Freeport Borough fills vacant council seat

Kimberly Barr has been a reliable sight at Freeport Council meetings since moving to the borough in 2021.

Now, she’ll help call the shots.

On Monday, council appointed Barr as its seventh member, rounding out the ranks of a group that’s seen remarkable turnover since last year.

All but one member, Stephanie VanTime, joined council this year either through election or appointment. VanTine was elected in 2021.

Barr replaces Joshua James, who resigned in February, for a term that runs through 2025. No other candidates submitted a letter of interest.

“I’ve been encouraged by several different people to add to council,” Barr said. “I feel like now that I have time, I can hopefully be an asset.”

Nothing is official until she provides a statement of financial interest. She will then be sworn in by either Mayor Zach Gent or an Armstrong County judge.

Prior to the vote, Barr briefly explained her interest to council. She said she lacks any prior government experience but is eager to help the community.

“Join the club,” council President Rick Fennell replied.

Barr and her husband, Robert, moved to Freeport from Texas in 2021. They quickly became familiar with council after seeking its help to resolve a dispute with XTO Energy over an oil and natural gas pad on their property.

Since then, she’s made a habit of making meetings, a quality praised by Gent.

“She has already shown her dedication to the borough by attending meetings,” Gent said. “Now, it’s on an official level.”

Barr said she learned accounting and money management through the mobility equipment business she started with her husband, skills she can apply to running the borough. Prior to that, she worked for 20 years as a veterinary technician at VCA Valley Vet Animal Hospital in Lower Burrell.

“If I can help the borough, that’s the whole goal,” Barr said. “It’s more about service.”