HARRISVILLE — The borough council received one letter of interest for its two open seats on what should be a seven-person council.

April Anschutz was unanimously approved to fill one of the council’s vacancies and will be appointed at the April 8 meeting. She is to serve in that role until the end of December 2025.

Anschutz will become the sixth person on council, leaving one open seat, which council has struggled to fill.

“While the borough has struggled the last few years, I want to be part of the team that turns it around,” she said.

She was previously council president in 2020 and was first appointed in 2018 when three council members resigned and walked out of a meeting.

Council president Kathy Bray said she was uncertain which former council member’s vacancy Anschutz is filling because it is not in any meeting minutes.

Since one council vacancy remains, councilwoman Mary Ann Hughes suggested subpoenaing the court to appoint a seventh member, but since only one letter of interest was received, the conversation quickly shifted to reducing the number of council seats from seven to five.

The council must have an odd number of seats to settle tied votes. Once Anschutz is appointed, any tied votes will be settled by Mayor Gary Hughes until the council has an odd number of members.

According to borough clerk Doug Cook, reducing the number of council seats requires a petition supported by 5% of the borough’s registered electors. The council is expected to revisit this next meeting.