Edinger Sworn in As Easton Councilman

By Christina Georgiou

Jim Edinger was sworn in as an Easton councilman representing the city's West Ward Wednesday evening.

He was appointed by the council on July 24 to replace Mike Fleck, who resigned after moving to Allentown to concentrate on his political consulting business.

Edinger, a Democrat, will serve as an appointed member of the city council until the end of the year.

Until his appointment, he served on the city's zoning hearing board for the past 19 years and is running against Republican Kim Yedloskey for the elected council position in the November election.

Easton City Council Selects Jim Edinger to Fill Vacant Seat

By Christina Georgiou


Jim Edinger, seen sitting in the back row of the Easton
City Council meeting Wednesday evening.

Easton city council selected Jim Edinger at it's regular meeting Wednesday evening to fill the West Ward council seat left vacant by the resignation of councilman Mike Fleck earlier this month.

Edinger, who has served on the city's zoning hearing board for the past 19 years, is also the Democratic candidate for the West Ward council representative in the coming November election.

He faces Republican candidate Kim Yedloskey in November, and the winner of the election will then represent the West Ward beginning in 2014.

Edinger was chosen over fellow applicant Stephen White, a former West Ward Neighborhood Partnership steering committee member.

Edinger's appointment is a reversal of council's traditional opposition to selecting an active candidate, but city council members said his long service to the city made him the best choice to fill the slot, though all said they believed both applicants were excellent.

"We had two quality candidates in front of us that gave us great feedback," said Councilman Jeff Warren, who nominated Edinger. "I do feel Edinger's long service to the city will be an asset."

"This will be a difficult decision for me because I've sat with both of them on different boards," said Councilwoman Sandra Vulcano, who moved to close the nominations after Warren put forth Edinger as his choice. "They're both very dedicated to the community, but Mr. Edinger has been here longer."

"Both of the candidates were very eloquent and showed dedication to the city," said Councilman Roger Ruggles. "The problem is, you have to choose one. I think that either of the candidates would have been a valuable addition to the council."

Panto praised Edinger's long experience.

"I think Jim brings a wealth of experience and knowledge," the mayor said.

After the vote, Edinger was brief in his comments.

"I just want to thank you for your support, and I'm looking forward to serving with you all," he said.

Edinger will be sworn in privately later this week, Panto said, so he can immediately begin to work with council members, but he will publicly take the oath of office at the next city council meeting on Wednesday, August 8 as well.

He will also be meeting with the city administration this week as well, to better familiarize himself with their operations, he said. Edinger will take over the city council's administration committee, which Fleck formerly headed.

Edinger said he doesn't have any specific agenda coming into his new position with the city, which runs until the end of the year.

Edinger's appointment means his immediate resignation from his position as chairman of the city's zoning hearing board.

Panto said the vacant seat on that board will not be a problem to fill, as Easton has several applicants to the board on a waiting list, and he expects one of them will be immediately appointed at the board's next meeting.

White was not present at Wednesday evening's city council meeting.

Mike Fleck officially resigned at the July 10 city council meeting due to a move to Allentown and to concentrate on his political consulting business. Fleck had originally announced he would serve until the end of the year, but found a house in the Lehigh County city earlier than expected, he told the council in June.

Vacant Easton City Council Seat Expected to Be Filled Tonight

By Christina Georgiou

After interviewing two applicants Tuesday evening to fill the vacancy left by Mike Fleck's resignation earlier this month, Easton City Council is expected to vote on the matter tonight and appoint one of the two to occupy the position until the end of the year.


Stephen White, owner of Delaware
River Books and a former WWNP
steering committee member, answers
questions Tuesday evening posed
by Easton City Council members.

 Former West Ward Neighborhood Partnership steering committee member and Delaware River Books owner Stephen White, and Jim Edinger, who is the Democratic candidate for the seat in November's election and chair for the city's zoning hearing board, each fielded questions from council members, mostly pertaining to West Ward neighborhood issues and their ideas on how the city can be improved.

Both live in the district--White for the past eight years, and Edinger for 28 years--a requirement to fill the vacancy. The empty city council seat is one of four neighborhood-specific posts on the city's governing body.

