Johnston ready to assume role as Saxonburg mayor
For the first time in nearly a decade, Saxonburg has a new mayor.
Council member Dave Johnston is filling the shoes of William Gillespie, who had been mayor since March 2016.
Johnston was elected to borough council in 2021 for a four-year term, during which time he believes the seven-member body accomplished plenty for the borough.
“We now receive a monthly income generated from the rental of Cooper Hall,” Johnston said. “We have seen progress taking place at the community park, with a new gazebo roof, new bathroom and grant application submitted for a new pavilion.”
Johnston has had the benefit of knowing he was going to become mayor for more than six months. After Gillespie announced his coming retirement in February, Johnston was the only candidate who filed to run for the position. He won the primary and general elections unopposed.
This gave him plenty of time to prepare for the transition, with Gillespie offering his assistance.
“He has graciously mentored me, which has been a huge help. We worked closely with the police chief and borough manager on preparation of the borough’s 2026 budget,” Johnston said. “I have also spent a good deal of time reading both the Pennsylvania Borough Code and mayor’s manual to make sure I understand all aspects of the role.”
In 2017, Johnston went head-to-head with Gillespie in that year’s mayoral election, with Gillespie ultimately winning. More than once, Johnston has stated publicly that after that election, he vowed not to run against Gillespie again, out of respect.
As before, Johnston will sit in on all borough council meetings. Unlike before, however, he will not have a direct vote on any council action items, except in the rare instance of a tiebreaking vote.
Johnston has 38 years of combined experience working in municipal and county government. Before he retired in 2016, he spent 21 years as Butler County’s planning director.
“My experience included dealing with transportation planning, zoning, subdivision and site plan review, solid waste and recycling, and heading up the county bridge department,” Johnston said.
He currently sits on the board of the Saxonburg Area Authority and the Butler Transit Authority, as well as Saxonburg’s planning commission. He has served on the board of the Moraine Preservation Fund and the Butler YMCA. Aside from his various Saxonburg duties, Johnston also spends time as a school van driver for Knoch School District.
Johnston said his priorities as mayor are largely to maintain the status quo, primarily when it comes to the borough’s police department.
“My primary goal is to continue to operate the Saxonburg Police Department as professionally and efficiently as Mayor Gillespie has in his tenure,” Johnston said.
He also aims to preserve Saxonburg’s thriving business community, which includes Red Door Antiques, owned by his wife, Nancy Alberth.
“We have a vibrant Main Street with all storefronts filled and businesses thriving,” Johnston said. “We are very fortunate that this business atmosphere is operating in such a successful manner, as evident with the Mingle on Main, Artisan Festival, Winterfest and a host of other gatherings. I want to do everything I can to support these efforts.”
Although Johnston envisions a bright future for Saxonburg, there is one concern he sees on the horizon.
“The borough has an aging population, which affects the ability to collect taxes since many of those wage earners are now retired,” Johnston said. “We don’t have a lot of younger people that are in the workforce, so we have a declining tax base.”
Johnston, along with the rest of Saxonburg, is paying close attention to the fate of the Hotel Saxonburg, which abruptly closed its doors last March. The restaurant, which opened in 1832 and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places, is scheduled for a sheriff’s sale Jan. 16.
“We are optimistic that a new buyer will take over operations to once again operate this important and historic landmark soon,” Johnston said.
Johnston was officially sworn in as mayor on Friday, Jan. 2, with his friend and now-retired Court of Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCune performing the honors.
“Tim and I grew up together and played sports together, so I asked him to swear me in,” Johnston said. “Once he retires as judge, he becomes a senior judge, so he still has the ability to swear people in.”
