Two newcomers will be joining Jim Thorpe Borough Council in January.

Sydney Wernett and Connor Rodgers earned four-year seats during Tuesday’s municipal election, joining incumbent Michael Yeastedt, who won re-election.

Wernett also defeated Yeastedt for a two-year term and will have to choose between the two-year and four-year terms.

In the race for the three open four-year terms, Wernett led the way with 963 votes followed by Yeastedt with 797 and Rodgers with 786.

Incumbents Robert Schaninger and Michael Rivkin fell short with 590 and 490 votes respectively.

In the two-year term race, Wernett bested Yeastedt by an 841-518 vote margin.

Wernett, a full-time Carbon County deputy sheriff, said she wants to bring a fresh perspective to council.

“I want to have things for the locals of the town to do such as movies in the local park, and more,” she said. “Besides having local activities, I want to make sure that council properly uses the funds to reinvest into the community and avoid raising taxes.”

She also addressed overcrowding in Jim Thorpe, an issue that reared its head during the last Saturday of the Fall Foliage Festival in October.

“Residents of Jim Thorpe are unable to enjoy their hometown on their days off due to the overcrowding of traffic and visitors,” she said. “Some feel that they are trapped due to it, which is unfair. There has to be a compromise between the tourism and residents.”

Rodgers is a lifelong resident of the Germantown section of the east side of Jim Thorpe and current junior at Grove City College. He served as Jim Thorpe’s first junior council member.

“I understand the unique challenges the borough faces and am now ready to represent the entire borough and work for the residents to make a positive impact,” Rodgers said. “I bring valuable fresh perspective to address issues and work on priorities such as fixing roads and infrastructure we use daily, providing resources for our valuable public safety, and enhancing community engagement.”

Yeastedt will serve in his second term having first been elected in 2019. He said he looks forward to working with the new council on improvements to the community.

“We are just starting the building projects for Memorial Hall and the new Public Service Garage, both needing construction management to ensure they stay on schedule and budget,” he said. “We have major infrastructure upgrades. We need to manage costs by obtaining grants and low interest loans.”