Daugherty Not Mentioned at Police Committee Meeting

No mayor, no mention.

When the three-member Police Committee—an arm of Nazareth Borough Council—and Police Chief Thomas Trachta met Monday night, a chair for a key member was empty.

That would be the place where Mayor Fred Daugherty Jr. sat during the Police Committee meetings. But Daugherty recently resigned and Monday's meeting was the first without the borough leader.

No one really seemed to notice.

Daugherty's name was not mentioned once during the meeting by the Police Committee members—Council president Dan Chiavaroli, Trachta and Councilmen Carl Fischl, Charles Donello and Jack Herbst—nor by the 15 residents who attended.

The 10-minute meeting came and went and not only wasn't Daugherty's name mentioned, but also the fact that the borough was now without a mayor since Daughterty's resignation last week.

Finally, when the public started asking questions—mainly about the future of the police force—did a resident mention about having no mayor.

Chiavaroli explained that the borough "must appoint someone" and would be reviewing resumes and letters at the May 2 Borough Council workshop.

"People can present themselves and explain themselves," he said. "Then the council appoints."

He said that state mandate calls for the council to make a choice by May 6 on an interim mayor.

Several residents have already submitted their candidacies for mayor.