Canonsburg Council Hires New Borough Manager

Canonsburg Council hired Robert Kipp as the new borough manager in a special meeting Monday night.

The Council voted 7 to 2 to approve the hire, with councilmen Paul Sharkady and Tim Bilsky casting the dissenting votes.

In his own words, Kipp said he brings “lots of experience in municipal government” with him to his new position.

Kipp has been the borough manager in Reserve Township since 2010, and was previously manager of the North Strabane Township Municipal Authority for seven years and manager of White Oak Borough for two years.

Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome said he is glad to welcome Kipp to the borough.

“The time I’ve been around Mr. Kipp I believe the residents will enjoy the enthusiasm and professionalism he will bring to this community,” Rhome said after the meeting.    

Disagreement Between Members

Both Sharkady and Bilsky said they felt that they had little to no time to review a resume produced in an executive session.

Sharkady said that the candidates’ resumes were denied to the council members because of  confidentiality, and when he finally received Kipp’s resume he was not given sufficient time to review it.   

Sharkady also said all nine members should have been involved in the hiring process, not just three, and that overall the process was “underhanded and sneaky.”

“When something like that is surreptitiously motivated, I will vote no every time,” Sharkady said.  

A committee including Councilwoman Fran Coleman and Councilmen Rich Russo and Joe McGarry ultimately recommended Kipp out of 37 other applicants. The committee was assisted by Michael Foreman, the regional local government specialist with the Governor's Center for Local Government Services.

Although Bilsky voted against hiring Kipp, he added in an interview after the meeting, “I look forward to working with him, regardless of how I voted...he’s my borough manager now and I fully support him and I’m going to do whatever I can to help him. I hope he’s the best thing that ever happened to Canonsburg.”

After the meeting, Coleman, the committee chairwoman, said that at first Foreman had told the committee that the resumes were confidential, and that a week before the council interviewed Kipp, she had passed around a copy to the council members for their review in an executive session.

According to Coleman, after reviewing the resumes, “No one even came close to [Kipp].”   

Kipp is expected to begin his new job at the borough by July 15. Kipp will be paid a salary of $66,800 — the same as former Borough Manager Terry Hazlett, who retired in May.