A Carbon County judge will decide this month on a new Lansford Borough council member.

President Judge Roger N. Nanovic will preside over the hearing on the borough’s vacancy board’s petition to fill the vacant seat on council on Nov. 12 at 1:15 p.m. in Courtroom No. 1.

But the appointment will come one day after council’s regular meeting.

Council last week failed to meet due to lack of a quorum with only three council members present for an executive session and special meeting scheduled for Thursday.

Council has also deadlocked on matters with 3-3 splits, leading to the mayor casting tiebreaking votes.

The borough has been down one council member since Jack Soberick resigned in September.

Council was unable to agree on an appointment when they met in special session Oct. 6 and lacked sufficient time under Borough Code to meet and vote again.

The council had 30 days to fill the position, and the matter then went to the vacancy board, which lacked a chairman and was unable to fill the position, according to court papers.

The borough submitted the same names to the court that had sent letters of interest in serving on council.

Those interested included former Councilwoman Jennifer Staines, Katie O’Brien-Herlihy, Anthony Carlino, Linda Harvan, Tommy Vadyak, who currently serves on the Lansford-Coaldale Joint Water Authority and previously served on council; John Hosak, former Mayor Hugh Vrablic and former Councilman William Chuma.

Council had only nominated five of the eight when they met Oct. 6 and then voted down Carlino and Staines. They deadlocked on Hosak and Chuma and Mayor Denise Leibensperger voted against both.

Vadyak was also nominated, but he immediately declined.

Before the failed special meeting last week, Council President Joseph Genits told two of the council candidates that they needed to submit a letter of interest to the county’s Prothonotary’s Office, which will forward them to the judge for consideration.

He told the Times News the same this week, encouraging those still interested to submit a letter to the prothonotary.

The new council member will fill Soberick’s unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31, 2027.