By Ella Prieto, Editor-in-Chief
On Monday, the Gettysburg Borough Council met to elect a new mayor following the resignation and arrest of the previous mayor, Chad-Alan Carr. Of the 14 applicants for the position, 12 gave five-minute presentations of their reasons for wanting the office; one withdrew earlier Monday morning, and one failed to provide a signed affidavit confirming they reside in the Borough.
After hearing from the candidates, the Council voted to appoint Alison Lintal as Mayor after four voting rounds. Lintal currently works as an Adjunct Professor for the Public Policy Department at Gettysburg College. She teaches Public Policy 306: The Public & Its Problems and Public Policy 401: Public Policy Capstone Experience.
Lintal, who grew up in South Central Pennsylvania, received her Bachelor of Arts from Lafayette College in International Affairs and Spanish, followed by a Juris Doctor in Law from the University of Miami Law School. She first worked as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Chicago. She then returned to her home state of Pennsylvania to work at Penn State Dickinson Law School, serving as Director of Career Services & Internship Programs and as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law. Lintal moved to teaching at Gettysburg College, along with opening her own business, Hidden Wisdom Yoga as a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, about two years ago. She also works part-time as a Hearing Officer for Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities.
“My background in government service as a lawyer, my knowledge of the demands of opening up a small business and my time spent as both an administrator and a professor in higher education, as well as my experience as a parent to young children, make me uniquely suited for the role of Mayor of Gettysburg,” stated Lintal in her presentation.
She also shared her volunteer experience with South Central Community Action Programs’s (SCCAP) At Home in Adams County Coalition, citing issues of rising housing costs contributing to a 20% decrease in the Borough’s 35 to 54 year old population. This includes Adams County’s rental prices increasing by 75%, causing more people to be priced out.
“These type of demographic trends and housing shortages makes it challenging to assure the long-term sustainability of a community,” said Lintal. “I want to be Gettysburg’s Mayor so that our special community remains welcoming and available to all who want to live here.”
She also emphasized the importance of earned trust in public officials, and that it is important to “not let individual bad acts define an entire community.”
In her speech, Lintal connected her past to how she would best serve Gettysburg, such as her role as a lawyer teaching her the importance of transparency, communication and understanding government impacts. She also stated that as mayor, she would work to meet with representatives from the police department, the College, community organizations, the business community and the general public to understand constraints and opportunities to facilitate better collaboration.
“The mayor is an instrument of the people, and should be appointed due to their ability to listen, to exercise judgement, to understand the overall community needs and interests,” concluded Lintal. “Not every constituent can have the exact outcome they personally desire, but everyone should feel heard.”
Lintal will serve as Mayor until Jan. of 2028.
(Ella Prieto currently serves as a Junior Council Member on the Gettysburg Borough Council)
