise Leibensperger casting the tie breaking vote.

Bartek called the mayor “biased” and said she couldn’t break the tie, and resident Tom Vadyak also stated that the mayor couldn’t break the tie on hiring and firing police officers under state law.

Leibensperger said that she could vote to break the tie per the borough’s solicitor, Bob Yurchak, who was unable to attend council’s special meeting due to a conflict.

The mayor asked for permission to turn on her cellphone to access the email from the solicitor, which she asked Genits to read.

Yurchak did not see a conflict of interest in the mayor casting the vote to break a tie on hiring a police chief or police officers, as the mayor “gets nothing in return for the hiring.”

Borough Code allows the mayor to break ties, and there is nothing in the code that says there is an exception for hiring police, Yurchak’s email stated. He confirmed that Leibensperger could cast the deciding vote.

Yurchak also pointed out that she could postpone her vote for up to five days and have borough council reconvene to revote the issue. If council split again, then the mayor could break the tie, he said in the email.

Leibensperger voted yes to offer Nunemacher the chief’s position subject to an approved contract.

Council then disagreed on who would draw up that employment contract, the borough solicitor or Attorney Michael Miller, a labor attorney hired for the upcoming police contract and negotiations.

Council then accepted and certified the list of police applicants as provided by the borough’s Civil Service Commission. Councilman Markovich, who questioned opening and closing dates in advertising for officers, was opposed.

Council then considered offering part-time officers, Danilo Garcia and Amie Barclay, full-time employment as police officers.

Collevechio questioned whether the borough had the funds to hire the officers full-time, saying the former treasurer, Maria Ahner, said that the borough didn’t have the money.

Leibensperger explained that there has been no money from the budget to date being used for the chief’s position, and that there will be money left from the sergeant’s salary for the remainder of the year as well.

“So, there’s money,” she said. “Absolutely, there’s money.”

Council went to separate roll call votes for each candidate for full-time, and split 3-3 on hiring Garcia with Bartek, Collevechio and Markovich voting no. Leibensperger again broke the tie, voting yes.

Council then voted 5-1 to hire Barclay with Markovich voting no.

There was applause on all the police hires, including the offer of chief to Nunemacher, even though residents expressed opinions both for and against hiring the current officer in charge as chief during public comment.