Solebury Township’s new manager to-be, Christopher Garges, sitting in the audience at the May 19 board of supervisors meeting, got to see what he is getting into.
Observing his first formal board meeting, he was introduced by Chair Mark Baum Baicker as “an outstanding candidate” with a “great deal of experience.”
Garges, who formally starts on June 27 at a salary of $150,000, was unanimously approved for the post by the board that night. He will be working with outgoing Manager Dennis Carney to get acquainted with township procedures.
“We’ve been extremely fortunate to have had Dennis lead the township for these many (12) years,” Baum Baicker said. “But the flip side of that is that it was really tough to find someone who we thought could successfully step into this role. In the end, we were very fortunate to have located someone we feel very confident is the right person at the right time.
“... Chris brings with him impeccable recommendations and has a straightforward manner that the board felt would be conducive to success in Solebury Township.”
Garges recently resigned as township manager of North Whitehall Township. A Penn State University graduate with a B.S. in civil engineering, he is also a USA Track and Field Level 1 coach with “15 years experience with 29 marathon finishes, including nine Boston Marathons,” according to his website.
The future manager attended the meeting with his parents, but was to be called away by “a higher authority” according to Baum Baicker. The higher authority was a senior awards banquet for his daughter.
“So welcome aboard, Chris, we look forward to many productive years together and to getting to know you and your entire family.”
