Northampton Borough Councilman Tony Pristash defeated longtime incumbent Mayor Thomas Reenock during the Nov. 2 municipal election. The unofficial count has Pristash receiving 1,202 votes to Reenock’s 1,020.

“I was very honored and humbled by the amount of people that came out (to support me),” Pristash said.

Democrats and Republicans alike voted Pristash into office, he said, adding many people he talked to, regardless of political party, agreed it was time for a change. Though Pristash ran as a Republican, he said he ran on the platform of Northampton.

He credits face-to-face conversations with residents throughout the borough at the annual street fair and in the neighborhood for his victory. Both professional and personal relationships came back to benefit him at the voting booth, as well, he said.

Reenock has been Northampton Borough’s mayor since 1994; before being mayor, he served on borough council for 18 years. During his span as mayor, Reenock worked to develop downtown Northampton, establish the municipal complex and several nonprofits, as well as initiatives and changes for the fire, EMS and police forces.

In September 2018, he was named Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Boy Scouts of America for his years of service and volunteering. Reenock, an Air Force veteran, volunteered for causes such as Meals on Wheels, Dream Come True and the American Cancer Society.

Efforts to reach Reenock for comment on the election results and his years of service to the borough were unsuccessful.

Pristash has been a small-business owner for 25 years and currently serves as second ward councilman, a position he has held for nearly 10 years. He is also a member of Northampton County Personnel Appeals board and Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce board, serving as its president for 19 years until 2020.

Pristash will be sworn in as mayor during the January 2022 council reorganization meeting. At that time, Bonnie Almond will take over Pristash’s seat on borough council.

As mayor, Pristash will not have a vote like he does as a councilman, but he will have a “voice, and that voice will bring a lot of ideas and suggested direction to council to act on the behalf of the people of Northampton.”

Many people see a mayor as a figurehead. Pristash wants to work to change that perception by being a leader and representing Northampton wherever he goes. Pristash said he is already sitting down with people across the borough to discuss ideas and objectives in order to not waste any time once he takes office. Further, he hopes to bring borough residents into the conversation.

Public safety, communications and Canal Street Park are among three of the items Pristash plans to focus on during his four-year term as mayor.

In terms of public safety, he plans to introduce and positively recognize each police officer, firefighter and public works crew member with a short video.

Pristash also wants to have better communication between the borough and its residents through a potential quarterly newsletter and Facebook page.

Canal Street Park was closed to the public in August. Pristash, along with a three-person committee, began to formulate a plan to improve the park. Improvements include making a natural garden in the grove near the Hungarian Hall, beautifying other areas toward the gazebo and introducing a monarch way station. Two grants have been secured, and “nobody is sitting down” on the project, Pristash added.