Ex-Mayor appointed to vacant council seat
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Michael Whitecavage is Shenandoah Borough Council's newest member, seen after his appointment on August 28, 2023.
SHENANDOAH – A former mayor is back in borough council chambers for now, after he was appointed to fill the seat left by last week’s resignation of John “J.T” Thomas.
At a special meeting Monday evening, council appointed Michael Whitecavage to fill the remainder of Thomas’s seat by a 5-0 vote. Leo Pietkiewicz was absent.
The nomination was raised by James Burke and seconded by William Selbi.
Whitecavage previously served as mayor from 2009 to 2012, when he said he resigned following a job promotion that took time away from his commitment to the borough.
He said he is nearing retirement and has much more time available to dedicate to the borough, which is why he sought a seat on council.
Whitecavage was sworn in Monday by Mayor Andrew Szczyglak.
While Thomas’s seat expires at the end of this year, Whitecavage is on the ballot for November’s election.
“I was the front-runner on the Democratic side and I was going to be running for a council seat anyways,” Whitecavage said. “This way, I figured if I could get on now and get updated in the three months, with everything going on here, it would be a good stepping stone.”
“I’m looking forward to working with the current council,” he added.
Whitecavage spoke of the importance of moving forward from the sale of the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Shenandoah wisely.
“We need to move forward,” Whitecavage said. “A couple things people need to think about: money needs to be invested wisely. We need to use the interest wisely. And we need to go for matching grants to make that money stretch longer.”
“People need to use common sense, and I think that’s what I can bring to the table,” Whitecavage said.
He also spoke about the ongoing revitalization of the Pumping Station Dam, known locally as the Pumpy, which is owned by the borough, and suggested a long-term lease with the volunteers working on that project.
“In my mind, I think a long-term lease to get them on their feet will help them with matching grants and its good for our community and all the communities surrounding,” Whitecavage said.
“Again, I have to get re-elected in November,” Whitecavage said. “This way, if I do, I have three months to get caught up.”
“This town has a lot of problems that need to be fixed, and I’m only one guy, and that’s why I’m willing to work with the council,” Whitecavage added. “I did this before, I think I can bring a lot to the table.”
Whitecavage’s letter of intent was one of two submitted to council ahead of Monday’s special meeting, the other coming from Gorbachyou Weekes, a property owner in town.
Weekes said he could have used his experiences in redeveloping properties in town and interacting with residents to serve the community.
Council President Katie Catizone also said she was sad to see Thomas resign.
“I know that he was committed and that it was a very hard decision for him,” Catizone said before the vote to appoint Whitecavage.. “Moving forward, I know that he will continue to be as involved with the borough as possible — he was doing the blight committee and things like that — and I hope that whoever replaces him will be as committed to the borough as Mr. Thomas was.”
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