Fourth-grade students at the Lehighton Area Elementary Center got a crash course in local government Monday afternoon.

Three Lehighton Borough officials, Mayor Clark Ritter, Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky and Borough Manager Nicole Beckett, visited the school to explain the role they each play in government. Students asked questions ranging from their favorite part on the job to the always popular, “How much do you get paid?”

Ritter said for him, the best part of serving as mayor is helping people.

“A lot of what we do is just become problem solvers,” Ritter told students. “We do a lot of research so we can understand what is going on before we can weigh in. If we can help the people of the town, that is the most satisfying.”

Ritter also touted Lehighton’s junior mayor program, which drew interest from at least one student in attendance.

Any student living within Lehighton Borough can participate.

“We take a day after school and the student will come tour the police department, and meet the chief and a patrolman,” Ritter said. “Then we’ll go to the borough manager and she’ll do a presentation.”

The highlight of the program, Ritter said, is that the student attends a borough council meeting.

“All of the junior mayors we have had have really found that interesting,” he added.

Abelovsky explained how someone gets elected to serve on council or as mayor, and the role of a council person moving forward.

“We all work together on things,” she said. “Even if we don’t agree, we work really hard to keep it from getting nasty. At the end of the day, we’re all neighbors and we all want the best for the town.”