A former Tarentum councilman was the only qualified candidate to fill a vacant seat on borough council, officials said.

Raymond Kerr, 70, was appointed Tuesday to replace Erika Josefoski as one of two council members representing the borough’s 1st Ward. Mayor Eric Carter swore Kerr into office that night.

“We’re all excited and eager to get to know you and work with you,” council President Scott Dadowski said.

Josefoski, 36, announced her resignation in December, and it took effect Dec. 31. She was elected to a four-year term in 2019.

Another borough resident, Deston Tanner, submitted a letter of interest for the seat. However, borough Manager Michael Nestico said Tanner was not qualified because he does not live in the 1st Ward, has not been a borough resident for at least a year and did not appear to be a registered voter.

In his letter, Tanner said he had been a resident since August 2020. He said he’s not a registered member of any political party but considers himself a Democrat.

Kerr, a Republican, had been appointed to the seven-member council’s one at-large seat in 2010, which he lost in the 2011 election. He was elected to a 1st Ward seat in 2013, which he lost to Josefoski, a Democrat, in 2015.

Kerr said he applied for the seat because he felt it was a good time to get involved in the community again.

“I really enjoyed my first time on council,” he said. “I think I got along with everybody fairly well.”

Kerr said he’d like to bring some ideas to the council to help keep the borough moving forward.

Pointing to the new monthly Night Market started last year as an example, Kerr said he’d want to figure out ways to make Tarentum a destination, instead of a place people just drive through.

“Years ago, I made a statement at a council meeting that we had to figure out a way when people are coming across the Tarentum Bridge from New Kensington, how we can keep them in the righthand lane at the end of the bridge to turn into town instead of staying in the lefthand lane to go up to 10th Avenue or go out the expressway and leave town,” he said.

Noting he’ll be council’s oldest member, Kerr said he’d like to get the younger people in Tarentum together to talk about what they see in the town and what brought them to it, hopefully to buy a home instead of renting.

“We need to communicate with the younger people to see what they think, where they think the town should be going also. Let them have an input, because I myself am looking at it from what it was. I moved here in 1977. I’ve seen the town literally start crumbling, and not just the downtown part,” he said.

“We need to get the people involved and try to help them help us to figure out a way that people can have pride where they live. It’s a shame when you don’t have to do a lot to your house to still have one of the nicest houses on the block,” he said. “The younger people, it’s common sense, it’s the future of anything. That’s a big thing, and then go to the businesses and work with them. I think we did it a little backwards going to the businesses first and not having the people involved.”

Kerr’s 1st Ward seat will be up for election in this year’s municipal election.

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