Mandy Steele steps down as Fox Chapel councilwoman to take state House seat

Fox Chapel Council chose a former borough councilman who lost his bid for re-election in 2021 to fill the remaining 13 months of state Rep.-elect Mandy Steele’s council seat.

Steele, 44, a Democrat in her first term on council, won the 33rd District state House seat in November’s general election by defeating Republican Ted Tomson of Fawn.

Steel offered her resignation from borough council effective Nov. 30. Council President Andrew Bennett recommended former councilman Fred Leech as her replacement.

Council accepted Steel’s resignation and then tapped Leech to fill her seat. Both motions passed 5-0 at council’s Nov. 21 meeting. Councilman Thomas Karet attended, but left before the vote because of a family matter. Councilwoman Sarah Hanna was absent.

Leech, a Republican, served on council from 2015 through the end of 2021. He came in fifth of five GOP candidates in the 2021 primary seeking the party’s nod for four council seats.

Leech would have to run in the 2023 if he wants to be elected to a full, four-year council term.

“I’m very happy to be back on council,” said Leech, 68, while traveling to visit family members in North Carolina. “I love Fox Chapel. I really had a great experience being on council before. I’ve stayed active in borough, active with the joint comprehensive plan committee with O’Hara Township.”

His name was not listed on the agenda as Steele’s replacement, and he was not at the meeting.

“It’s a one-year term, and it takes a lot to get up to speed,” Bennett said in explaining his nomination of Leech. “Fred hits the ground running with his background and knowledge.”

Bennett cited Leech’s contributions to joint comprehensive planning with O’Hara Township, a committee on which he still sits, and Leech’s negotiation experience with public works contracts.

“I think (those are) three pretty strong reasons to bring him back for this one-year stint,” Bennett said.

Other council members agreed.

“He was a very effective member of council,” Vice President Harrison Lauer said. “Very good insight and easy to work with.”

Steele did not oppose Leech’s appointment. However, she said a resignation creates an opportunity to consider new faces. Steele also referenced Leech’s unsuccessful reelection bid.

“This should be a council where we’re encouraging new residents to participate,” Steele said. “We’ve got so many talented and qualified people that live here that could make excellent additions to this council.

”I think in this case we do not have adequate time to examine candidates, but I would hope that moving forward we could get some kind of process in place where we could request applications and then vote on that appointment based on those applications. … I’m not sure that it’s a great habit to stay in to be appointing people who ran in elections and voters did not choose.”

Council later voted 4-1 to create a process to fill vacant seats. Bennett dissented. That policy is in its early stages.

Bennett said he didn’t oppose having a formal replacement process for council vacancies, but wanted more flexibility in similar cases in which a council member resigned with just one year left on his or her term.

Council usually has 30 days to fill a vacancy before the issue goes before a vacancy board and then to the Allegheny County Courts if necessary, borough Manager Gary Koehler said.

Leech served as the co-chair of joint comprehensive plan committee in the first stage of planning and brainstorming. Planning is now in its second stage.

Leech, a retired corporate lawyer with more than 40 years experience in the legal field, said he wanted those who are concerned about his appointment and council not appointing a newcomer to know they are heard, and he will work for the betterment of the borough.

“I do think it’s a good idea to have diversity on the board in terms of age, generations and other forms of diversity and I welcome that,” he said. “But right now I’m looking to the future. Looking to finish out this term and work real hard at it.”

Leech was first appointed to council in March 2015 to fill the unexpired term of the late Kathleen Toole, who had passed away at age 69.

He ran as a Republican in the last municipal election and has since registered as a Democrat. He said it was too early to decide if he will run next year to keep the council seat.

The 33rd District that Steele will represent includes Aspinwall, Blawnox, Sharpsburg, Fox Chapel and O’Hara and Indiana townships.

Bennett and other council members thanked Steele for her service to the borough and wished her well.

“The past few years I’ve learned so much about municipal planning and local government, and really feel so grateful for that time,” Steele said. “I feel like we’ve been able to accomplish a lot together. We’re so fortunate here to have the team in place and the residents that we have. … I sing this borough’s praises all the time and look forward to continuing to support the great work that’s being done here in my new role.”

Steele was elected to council in 2020 and served as chair of the comprehensive planning committee. She grew up in O’Hara. She has four children enrolled in the Fox Chapel Area School District.

When asked what she most looks forward to as a newly elected state representative, Steele again expressed gratitude for the opportunity to keep serving the public.

“I’m privileged to get the chance to help our region pursue the extraordinary opportunity that clean energy manufacturing presents us, and I’ll continue the fight to protect women’s rights, advocate for working families and uphold democracy in Pennsylvania,” Steele said.