DUBOIS — The new City of DuBois continues a rocky attempt to build public trust and civility.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Mayor Barry Abbott asked residents for a 76th birthday present: positive news. Abbott said he wants citizens to help make DuBois a positive community again.
“It will go a long way when we go out selling to people about moving into our community,” Abbott said.
The council has frequently discussed the city’s aging population. Because many citizens live on fixed incomes, the council has focused on economic development to attract younger workers. However, officials also discussed “winding down” and controlling costs for retirees.
“We need your help, we need your input, we need your positivity,” Abbott said.
The council then voted 5-2 to limit public comment, a motion made to curb increasingly long meetings.
Wednesday’s meeting and the March 25 meeting both lasted between 2 1/2 and three hours. Before the consolidation, Sandy Township meetings typically lasted 20 to 30 minutes, while City Council meetings often concluded in under 20 minutes. However, those meetings rarely drew a crowd.
Photos of DuBois City Council in 2026 (left) and in 2018 (right) Photos by Steven McDole
The new rule, proposed by Abbott, limits total comment time to five minutes per person. Previously, the city allowed three minutes per topic with no limit on the number of topics. The current council reaffirmed that rule in January during the city’s founding, though previous councils enforced it inconsistently.
Dissenting voices argued the current rules were sufficient if the council simply enforced the three-minute limit and ruled irrelevant comments out of order.
City Solicitor John Sabol said the mayor has the power to extend or reduce speaking time. Council member Bill Beers noted that comments were manageable until March. He argued that in a new city, residents naturally have questions fueled by uncertainty. Beers asked the council to delay the restrictions.
“I’m not trying to limit… yes I am,” Abbott said.
Residents argued that reducing public interaction contradicts the mayor’s call for positivity. Many said the move makes them feel unwelcome and discourages transparency.
Resident Debbie Mechling said the community lost faith in the government due to past actions and that rebuilding trust takes time.
“If we were any more transparent, we would be buck-naked up here,” Abbott said, adding that the council has nothing to hide.
Abbott said Interim Co-Managers, including Ben Kafferlin, have fixed many past issues and that the current council cannot change the actions of predecessors. When asked, the council admitted that not all “fixes” are currently documented in a single location.
| City of DuBois | Position | Vote |
| Barry Abbot | City Mayor | Yes |
| Shirley Dahrouge | Council VP | Yes |
| Mark Sullivan | Councilmember | Yes |
| Bill Beers | Councilmember | No |
| Sam Mollica | Councilmember | Yes |
| Dick Whitaker | Councilmember | Yes |
| Mike Piccirillo | Councilmember | No |
