Former Freeport Council President Rick Fennell stepped down last week to take up a new role.
He’ll serve as the borough’s tax collector after an unsuccessful search for an alternative candidate.
No one ran for the post in last year’s general election, and no candidate emerged with more than five write-in votes. Since then, Fennell said, there has been little interest in the role among residents.
He said he resigned to offer some “consistency” to the position.
“I thought I could serve the community of Freeport in a different capacity,” Fennell said.
Though he hasn’t previously served as a tax collector, Fennell said he holds an accounting degree.
On council since 2024, he had been reappointed president earlier this month before he resigned.
At a special meeting last week, Freeport Council also voted to raise the compensation for the tax collector office from 2% to 3.5% of total property taxes collected.
That means Fennell would earn about $8,600 based on the projected real estate taxes in Freeport in 2026.
Jay Powell, who currently serves as Freeport’s interim council president, said the raise was to hopefully draw more future interest in the post. He said the new rate puts the borough closer in line with surrounding communities.
Nearby Gilpin, for example, offers 5% of taxes collected as compensation, according to Supervisor Charles Stull.
Powell said Fennell is well qualified for the position, and he expects a job well done.
“Rick is just fantastic at the finance side of it,” Powell said.
The borough will soon begin searching for Fennell’s replacement on council, he said.
That appointment could happen as soon as Freeport’s next council meeting Feb. 2, but council could also call a special meeting to fill the role next month, he said.
