11/9/05 — LINESVILLE — The first opportunity Christopher R. Seeley had to vote in an election was Tuesday. And Seeley voted for himself after pulling the curtain shut.
Some 144 other residents did the same as the 18-year-old Democrat won the position of Linesville mayor, according to unofficial results, against long-time Linesville Borough Council member Kevin McGrath, who received 76 votes.
“The people of Linesville have spoken,” said Seeley, a lifelong resident of the borough and a senior at Linesville High School. “They are able to trust their police and security to my generation.”
The new mayor, who just turned 18 in September and was unable to vote for himself in the spring primary election, will join a council with the youngest councilman in Crawford County. David Hoogstad Jr., 19, was appointed earlier this year at age 18.
Seeley was surprised to win by such a large margin.
“Unfortunately, my opponent didn’t do a lot of campaigning,” he said.
McGrath, who has been council president for the past few years and served in council off and on for more than 15 years, said job obligations interfered with his ability to do campaigning.
McGrath, who also previously worked in the borough as streets commissioner, plans to “take time off” from serving on council.
“I’ll still be around,” said McGrath, when asked if he would be available if council had any questions. “It will be interesting to see what the new council is made up of. ... I wish (Seeley) good luck.”
Seeley said he wouldn’t mind seeing McGrath back on council as president, mentioning he does a fantastic job and is very fiscally responsible. “We need that fiscal watchdog in our borough and that fiscal watchdog is Kevin McGrath.”
Seeley’s new job as mayor entails the management and maintenance of Linesville Police Department along with public safety concerns. The mayor also serves as a tie-breaking vote on council. The seat was previously occupied by Mayor Tim Uzarski, who didn’t seek re-election because he lives outside the borough.
Seeley said he ran to expand the duties of mayor.
“My biggest issue was the fact that the status quo for mayor’s office is pretty low,” he said, mentioning that he would like to work on community redevelopment and promotion in addition to his other duties.
While he’s not promising anything, Seeley said he would like to get the ball rolling on developing a regional police department with Pine Township so that another full-time officer could be added to the department, which consists of one full-time officer and two part-time ones.
He said he’s yet to address this issue with Pine because he didn’t know if he would win the election. With the new joint sewage plant being developed between the borough and the township, Seeley said many businesses would be attracted to Pine because of its low taxes if they would only have the police protection a joint department could provide.
From the borough side, he said one of the major complaints he’s heard from residents is that there is nobody to reach at the police department in an emergency if an officer is out on patrol. Chief George Davis has recommended in an emergency that residents contact 911.
Seeley also said the department will need to continue to work on curbing drug problems in the area.
When asked how he’d handle the disciplining of officers, some more than twice his age, Seeley replied, “All three officers are willing to work with me.”
Eric Reinagel can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at ereinagel@meadvilletribune.com
Local News
Teen wins Linesville mayor race
- Local News
-
-
Conneaut Lake Park roars into 120th season
Conneaut Lake Park’s 120th season is officially under way with its in-keeping-with-tradition, four-day Memorial Day weekend opening, and the “crowds are coming in,” Jack Moyers said Saturday.
-
Area communities ready to celebrate Memorial Day
Editor’s note: The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are Monday, except those in Edinboro and Shermansville, which are planned for Sunday. -
Remembering Civil War Bucktails
A glimpse into daily life of the Civil War era is easy to see in Crawford County.
-
Area Memorial Day events
The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are on Monday, except the one at Edinboro that is planned for Sunday.
-
Civil War soldiers highlight Meadville Memorial Day events
A courageous Meadville man — wounded three times but remaining on a Civil War battlefield until he was too weak to continue — is being remembered this Memorial Day as the Meadville Area Memorial Day Committee continues its mission of observing the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States.
-
Police: Locals admit to killing Ohio woman
Two Cochranton women were arrested and jailed on homicide charges early Thursday after allegedly admitting they killed an Ohio woman and buried her body in a shallow grave near their residence recently.
-
Reader 'Faces' are coming in
Mom's car dash, Meadville, PA
Lucy Kedzierski, 12, looks at the face every morning waiting for school bus!
She took this with a cell phone. -
North Street Project sure to be 'very disruptive'
With the preliminary traffic control plan for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s North Street Project complete, Meadville City Manager Joe Chriest summed up the anticipated impact of the project, which is expected to span the entire 2013 construction season. “This is going to be very, very disruptive,” he said Wednesday.
-
Boat business booming in warm weather
It’s been a booming business in boats this spring, according to some area boat dealers.
-
City leaders not concerned after financial downgrade
During the past five years, Moody’s Investors Service has assigned three different ratings — all within the range of “upper medium grade” to the City of Meadville’s bonds. In 2007, the city was given a rating of A3, the lowest of the trio. In 2010, the city’s bond rating was raised to A1, the highest ranking in the “upper medium” category. Monday, Moody’s gave the city’s $10,000,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2012, which went on the market Monday, the middle rating of A2.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
