Upset residents filled the room at the Duncansville council meeting Monday night. They’re concerned about the future of their community.

“This has become an embarrassment to Blair County,” exclaimed one resident. “They’re here to represent us and clearly it is a council that is divided and I don’t know what the solution is.”

There were some tense moments as a discussion started about some key leadership positions, like the mayor and police chief, not being filled.

“We have the right to know who our mayor is going to be,” said one community member at the meeting.

Knowing solutions need to come quickly, some local leaders saw all three mayoral candidates in the room and wanted to try and elect a mayor at the meeting.

“I make the motion that we give them 5 minutes to explain why they should fill the vacant position of mayor,” one council member said.

The majority of the council voted no because they want formal interviews, but the public didn’t agree.

“The public is here now,” exclaimed one person in the room. “At a lot of your meetings there’s not a lot of people here so why not do it now?” 

With still no mayor appointed, the council moved onto police chief. Someone was ultimately elected, but with opposition from some council members who want more time.

For now a concerned community looks to the future, hoping things will only get better. 

“This is the first time in the 35 years that I’ve lived in this borough that we have not had a chief, we have not had a mayor, and we have not had a budget,” one resident declared.

All three mayoral candidates will be given a chance to speak at the next meeting. That’s being held January 31st at the Duncansville Community Center at 7 p.m.

A budget for 2018 has still not been passed.