Springdale will have a new borough manager about two months after the resignation of its former manager.
Patrick Bono, 60, of Apollo is set to start June 1 in an interim role.
Bono previously served as the secretary of Kiski Township for around four years before resigning last January over a salary dispute along with other township officials.
Before his time at the township, Bono said he worked for the Department of Homeland Security as well as the FBI, but he declined to offer details about his roles in the federal government.
Councilwoman Deborah Piontek, council’s personnel chair, said the borough was hiring Bono for a six-month period that expires at the end of the year. Come the new year, she said council would assess its options.
“We’re in the middle of the year; it just made sense,” Piontek said.
Bono will take over the post left vacant by Terry Carcella, who resigned in March after a turbulent nine-month tenure marked by ongoing debates surrounding a data center proposal in the borough and local police cooperation with federal immigration agents.
Carcella declined to say why he resigned. Springdale denied a TribLive Right-To-Know request seeking Carcella’s resignation letter or other correspondence related to his departure, saying no such records existed.
Despite the controversy, Bono said he isn’t hesitant stepping into the new role.
His primary goal, he said: to “make everybody happy.”
Piontek said council interviewed several candidates for the manager’s role, but borough officials opted for Bono because of his experience in municipal government and his communication skills.
“Everyone found him to be the best fit,” she said.
Rather than a salaried position, the interim post will see Bono paid $45 per hour, Piontek said.
Councilman Joe Kern said the borough previously interviewed Bono, but ended up choosing Carcella last year. Kern said he held a favorable view of Bono then and was glad to see him return.
“I think we got lucky he’s still available,” Kern said.
He said he feels confident in Bono, and he’ll likely prove vital in running the borough for the next several months.
“He seems calm, cool and collected,” Kern said.
When he was in his 20s, Bono said he lived in Springdale for a time, though he’s spent most of his life in Apollo.
He’s also a guitarist and singer in several local bands, which he said perform metal, classic rock and acoustic music.
Councilman Dan Copeland said he welcomes Bono to the new role and wishes him good luck.
“I’m hoping it’s a good fit for the borough,” he said. “He appears to be a very good fit for us.”