Despite that only one of them will be appointed, the two were incredibly friendly during the process.

"I don't feel like I'm in competition with you," White said to Edinger after the interviews, adding that he doesn't want to be a politician. "(If appointed) I'm a stop gap."


Jim Edinger
File photo

 Edinger said that despite city council saying it doesn't traditionally appoint active candidates to open seats, since he wants the post permanently, it was worth throwing his name into the ring.

There is no law that says a candidate can't be appointed, said Mayor Sal Panto after the meeting, adding that council members have not had a chance to discuss the attributes of the two applicants, and he doesn't know which of the two men council will choose Wednesday evening.

White said he's happy either way it goes, adding that he's likely to vote for Edinger in the general election.

The only one who seemed unhappy with the situation was Republican city council candidate Kim Yedlosky, who asked city council if she could be considered too.

Yedlosky said she would have applied for the seat, only she thought Fleck's replacement needed to be a Democrat, based on a media article she'd read.

Mayor Sal Panto confirmed that the appointee could be from any political affiliation, but said that since the July 3 deadline had passed, city officials wouldn't consider Yedlosky at this point.

Easton Councilman Mike Fleck Resigns, Replacement to Be Appointed July 24

By Christina Georgiou

Easton City Councilman Mike Fleck, at his
last meeting. The council accepted Fleck's
resignation Wednesday evening, effective as
of July 16, due to his relocating to Allentown.

Easton's city council officially accepted the resignation of member Michael Fleck Wednesday evening and said it will appoint his replacement at the governing body's next official meeting, on Wednesday, July 24.

Two applications were received by the city to become Fleck's appointed replacement before the July 3 deadline, said Mayor Sal Panto, one from West Ward Neighborhood Partnership board member Stephen White, and the other from Democratic city council candidate Jim Edinger.

The city will conduct interviews with both on Tuesday, July 23 at the city council committee meeting, members of city council agreed Wednesday evening.

Councilwoman El Warner said she will be unable to attend either meeting later this month due to a business trip.

Her absence means an appointee on July 24 will require four affirmation votes from the attending five city council members to make a choice official because the city Home Rule charter specifies a majority of remaining council members must vote for the replacement, city solicitor William Murphy confirmed.

White is also owner of Delaware River Books on South Second Street in the Downtown district.

Edinger is the chairman of Easton's zoning hearing board, a position he has held since 1993.  He is also president of the Carpenters Union Local 600.

Panto has said previously that while there is no city rule against it, city council has traditionally shunned appointing active candidates as appointees.

Whoever the council chooses will serve until the end of the year, when a council member elected to represent Easton's West Ward in Fleck's stead is sworn in.

Council members did not discuss applicants' merits Wednesday evening, choosing instead to concentrate on thanking Fleck for his two terms on city council. The City of Easton also presented Fleck with a gleaming pewter plate commemorating his time on Easton's governing body.

A shiny finish over a matte one was chosen "because we know you'll be looking at yourself in it," quipped Panto.

"We once ran against each other (for mayor), but now we've become best friends," Panto said more seriously.

Members of city council thanked Fleck and praised his public service efforts as well.

"We've had our disagreements over the years, but I think we've agreed more than we disagreed," said Jeff Warren.

"It seems like every time you run, you leave us," Councilman Ken Brown joked. "But seriously, it was a pleasure to serve with you on two occasions...I know our path will cross many, many times in the future."

"Once you're gone, it's going to be so quiet on this end of the table," said Councilwoman El Warner. "I'll miss you, but it's not an end, it's a beginning."

Fleck's resignation, originally planned for the end of the year, is due to his move to Allentown, where he said he plans to concentrate on his business as a campaign consultant.

"I thank everyone for their kind words, and I'm sorry to leave early, but I thought it would take longer to find a new home," he said.

Fleck also credited his family for their support and assistance with his political and business' success which led to the move.

"We had to make a decision of where we wanted to be, and we chose behind the scenes," he said. "I really thank the community for the opportunity to serve."

He added, "I may be crazy, but I'm proud of the fact that we raised the parking tickets (fine) because it will raise money to pay for things we otherwise wouldn't have been able to pay for."