In January 2018, Sharon Lesko began a new job as the Mt. Pleasant Borough secretary. Now, five-and-a-half years later, Lesko is stepping into a new role with the borough — that of borough manager.
Lesko officially was appointed to the role during a borough council meeting earlier this month, following the passing in May of longtime manager Jeff Landy. Lesko will earn an annual salary of $55,000 during her three-year contract.
Lesko and her husband, Andy, have two daughters and reside in Bullskin Township.
Her appointment was unanimous, save for councilman Rico Cholock, who was absent from the meeting, and councilwoman Patience Barnes, who abstained but nevertheless, had only good things to say about Lesko.
“First of all, I think Sharon has already made a very good borough manager, and I will support you going forward, but I will abstain because of potential legal questions still out there,” Barnes said.
Lesko said her new job still will include many of the duties of her previous one.
“I’ll still do the basic things. You answer the phones, you meet with the people who stop in here,” she said. “I’ve got to kind of balance my time.”
She already had been serving as assistant borough manager and shouldering the responsibilities of manager since Landy fell ill several months ago. She became even more involved in the job when he was put on the liver transplant list and subsequently underwent surgery to receive a new organ.
Lesko said Landy taught her a great deal during the years they worked together.
“Jeff was a great mentor, a great teacher,” she said. “He always told me, ‘I’m setting you up to take my place.’ Jeff and I worked well together.”
Though Landy is no longer with them, Lesko and council President Susan Ruszkowski said the borough is striving to see through some of his plans, as well as take on some new projects.
“I think one of the big things from council’s point of view is that she is committed to the projects that we have already started,” Ruszkowski said. “She also has some ideas for her own projects.”
Lesko said she wants to see the town continue to improve and thrive.
“I want to continue with what Jeff had in place, and then new ideas, of course,” she said. “New improvements — whatever you can do that way, with the parks, with Main Street, with the businesses.”
Lesko and Ruszkowski said some of the projects in the works at the moment include installing security cameras in borough parks, a top priority and an unfortunate necessity due to vandalism; upgrading the hillside at Frick Park; obtaining new equipment for several borough parks; and working toward a dog park in the Willows Park area.
Lesko said she will prioritize working with an engineer so that the borough can move forward on trying to get grant funding for some of these projects.
Ruszkowski said Lesko not only has a good relationship with borough businesses, but she also works well with her fellow borough employees.
“That will be the first person they’ll answer to,” Ruszkowski said. “She works well with them, and they work well with her.”
Lesko said it is a matter of mutual respect, adding borough employees and council members have helped her adjust to her new role the same way she always has tried to help them with anything they have needed.
Lesko said while she has been handling much of the borough’s business on her own, she will be pleased when the borough hires a new secretary.
“Once they get a secretary, that load is going to lighten,” she said.
Ruszkowski said she is pleased council voted to appoint Lesko as the new borough manager.
“She’s put a lot of time and effort in as borough secretary,” she said. “Until you see it on paper, you really don’t know what someone has done. She’s going to fit in well here. She has a good working relationship with council. She has a vision going forward. She knows the importance of keeping spending in line, and I think she’ll be committed to that. We just look forward to working with her in her different role.”
Jamie Rankin is the editor of the Mt. Pleasant Journal and the Scottdale Independent-Observer. Reach her at [email protected] or 724-628-2000.