The Limerick Township Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 Tuesday to appoint William DeGideo to fill the vacancy created by Linda Irwin’s resignation earlier this month.
Irwin announced her resignation during the board’s September 1 meeting. Irwin, who took office in 2022, said at the time that she believed actions by the board majority were moving the township in a direction that could cause what she described as "irreversible" damage.
The township announced on social media Wednesday that DeGideo was sworn in by Judge Richard Welsh alongside his family. He will serve the remainder of Irwin’s term, which expires December 31, 2027.
Prior to joining the board of supervisors, DeGideo served as chair of the township’s planning commission.
The appointment came as the township approached its deadline for filling the vacancy. Board Chair Connie Lawson said the township received seven applications for the position, which were shared with all supervisors. Board members also had the opportunity to conduct phone interviews with the applicants.
Supervisor Patrick Morroney made the motion to appoint DeGideo during Tuesday’s meeting, and Supervisor Cheryl Walraven seconded it. Supervisor Kara Shuler was not present.
During public comment, two residents raised questions about the pace and transparency of the appointment process.
One resident told the board he had not learned that the seat was open until Tuesday afternoon. He asked supervisors to consider keeping the application process open for another month to give additional residents an opportunity to apply.
The board formally accepted Irwin’s resignation on September 8, triggering a 30-day deadline under the Second Class Township Code to fill the vacancy, according to Township Solicitor Rebecca Geiser. Geiser said the township was approaching that deadline and also pointed to pending conditional use applications as a consideration in moving forward with the appointment.
Another resident questioned why the applications had not been made public and why there had not been a public discussion of the candidates before DeGideo was nominated.
Geiser said the Second Class Township Code does not require the applications to be made public. She said privacy "may have been a consideration," while emphasizing that she could not speak for the board about its reasoning.
Following the public comments, supervisors voted in favor of DeGideo’s appointment. Lawson welcomed him to the board, saying the appointment would take effect upon his swearing-in.
With DeGideo now sworn in, the board returns to its full complement of five supervisors.
