Pottsville City Council members voted Monday to begin the creation of an Assistant City Administrator position one month after hiring a City Administrator.
On Monday, however, with the promise that the salary would be split among the City, its Parking Authority, and its Redevelopment Authority, Council members voted 4-1 to start looking for Straebel’s assistant. The official vote was to create a cooperative committee and agreement between the three boards for the position.
That assistant would serve as director of the two authorities kicking in on their salary as well as assist in seeking grant funding opportunities and administering current grant funding and the required reporting. Straebel’s focus will remain on day-to-day operations of City government. The job description will still need to be finalized by the committee formed by the affirmative vote on Monday. City Council will again have to vote in the future to approve the job description that defines the scope of the Assistant City Administrator job and then, ultimately, on hiring someone for the position.
In June, the City hired Robert Straebel to the position last held by Ian Mahal, who resigned from it in August 2025. Previously, it had been held by Tom Palamar since 2001.
Councilman Scott Price cast the lone dissenting vote. Price argued that Pottsville doesn’t have enough money in its budget for the new position and questioned why the Parking Authority would be paying less than it previously paid its own executive director.
Price noted how Pottsville asked the state government for a break on the cost to enter the Dept. of Community and Economic Development Strategic Management Planning (STMP) program.
STMP is a five-year program that could provide Pottsville with up to $1 million – $200,000 each year – in funding for things like technology, software, and personnel. It normally requires a 50% match from participating municipalities but Pottsville claimed financial hardship, which reduced the match requirement to 10%, meaning it’d have to pay $1 for every $10 it received.
“We are now expanding the staffing at City Hall,” Price said. “How do you ask the state for financial help and then turn around and keep hiring people?”
Price suggested the City hold off on creating and hiring for the position until the 2027 budgeting season begins later this year to see if there’s enough money.
Councilwoman Dottie Botto was on the fence about the position. She noted that the new administration at City Hall created two committees – a grant committee and the CRIZ (Community Revitalization Improvement Zone) committee – but one hasn’t met in a while and she called it “defunct” and the CRIZ committee hasn’t met.
Botto suggested to council that it hold off for a few months and then lean on Straebel’s recommendation on whether he needs an assistant.
Straebel said he’s only been on the job for six days (as of Monday’s meeting) but endorsed the idea of an assistant.
“I think you will find there’s a tremendous upside that we can make a lot more money in grant money and we can have that coordination with the (Parking) Authority and the Redevelopment Authority,” he said.
Those voting for it argued that the money paid to the prospective assistant would be made up in the funding they’re able to secure for the City.
Mayor Tom Smith said if Pottsville is welcomed to the STMP, the state will pay 50% of the City’s portion of the salary it will pay for the Assistant City Administrator for three years.
Smith also said Straebel doesn’t have time with his regular duties to write grants for Pottsville.
Councilman Jonathan Marsh countered Price’s point on Pottsville hiring a new person while claiming it was in financial distress. He said STMP is a strategic management plan and that Pottsville only claimed financial distress to get a lowered match rate on funds it received. He said the program is designed to “prevent being in distress.”
Marsh added that Pottsville had to give back $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding because it didn’t have someone in place to administer it.
“Organizational structure matters. This position is critical,” Marsh said.
“We had a guy that was in here for 20-some years that did a fantastic job but through that time, this city grew,” Councilman Andy Wollyung said in favor of finding an assistant for Straebel. “I firmly believe this job should be split.”
Wollyung said he knows the City government is in “financial despair” but believes that won’t change “by doing nothing” and hiring an assistant administrator to find and manage funding opportunities will affect that change.
The plan to hire an Assistant City Administrator was vocally endorsed by the two authorities who will be supported by the position.
“We believe a shared administrative resource would improve efficiency, reduce duplication of effort, and strengthen collaboration between the Parking Authority and the City,” Sean Reilly said, reading from a letter prepared by the Parking Authority.
The Parking Authority has been without an executive director since the beginning of the year when Ian Lipton resigned at the request of Pottsville Mayor Tom Smith. Reilly said the Parking Authority will put up $25,000 toward the assistant’s salary.
“It’s become increasingly evident that the City’s organizational needs have evolved significantly,” Redevelopment Authority board president Bud Quandel said. “The volume and complexity of projects currently underway and those anticipated in coming years require dedicated project management capacity that extends beyond the traditional responsibilities of existing staff.”
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