SLIPPERY ROCK — Borough Mayor Ron Fodor cast the deciding vote Tuesday night on not hiring an interim business manager for 2018.

Council members tied on the decision to hire John Trant as a part-time interim business manager for next year. Trant already serves the borough in ordinance reviews and as project manager for the Gateway Project, which plans to renovate the site of the old First National Bank building, which is in the process of demolition.

If the vote had passed, he would have earned $875 per week for one day's worth of work, starting in January.

Bob Bowser, one council member against the hire, said Trant appeared capable of the position, but the money was too much at this time.

“I don't question his qualifications,” Bowser said.

Council President Regina Greenwald said Trant's previous work for the borough should have been qualification enough, and his offer was considered a discount.

“Normally he would charge close to $1,000 per day,” she said. “But because he's worked with us for a number of years, he was going to keep the cost down to that.”

Russell Karl, incoming council member, said he felt the price was too much for the borough.

“I can't name you many attorneys that make $900 a day,” Karl said. “We're getting so top heavy in what we spend to make the borough function.”

At the beginning of the meeting, resident Chuck Brochetti spoke in favor of having a borough manager, but the business administrator's position should be eliminated to make room in the budget.

“The position of borough administrator has outlived its usefulness,” Brochetti said. “(At $54,000) I think you're damn near a professional business manager at that expense.”

Members did approve the salaries for Slippery Rock Police Chief Terry Fedokovitz at about $81,000, and the borough administrator, Lucinda Lipko, at about $54,000.

The council later moved its 2018 budget, set at $1,077,311, to the advertisement stage. The council hopes to vote on the budget at its Dec. 7 meeting, Greenwald said.

Afterward, Karl and fellow incoming council member Itzi Meztli asked the current council to stall plans for the Gateway Project.

Both incoming members said they felt residents did not want the project to proceed past the bank's demolition and the built parking lot.

“You have time to stop the bidding process by not unsealing the bids to be submitted on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.,” Meztli said. “I advise that you let the new council in January proceed accordingly in this matter.”

Greenwald said council will continue with not only the Gateway project but all of its projects.

“We will not be stopping,” Greenwald said. “This council will not stop until the last day of December.”