Star Little, center, receives her oath to join North Wales borough council from borough Manager Christine Hart, left, during the council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Photo by Dan Sokil | The Reporter.
Little was the only candidate to apply for former Councilman Sal Amato’s vacated seat and plans to run in November
The newest member of North Wales borough council is a familiar name known to ice cream aficionados.
Council members voted unanimously to name Star Little, owner of Little’s Ice Cream and Water Ice, to fill the town’s vacant seat from Ward 3.
“Did she bring ice cream?” joked council vice president Wendy McClure, as Little took the podium to introduce herself.
In August council voted to accept the resignation of longtime member Sal Amato, who had been elected in 2015 and had acted as president since the start of 2022, due to a move out of town. That resignation came just minutes after the appointment of councilwoman Candace Anderson to the Ward 1 seat that had been held by former councilwoman Brittany Kohler until her resignation in July, also due to a move out of town.
Little was the only candidate to apply for Amato’s seat. She is a licensed Realtor who has lived in the borough since 2018, has been a member of the town’s planning commission since early 2024, is a board member on the Main Street North Wales nonprofit aiming to support local revitalization, and is a volunteer with the North Wales Elementary School home and school association. Located on Montgomery Avenue since 2021, Little’s Ice Cream and Water Ice has partnered with police to offer treats to local kids spotted wearing bike helmets and operates several stands at parks and pools in nearby Upper Gwynedd, Lansdale, Souderton and Warrington.
“I live here, I work here, and I raise my three children here, with my husband Michael. So I care a lot about the community,” she said.
Interim council president Mark Tarlecki added that he’s worked with Little on the town planning commission as that group has worked to revamp town codes and vet various projects.
“She’s a very valuable member, and provides a lot of good information — she brings a lot of experience to council,” he said.
One unanimous vote later, Little received her oath from borough Manager Christine Hart, and took her seat alongside the rest of her new colleagues. In her comments for the good of council, Little announced that the planning commission had reviewed a draft update to the town comprehensive plan and would bring it to full council for further talks, and said she also attended the ribbon cutting on Sept. 19 for a new sensory garden and mosaic mural at North Wales Elementary School.
“I want to thank everyone who helped with that fundraiser, or bought a brick in support. The fundraiser is still ongoing, for improving the school playground — which is not just for the schoolchildren, but also everybody in the neighborhood — so I think that should be a future topic at some point for borough council, to discuss ways we can support them,” Little said.
The newest council member also reported on a recent happy hour gathering held by the Main Street North Wales group at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, which was founded in 1776 and will celebrate their 250th birthday next year: “They would also like to do something to commemorate that,” Little said, and details will be shared as they’re finalized.
In her manager’s report, Hart said either Little or Tarlecki will have to step down from the planning commission at a future meeting since borough code allows only one member of council on that board, and Little said she had yet to discuss that with Tarlecki. In her letter of interest to council, Little said she does plan to run for reelection this fall for the final two years of that term and she’s the only candidate for the seat on a preliminary candidate list posted by Montgomery County.
The manager also addressed a question raised in August on whether Amato was allowed to swear in Anderson during the August meeting in the absence of Mayor Neil McDevitt due to a recent medical procedure. After review with the town’s solicitor, Hart said, the mayor did not transfer any official powers to the council president, and the August oath for Anderson “was rendered null and void,” as were her votes that night to approve meeting minutes, monthly bills and several action items. None of those votes were decisive, and Anderson was subsequently sworn in by Hart last week, and thus able to attend an executive session on Sept. 22 to discuss a matter of possible litigation.
North Wales borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Oct. 14 at the borough municipal building, 300 School Street. For more information, visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com
