New council member tries making a splash

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on January 3, 2018

John Crossan, left, and Joshua Twersky are the new members on Concord’s Township Council, bringing council up to its mandated size of seven members.

Concord Township Council is now at full strength. In the 2016 spring primary, voters elected to change Concord from a Township of the Second Class with five supervisors to a home-rule based government with a seven-member council.

Last year the council functioned with five members. John Crossan and Joshua Twersky were elected in November and took their seats last night during the state-mandated annual organizational meeting required for all townships.

Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Dominic F. Pileggi, left, administers the oath of office to his cousin Dominic A. Pileggi. Holding the Bible is Dominic A. Pileggi’s friend Judy Melfi.

Twersky, who was a member of the Government Study Committee that developed Concord's Home Rule Charter, made his presence known right away when he told the council that he wants to see internal term limits on council leadership. He made the comment during the vote for this year's council presidency.

Longtime Supervisors' Chairman and last year's Council President Dominic A. Pileggi was nominated for council president again. Twersky said there should be term limits to create a more accountable government. Pileggi, Twersky said, has led the government for almost two decades and there should be a change, at least over time. He said an internal mentoring program would make it possible for others to preside, which is what voters wanted when they opted to change the form of government.

A 6-1 vote re-elected Pileggi as president, with Twersky's being, the lone dissenting vote.

While Twersky and Crossan are new to the council and sworn in by District Judge Wendy Roberts, three other members — Pileggi, John Gillespie and Tom Mahoney — were sworn after being re-elected in November. Pileggi's cousin, former state senator and current Judge of Common Pleas Dominic F. Pileggi administered their oaths of office.

Dominic A. Pileggi, Gillespie and Mahoney will serve four-year terms, while Twersky and Crossan will serve two-year terms. Beginning in 2019, all council members will serve four-year terms.

During the remainder of the re-organization, council reappointed Amanda Serock as township manager, Hugh Donoghue as township solicitor and Pennoni Associates' Nate Cline as township engineer.

During a brief regular meeting, council voted to support Newlin Grist Mill's request for a Community Development Block Grant so it can redo the flume at the mill park.