Chad Krawtz was selected Thursday from a field of eight candidates for a vacant seat on Jeannette council that will expire Dec. 31, 2023.
Council members decided 3-1, with Councilwoman Robin Mozley casting the dissenting vote, to appoint Krawtz, 45, a Republican, to the open seat after the May 13 death of Councilman Ron Smith.
“I just saw this as an opportunity to use my experience and passion for the city” to help move it forward, Krawtz said.
There were nine applicants for the vacant seat, but one was disqualified for not meeting residency requirements. Council members during Thursday’s voting session took up the remaining eight applications in the order they were received by the city. Krawtz’s name was third.
Mozley expressed disappointment earlier in the week that council didn’t conduct interviews with the applicants. Not being able to hear from the candidates outside of resumes and letters of interest affected her decision, she said.
“Some of them I know, some of them I don’t know,” she said.
Solicitor Tim Witt said there is no requirement that council hold interviews when making an appointment to a vacancy. Mayor Curtis Antoniak said he was opposed to holding interviews because, in part, voters selected them to make decisions for the city.
“When you run for political office, you’re not interviewed,” he said. “The people put us in there to make that choice.”
Krawtz is a commercial real estate broker and Jeannette native who is a member of the city’s redevelopment authority and historical society. He said he purchased a home from the Westmoreland County Land Bank and is renovating it as well as a Clay Avenue property. He plans to create retail and residential space there.
