Ross Township commissioners have filled the vacancy for the Ward 8 seat.

Frances Salachup was appointed Monday to complete the unexpired term of Jeremy Shaffer, who announced in late May that he was resigning because his family is moving out of the township.

Salachup will serve through 2021.

In addition to Salachup, who chairs the Ross Township Democratic Committee, three others interviewed for the position. Lauren Herger and Josh Allenberg dropped out of the running, but Matt Drozd, a Republican who has served on Allegheny County Council, said the board has a duty to Ward 8 voters to appoint a Republican because that’s Shaffer’s political affiliation.

“Do the Ross commissioners respect the vote?” Drozd said in a news release. “Do they respect the will of the people?”

With Salachup’s appointment, all nine Ross commissioners are Democrats.

Drozd said Ross should use the same process the county follows for filling vacancies, which requires seats be filled by someone from the same party.

Some local municipalities, including McCandless, have adopted similar policies.

But Ross commission President Steve Korbel said unlike McCandless, which is a home rule community that has the power to change its rules, Ross must follow the state’s code for First Class Townships.

The code, he said, does not address the political affiliation of candidates being considered for vacancies.

Korbel dismissed Drozd’s contention that not selecting a Republican for Shaffer’s seat disregards voters.

“Most people at the municipal level aren’t voting based on a candidate’s political party, they’re voting for the person running for the office,” he said. “They pick the best person they think can do the job.”

Commissioner Dan DeMarco said he voted to appoint Salachup because of her deep roots in the community.

“She’s lived in the ward forever and is well in tune with what’s going on there,” he said following the meeting. “She’s so well known and involved that through the years, people have called her when they have a question or a problem instead of the person representing the ward. I felt we needed someone who can hit the ground running and that she is best able to do that.”

DeMarco said he also is dismayed that Drozd injected politics into the appointment decision.

“I’m a Democrat and I’ve been on the board for many years,” DeMarco said. “But I’ve never voted on an issue because I’m a Democrat as opposed to being a Republican.”

During a June 15 interview for the position, Salachup said she wanted “the opportunity to serve on the board of commissioners to improve the health and safety of residents, employees and small businesses by listening to all stakeholders and using that information to make principled decisions.”

Salachup, who has lived in the 8th Ward for 43 years, works in advertising and previously served as a manager for a local supermarket chain. She attended Robert Morris University for two years.

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