Ambridge Borough Council will vote Thursday night to fill its open police chief position as one councilman is accusing the borough of engaging in a process of “secret backdoor dealings.”
The controversy comes on the same day the Ambridge town manager submitted a letter to the council giving a 2-week notice, announcing his resignation to take a job in another municipality.
An agenda for a specially set Thursday night meeting of Ambridge Borough Council lists the hiring of John A. DeLuca as interim police chief as the first new order of business.
DeLuca is currently the City of Beaver Falls’ police chief, a position he has held since 2016.
Ambridge Borough interim police chief Mark Romutis died on April 12 from complications of COVID-19. Romutis had served as interim chief since August 2018, after a vote to place Chief James Mann on indefinite unpaid suspension until a resolution of criminal charges filed against Mann by the Pennsylvania State Police. Mann is still awaiting trial.
Ambridge councilman Jerome Gill told BeaverCountian.com today that the position of chief was not advertised, the council did not accept any applications, and DeLuca was the only person ever considered.
“I don’t know what the hell happened, but it didn’t happen how it is supposed to happen, I can tell you that,” Gill said.
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