Jefferson Hills Council has new leadership

Jefferson Hills Council is once again under new management.

Melissa Girman-Steffey and Hilary Kingsley-Budd were both unanimously appointed president and vice president, respectively, Monday night.

The unanimous votes came after other council members were nominated but failed to get enough votes.

Councilwoman Nicole Ruscitto was also unanimously named president pro-tem.

Council had reorganized Jan. 3. But they needed to select new leadership due to the passing of then-president and newly elected Councilman Keith Polick.

Polick, 65, was headed to a Florida vacation when he was a fatal accident victim.

“It is with great regret and sorrow that we have to refill these positions,” Councilwoman Karen Bucy said.

Joseph Lynch, a Navy veteran and Polick’s campaign manager, was appointed to fill the vacant seat at a special meeting earlier this month.

Girman-Steffey, who has been on council since December 2019, thanked her colleagues for their support.

“We are all elected as stewards of this borough,” she said. “We are tasked with a tremendous responsibility of making the best educated and informed decisions on behalf of our residents. I am honored that my peers unanimously chose me to step up to the plate as the next president. I realize I have the additional responsibilities of making sure our meetings are run smoothly and that we maintain an open line of communication on council.

“It is also my intention to make sure that the voices of our residents, my fellow council members and our hard working staff are heard and their concerns are addressed and questions are always answered.”

Girman-Steffey said she plans to push for things such as recreational upgrades, attracting small businesses to the borough, evaluate and upgrade infrastructure where needed, work on making a community center a reality and work closely with all borough emergency service departments to ensure Jefferson Hills remains a safe place for all residents.

The prior votes

Her nomination for president passed 6-0-1. She abstained from the vote to become the gavel holder.

A previous motion to have Ruscitto become president failed 3-4-1.

Mayor Carrie Nuss-McCaffrey broke the tie. Girman-Steffey, Budd and Lynch dissented.

Councilman Dave Montgomery, who served as acting president due to Polick’s passing, abstained.

A motion to have Ruscitto become vice president failed 2-3-1.

Budd, Lynch and Girman-Steffey dissented. Bucy and Councilman Keith Reynolds voted in favor. Montgomery once again abstained.

Budd thanked Montgomery and Bucy, who was interim vice president, as well as others for their response in handling borough business with Polick’s passing.

“This borough has had its fair share of grief over the past year, and I’m hopefully for healing as we move forward,” Budd said.