Joel Johnson isn't wavering in his quest to be Coaldale's mayor.

During a meeting in December, council members voted to reopen the 2015 budget.Wednesday's special meeting was primarily to discuss the budget, but during public comment Johnson reiterated the statements he'd made at a previous meeting that Mayor Francisco "Frank" Rodriguez is ineligible to hold office since he hasn't been a resident of Coaldale for a year.Johnson also said council's appointment of Rodriguez by convening its vacancy board was not an action that follows the borough code, and that votes cast during the Dec. 8 and Dec. 16 council meetings by former council President Angela Krapf were invalid. In the absence of a mayor Krapf was acting mayor (according to borough code) and not eligible to vote.Johnson also raised two more questions. He questioned Krapf's attendance in council's executive sessions related to police contract negotiations, since she is the wife of a full-time Coaldale police officer, Sgt. Keith Krapf.Johnson said her attendance in the executive sessions might be found to be a conflict of interest under the Pennsylvania Ethics Act.As part of his prepared statement read to council, Johnson said that if Rodriguez does not resign, he does intend to file a Quo Warranto in the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas regarding the matter, using the documentation and evidence he has previously provided to council.Rodriguez was working and not able to attend the council meeting.Johnson also asked why the minutes from the Dec. 8, Dec. 16, Jan. 5 and Jan. 13 meetings were not available to the public.Council President Thomas Keerans produced the minutes from the January meetings, which were approved by council.Later in the meeting, Krapf who had taken on the secretarial duties during the council meetings in December said that she had forgotten about typing up the minutes from those meetings.Johnson asked that council members request borough solicitor Mike Greek to provide a legal opinion in response to his questions, and he asked Keerans directly to do so. Keerans asked council members to respond. Councilman Harry Hontz said that he believed Greek had already advised council, but councilman Frank Hutta said that he thought council should have a legal opinion in writing.Krapf objected to the cost of the additional legal work. She also responded to Johnson's question about executive sessions."I'm able to sit in all executive sessions and vote," she said. "This has always been about coming at me and I don't care; I have broad shoulders and I have nothing to hide."I'm here to do what's right for this borough," she said. "So stop having your puppet masters have you be their spokesman."Coaldale complexShe and Hutta then traded barbs regarding the management of the Coaldale Complex, which is the former Coaldale High School. The borough owns the building, and a portion of the building is rented by Pathstone, a Carbon-County Head Start Organization. After those exchanges, Hutta motioned that council seek a written opinion of the mayor appointment, which was seconded by Councilman Mike Doerr.Hutta, Doerr and Keerans voted in favor of the motion; but Krapf, Hontz, Yvonne Stoffey and Brenda Hosler voted against the move.The budget discussions included the finances of the Complex. Hutta questioned why $50,000 is transferred from the complex fund into the general fund, which has been done for the past several years. Keerans said that council should get an exact accounting of the costs. Former Councilman Dave Yelito said that Pathstone currently pays $6,000 a month to rent the building.Hutta suggested that the borough look into putting more money into training and equipment for the borough's road crew. The borough currently has one full-time and one part-time (32 hours) road crew employees. In the 2015 budget, the amount earmarked for tools for the road crew is $1,500.Doerr said that the fire company may soon need to replace an outdated air compressor. He estimated that cost to be about $40,000.Secretary hiredCouncil members made no changes to the budget, and voted unanimously to pass it. Council then adjourned into executive session to interview two candidates for the part-time secretary position.After the executive session, council reconvened and hired Elizabeth Hosler as part-time borough secretary.She is the daughter of Councilwoman Brenda Hosler. Hutta, Doerr, Keerans and Stoffey voted in favor of her appointment, and Krapf, Hontz and Hosler abstained from voting. The secretary's hours will be posted on the building door, and she will start Monday with a 90-day probationary period.