CLEARFIELD, Pa. — Clearfield Borough Council has appointed a new mayor to lead the municipality.
Following an executive session for personnel matters during Thursday’s meeting, the council voted to appoint Mark Bodle as the next mayor of Clearfield. Bodle will complete the unexpired term of former Mayor Mason Strouse, who resigned June 1 citing a hostile political atmosphere that caused strain in his professional and personal life.
Bodle, a retired Air Force veteran born in Clearfield, was one of five candidates who submitted letters of interest to the borough. In his letter, Bodle noted that he applied due to his love for the Clearfield community, its residents, and the unique traits the borough offers. His term will run through December 2027.
Clearfield Borough still has two vacant council seats due to recent resignations. On June 18, William Armstrong submitted his resignation, effective immediately, to pursue another opportunity. In May, Dennis Biancuzzo resigned from his council seat following personal attacks and harassment. His departure resulted from several harassing messages and threats directed at the borough, which forced officials to cancel the May 21 meeting and close the municipal office the following day. Biancuzzo submitted his resignation on May 26, the day before the rescheduled meeting.
The council voted to appoint Michael Bookhamer to the Third Ward seat, which was vacated earlier this year when Tristin Buck resigned. However, because council members missed the statutory deadline to fill the vacancy, the appointment must now go to the county court for final approval.
In other business, the council approved a motion to have newly appointed Police Chief Rod Witherite establish the Clearfield Borough Civil Service Commission and appointed George DeHaven as the commission’s chairman. The motions are part of the council’s preparations to reform its independent police department following its withdrawal from the Clearfield Regional Police Department (CRPD).
The dissolution of the CRPD is scheduled for 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, 2026. At a June 16 meeting, Lawrence Township—the other partner municipality in the regional force—approved the hiring of 14 of the 19 officers currently employed by the CRPD. Of those hires, nine were officers with the Lawrence Township Police Department prior to regionalization, while five joined the force after its inception in 2023.
The council entered a second executive session at the end of the meeting to discuss personnel and litigation regarding police matters.
Clearfield Borough Council will next convene at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 16.
