MATTHEW SASEEN

Bethlehem Village Council appointed Recorder Matthew Saseen the village’s new mayor during its Monday night council meeting.

Serving as the interim mayor after former mayor Aaron Snider’s resignation on Oct. 18., Saseen will now fulfill the official mayor position until the next election in eight months.

“I appreciate the confidence and support from my family, the residents of Bethlehem, council members, solicitor, accountant, clerks, police department and street crew,” said Saseen. “I’ll hold this seat to the best of my ability.”

Former Mayor Aaron Snider resigned due to health reasons, serving his last day in office on Oct. 31. Snider was believed to be the youngest mayor ever elected in West Virginia when he took office in 2022.

Thirteen months into his term, Snider was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer developing in the lymphatic system. The former mayor announced his resignation in a Facebook post on Oct. 18, writing, “This was not an easy decision, but one that I have come to as I feel it is best for my health and the future of the Village and its Residents.”

Following his own appointment, Saseen nominated Third Ward Councilwoman Rebecca Walters to fulfill the recorder position during the meeting.

“I feel with her experience, she can fulfill the position, and she is willing to take the position,” said Saseen. “I feel comfortable working with her, and I think the council will be comfortable working with her, too.”

With Walters’ appointment, the Third Ward council seat sits empty, along with the already vacant Seventh Ward seat. Describing having two vacancies in the council as “significant,” Saseen said he was working with Solicitor T. Carroll McCarthy to fill these seats.

Explaining that his goal for this meeting was to get the mayor and recorder seats filled first, Saseen said he would address the vacant council seats in the next meeting on Nov. 20.

Suggesting performing an “at-large election” to fill the seats when the vacancy problem arose during the meeting, Second Ward Councilman Mark Saseen suggested an election amongst Bethlehem residents may solve the issue, as “we’ve had no luck finding or picking anybody.”

“I know there are people interested that are considering these positions,” he added.

When Mark Saseen asked for further clarification regarding the protocol when positions aren’t filled, Fifth Ward Councilman Timothy Bishop noted the ordinance would have to be changed.

“The bylaws of the village say that there has to be strictly one resident for each ward,” he said. “You have to change that by a vote of the residents to say a councilmember can be selected at large.”

On whether the bylaws would have to be changed, McCarthy said he “would have to look at it.”

“Both seats can be empty for now, and that’s fine,” McCarthy said. “We just have to try to fill them.”