North Wales appoints Anderson to vacant council seat

 Borough council now has a new addition for the rest of 2025 and possibly beyond.

Council members voted to appoint resident Candace Anderson to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of now-former councilwoman Brittany Kohler last month.

“I just want to feel like part of the community, and feel like I’m contributing back,” said Anderson.

In July council accepted the resignation of Kohler, who had held that seat for just over two years, since the resignation of predecessor Eion O’Neill in early 2023. After that resignation was accepted in late July, the council asked interested residents to apply for appointment to the seat, and candidates Anderson, Jeff Ferguson and Zane Swanger made their cases to the council on Tuesday night.

Anderson told the group that she’s a 16-year borough resident, who grew up on South Fifth Street, and has two daughters who “basically grew up in this town.”

“I really like the small-town walkability, the character of the town – that’s something I really cherish, and that’s why I moved back here,” she said.    

With a master’s of business administration from Syracuse University, she’s familiar with managing budgets in the millions, and “works with legal all the time,” plus had an inside look from Kohler at how some of her priorities are already on the council’s to-do list.

“I’ve lived here for a long time, and when I talked to Brittany about this position, one of the first things I said is that one thing I would love to do is help with the sidewalks. She said, ‘We’ve already thought about that,’ we have that in the 2040 comprehensive plan. So I read through the comprehensive plan, and I would like to bring that to life and reinforce it. I think it’s a really great vision and plan,” she said.

Councilman Sherwin Collins asked each candidate what their top priority would be as a council member, and Anderson said hers would be to “continue to make the town walkable and accessible, because that’s what I love so much about this town.”

    

Swanger said he and his family have lived in town for four years, along one of its most-discussed projects: “I live on Center Street, right where all the sidewalks are going, so that would be my biggest goal on council…especially with a seven-year-old running around, and another little one on the way, that would be my biggest goal.”

He decided to get involved after a lifetime of seeing public service up close: “My father was a borough councilmember up in Bucks County, and then a borough council member in Silverdale. I remember going to meetings with him as a kid, and seeing how much involvement he had in the community — and how much change he could bring about in the community,” Swanger said.

What would he bring to the council? “I like a lot of changes. I don’t like ‘This is the way we’ve always done things.’ I think there’s always room for change, there’s always a way to get better,” he said.

Ferguson told the group he was born in the area, “moved away for about 35 years,” and most recently has lived in town for three years after a work transfer from Boston, and found North Wales “a really great town,” especially for their two children to grow up.

    

“We appreciate the SEPTA station being right here in town: that was one of the things we had to have, access to a larger community, as well as the one we’re in,” he said. “I’ve very much enjoyed introducing my sons to where I grew up. We’ve taken a lot of time and effort to build a home, and find our place, and I’m looking forward to continuing to do that here.” His main goal or accomplishment he’d pursue? Backing recent efforts toward rejuvenating Main Street, and finding ways to incentivize more development: “There’s space to work on, and there’s opportunities for all of us to be involved.”

Councilman Mark Tarlecki asked how each of them could show or explain their level of commitment to the town and its residents, and Ferguson said he’s done so by renovating the new family home, often at all hours.

“The lights have been on many, many times until 3 or 4 in the morning, trying to finish one thing up, to get ready for the next piece to go in,” he said.

Anderson said she’s shown her commitment through talks with Kohler about the role, reviewing the 2040 comprehensive plan, and applying time and project management skills learned in the corporate world to family time and volunteering at town events: “I specifically came back to this town because I love it so much,” she said.

And Swagner said he’s used to showing determination: “When I set my mind to something, it gets done. My wife and I really want to set our roots in North Wales, and this is just the first step of really committing myself to this community.”

Prior to the vote, council President Sal Amato asked all three to stay involved, and said open spots on various town committees and event organizing groups can be good ways to learn about the town.

“If you truly have a commitment to the borough, and you truly want to be a part of it, staying in that process is one way to do it,” he said.

Borough Manager Christine Hart added that due to the timing of the vacancy, the new appointee would serve through the end of 2025, then they and other candidates from that ward could run in the November 2025 election for the remaining two years of that term through 2027.

Amato then asked for nominations, and Councilwoman Anji Fazio nominated Anderson, Councilman Mark Tarlecki nominated Swanger, and Councilman Alex Groce nominated Ferguson. As the first nominated, Anderson was the first to receive a roll call vote, and five of the eight councilmembers voted to appoint her to the position, with several offering congratulations after the vote.

Councilwoman Sarah Whelan thanked all three for applying, and said she hoped to see Swanger and Ferguson again soon: “The opportunities are endless. We want your ideas, we want you to be involved,” and Fazio told Anderson, “I think you’ll be a great addition to the team.”

Anderson then received a round of applause after Amato administered her oath.

“Candace: welcome to council,” Amato said, as she took her seat alongside eight new colleagues.

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