4 days ago
Sunbury to have second city council race in fall after two resignations
SUNBURY — A secondary election for a seat on the Sunbury City Council will be needed after Councilwoman Lisa Martina has announced her resignation.
Martina was appointed as city treasurer and resigned from her existing seat on council with two years remaining in her term. She won the Republican nomination for treasurer and is on the ballot unapposed in the fall.
The current Sunbury Treasurer, Kevin Troup, a Republican, announced his resignation in May after winning the nomination for one of two open seats for city council in the May primary.
Martina announced her resignation from council Monday after she was appointed by the board to become the acting city treasurer, even though she will still remain on the ballot in November. She takes the office over on June 30, the same day Troup is finished.
Councilman Nate Savidge and Troup secured Republican nominations in the spring. They will join Democrat Andres Manresa on the ballot in the fall, for two contested seats.
Martina's empty seat will be part of a secondary election on Nov. 4, Northumberland County Director of Elections Lindsay Phillips.
Phillips said both the Republican and Democratic parties will each nominate a candidate to run for the seat.
On Monday, City Council announced officials will be accepting applications for individuals interested in filling the seat until January.
Chief Clerk Jeff Wojciechowski said as of Friday, he has not received any letters of interest.
Phillips said the decision to appoint a council member until January or until November — after the secondary election is decided — would be up to city officials.
Mayor Josh Brosious said he recently found out the secondary election was triggered and that he still intends to attempt to fill the seat in the meantime.
'We will still try to attempt to fill the position until the secondary election is decided in November,' Brosious said. 'If this seat can't be filled, it will remain vacant until the residents vote for their candidate of choice.'
The only council member on the board that would not be involved in a race this fall is Councilman Jim Eister, who still has more than two years left in his term.
Currently, the board consists of Brosious, Eister, Savidge and John Barnhart.
The first election, involving Troup, Savidge and Manresa, is to fill the seats currently held by Savidge and Barnhart. The secondary election candidates would be announced in the next few weeks by their parties.
Anyone looking to fill the current open council seat is asked to drop off a letter of interest to City Hall, on Market Street.
