Millvale found the manager it was looking for in Seth Abrams, Council President James Machajewski said.

Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to hire Abrams, 54, of White Oak as Millvale’s new borough manager and secretary. His annual salary is $90,000 and his contract runs through Dec. 31, 2027.

Council also appointed Abrams as its open records officer.

Millvale was looking for a manager with a strong financial background after having to get court approval to borrow $2 million to avert a budget crisis.

The two loans from First National Bank totaling that amount are tentatively scheduled to close Friday, borough Solicitor Jack Cambest said.

Millvale has not had a full-time manager since Ed Figas, who borough officials faulted for not keeping council apprised of the borough’s true financial condition, resigned in April 2025 as part of a settlement agreement. Joe Kypta, assistant manager and public works supervisor, has been serving as interim manager.

With Abrams coming on as manager, Kypta will remain in his previous roles.

Millvale hired Public Partners, a program of the Allegheny League of Municipalities, to conduct the search for a manager. Machajewski said there were about a dozen applicants, out of which two were interviewed.

“We feel we have everything we were looking for in Seth,” he said. “We’re excited about him being the newest member of our team.”

A native of Massachusetts, Abrams has been in the Pittsburgh area since 1990, when he came to attend Carnegie Mellon University. He would instead graduate from the University of Pittsburgh in 1996 with an undergraduate degree in psychology, and in 2010 earned a master’s in public policy and management from Pitt.

Abrams has worked as a borough manager for seven years. He was most recently borough manager of Forest Hills, where he worked for 18 months until December, and was previously the manager of Munhall for just over two years and East Pittsburgh for nearly three years.

Abrams and his wife, Rebecca, have two daughters.

Abrams described Millvale as “a wonderful place,” citing Mr. Smalls and Grist House Craft Brewery as two places he’s been.

“They’re a welcoming community,” he said. “The opportunity presented itself for a place that is continuing to make a name for itself.”

Having worked in East Pittsburgh and Munhall, two communities that Abrams said had their share of financial difficulties, he said he will bring financial discipline and best practices to Millvale.

“We’ve been so long with an interim manager. I give all the credit to Joey, but he never got the full training a manager would get,” Abrams said.

Abrams said he looks forward to getting to know Millvale’s residents.

“I’m always happy to meet with somebody who has a concern or wants to know how the sausage is made,” he said.