Three new council members seated in Archbald after mass resignation

Archbald Borough Council has undergone a complete overhaul of its membership following a wave of resignations stemming from intense controversy over data center development. Madonna Munley, a former member of the "Stop Data Centers in Archbald Group," was appointed to a vacant seat, with two other new members, Larry West and Lisa Osborne, also joining the council. These appointments came after three council membersMarie Andreoli, Dave Moran, and Richard Gumansubmitted their resignations, with Moran citing violence and social media as factors, and Andreoli expressing concerns about "the current direction of borough governance" and potential litigation exposure. These three had been part of a previous majority that approved a controversial data center overlay in November despite resident objections, and had recently been removed from their leadership roles. The mass resignations also follow the March 27 departure of Tom Aniska, who resigned after denying a data center developer a zoning permit. Archbald residents had been actively circulating a petition calling for the removal of Moran, Solicitor James OConnor, and borough manager Dan Markey, underscoring the deep public dissatisfaction. Council members Erin Owen and Louis Rapoch are now the only elected officials remaining from the original seven-member board, with one seat still open. Munley, who initially was reluctant to join, stated her intention to ensure the new council performs due diligence on data center zoning applications. She emphasized promoting transparency and leveraging the community spirit fostered by the data center opposition movement to preserve the town's character. Six data center campuses are currently planned for Archbald, making it the municipality with the most proposals in Pennsylvania.