Chardaé Jones was appointed interim mayor of Braddock on Tuesday, replacing John Fetterman, who was sworn in as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor Jan. 15.
Ms. Jones, 29, is a business analyst who grew up in Braddock and has volunteered extensively there. The borough council unanimously chose her from five candidates who presented at a meeting Tuesday night.
Council postponed a vote earlier this month in response to public concerns about the selection process. A three-person committee had privately chosen two finalists, and some people who attended a council meeting Jan. 8 argued that the procedure was not transparent enough.
Council then reopened the applicant pool, and scheduled a new meeting at which every candidate could give a five-minute pitch about why he or she deserved the job.
Ms. Jones said she wanted to “become a bridge” between borough residents and council.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from Carlow University, was an AmeriCorps volunteer in Braddock, and has co-chaired its Home Rule Commission and its Community Day.
“I want every day in Braddock to feel like we felt on Community Day,” Ms. Jones said.
Ms. Jones said she wants to promote local business development, support youth anti-violence initiatives, and ensure that the borough’s public safety department is effective.
“Redevelopment means nothing if the community isn’t safe,” Ms. Jones said.
Ms. Jones will serve until at least January 2020, but would need to win the general election in November to keep the job for another year. She would then have to run in 2021 for a four-year term.
The mayor’s primary role is to oversee public safety, but she will also serve as the face and voice of Braddock.
Mr. Fetterman was especially visible, and the borough’s economic revitalization efforts received national attention under his leadership.
Ms. Jones said she hopes to follow in his footsteps.
“They’re big shoes to fill, but I’m up for the job,” she said. “I love everything that he’s done thus far. He has put a spotlight on Braddock.”
Borough council President Tina Doose praised Ms. Jones’ work ethic and enthusiasm, and expressed confidence that she would work well with council.
“Chardaé is a smart woman, and she has been engaged and involved in the community,” Ms. Doose said. “She cares about furthering and strengthening the borough in many ways.”
The other applicants who presented last night were Shawna Bass-Dark, Dominique Davis Sanders, Lawrence Frost and Delia Lennon-Winstead.
None of them was among the two original finalists. One of those finalists, Isaac Bunn, was ineligible because he was registered to vote outside of Braddock. The other, Pedro Valles, decided to discontinue his candidacy.
Ms. Doose said that though council was not legally required to solicit applications for interim mayor, it wanted community involvement.
“We tried, and we did have success in having transparency in this process,” Ms. Doose said.
Jamie Schuman, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.
First Published: January 30, 2019, 2:23 a.m.
