By Courtney L. Anderson
SHARPSVILLE — The man Sharpsville council members tapped to be the new borough manager is no stranger to town politics.
Council Tuesday unanimously named Mayor Ken Robertson as assistant borough manager. He�ll start at that post Nov. 19 and take over when longtime Borough Manager Michael G. Wilson retires on Jan. 4, which just happens to be Robertson�s 52nd birthday.
�I�m humbled to serve our residents and look forward to doing so professionally,� Robertson said. �I�m proud of our community.�
A Sharpsville High School graduate, Robertson was just elected to his fifth term as mayor and spent time as a councilman prior to that.
�I hope you do a good job � you should, you�ve been here a quarter of a century,� council member Jack Cardwell told Robertson.
�Don�t be scared, but I have high expectations for you,� council member John Alfredo said.
Council member Robert Piccirilli said he believes they found the best person for the job and noted that there�ll be little training time involved.
Robertson said he will resign his mayoral post at 7:59 a.m., one minute prior to beginning his new job. Council has 30 days to appoint a new mayor.
Robertson has 25 years experience in the private sector that he said adds to his public service.
He�ll leave his job in sales at Hicks Office Plus and was manager of Castle Stationery, both Hermitage.
�Small business is a strength of this community,� Robertson said. �I want to make sure we continue to support (it).�
He said he�ll also focus on keeping Sharpsville a desirable place to live.
�People are used to good services. I aim to keep those services and keep the costs down,� he said.
Robertson was chosen out of 95 applicants for the job.
�We�ve come to the end of a fairly long process,� personnel committee Chairman Guy Moderelli said. �We met a lot of interesting people along the way and settled on one of our own.�
Council President Tom Lally, who is finishing up his term on council after not seeking reelection, called the hiring a �bittersweet moment.�
�It�s kind of sad to see you go as mayor,� Lally told Robertson.
Wilson said Robertson�s salary is $52,000 plus benefits that total about $12,000.
Robertson thanked his wife Tracy for her support and council members noted how much she�s done over the years as the mayor�s wife. The Robertsons have three children, Kelsey, Kaleb and Maggie.
