Dave Madsen (center) chats with fellow council hopeful Brian Ostella at last week’s Harrisburg council meeting.
Dave Madsen is Harrisburg’s newest council member, as City Council today appointed the Midtown resident to a four-month term.
Madsen takes the seat vacated by former Councilman Jeffrey Baltimore, who resigned last month.
Six city residents applied for the position, and City Council named four finalists: Madsen, Brian Ostella, Jennie Jenkins and Joshua Burkholder. In the end, Madsen, Ostella and Jenkins received nominations from council, which selected Madsen, a technician with the state Department of Revenue, by a 4-2 vote.
Council members Wanda Williams, Ben Allatt, Shamaine Daniels and Destini Hodges supported Madsen. Councilman Cornelius Johnson voted for Ostella, and Councilman Westburn Majors voted for Jenkins.
Madsen remained for the lengthy work session that followed his appointment. He is expected to be sworn in before council’s legislative session next week.
This was the second time that council attempted to fill the seat. Last week, council met in a special session to name a new member to the seven-person body. However, because Hodges was absent, no nominee could garner the four votes necessary for the seat.
Madsen will only serve four months. In the November general election, voters will decide who will serve out the remaining two years of Baltimore’s term. Both the Dauphin County Democratic and Republican committees are eligible to nominate one candidate to appear on the November ballot for the seat.
Tomorrow night, the Democratic committee will meet to decide who will be its nominee. Madsen said he also has applied for that nomination.
Author: Lawrance Binda
