Coaldale Mayor Joel Johnson says that despite rumors circulating among residents, there are no plans to bring Syrian refugees to the borough.

However Johnson said he would encourage his residents to welcome refugees if the town was called upon to host them.At Tuesday's Coaldale borough council meeting, Johnson said that he wanted to address rumors that were brought to his attention by residents this week.Johnson said that he was in no way aware of plans for Syrian refugees to come to Coaldale.President Barack Obama has pledged to bring 10,000 to the country over the next year, and Gov. Tom Wolf said that he would accept refugees, continuing Pennsylvania's history of welcoming immigrants.Johnson shared similar sentiments, saying that it's part of the country's identity to welcome immigrants."Please remember this country is a melting pot of immigrants and Coaldale would also welcome these refugees," he said.