Newly elected Mayor Silhan faces challenges

HARRINGTON – The City of Harrington has a new mayor, Jess Silhan, and the challenges could be staggering to a less decisive personality.

However, Silhan is showing himself to be an immediate responder to what most would consider an onslaught of problems. As most cities are battling the intense storms that covered streets with ice, snow or water, Harrington is as well.

Portions of the infrastructure that have been neglected for years wasted no time in gaining the new mayor's attention. Without missing a beat, Silhan made decisions to immediately respond to the needs of his citizenry.

Before leaving office, former Mayor Luck had hired former public works supervisor Scott McGowan to plow snow.

Silhan met with McGowan, and an agreement has been made in which McGowan will do part-time work for the City of Harrington's Public Works Dept. Silhan's stated priority is the city's wastewater treatment facility, and as he keeps an eye on that plant, other day-to-day needs are attended to.

Phone calls to the city clerk with complaints have been directed to Mayor Silhan, and the citizen this writer had heard from seemed encouraged to get a response.

People are willing to endure some hardships as long as they know that someone is responding to their concerns. Silhan will fill the public works positions as he settles into his new job.

This will include working with the city council to attend to the city's many issues.