Jan 18, 2022 1 min read

DONORA – A familiar face will fill the vacancy on borough council.

Council voted 4-2 Thursday to have P. Jane Ackerman fill the term that expires Dec. 31, 2023.

Voting in favor of Ackerman were council President Michael McDowell and fellow council members Fred Berestecky, Joe Greco and Edward Sonny Lawson. Voting against Ackerman were council members Cynthia Brice and Thomas Thompson.

A vacancy existed because Don Pavelko won election as mayor of Donora, beginning his four-year term earlier this month. Ackerman will fill the remaining two years of Pavelko’s term on council.

Ackerman’s first term on council expired in December. She narrowly missed reelection in the race for four spots on council in November. She amassed 339 votes in November. McDowell secured the fourth highest vote total with 393 votes.

There were four other applicants for the vacant council position: former council members John Conger and Gilbert Szakal, along with Matthew Vitalbo and James Horning.

Vitalbo finished in fifth in the general election, receiving 360 votes as a write-in candidate.