In the case of the Mayor's Achievement Award, the name is everything.

Coplay Councilman and former Mayor Bill Leiner Jr. recently announced plans to give out several awards, including the"Mayor's Achievement Award" when the winners of the Properties of Merit program are announced in October.

At the Coplay council meeting Aug. 14, several council members took exception to the name of the award.

"There is an issue I'd like to address," said Council President Lou Bodish. "I do have a problem with the Mayor's Achievement Award. I think it is misleading. It says Mayor's Achievement award: Coplay Properties of Merit."

Bodish said he believes any "mayor's" award should be given by current Mayor Joseph Bundra.

Naming it the Mayor's Achievement Award implies an endorsement by council, he said.

Leiner disagreed that the name of the award was misleading because the properties of Merit information clearly states "Former Mayor Bill Leiner Jr."

"We [borough council] do not have a mayor's achievement award. If you want to give out the mayor's achievement award, you better make sure it says 'former,'" Bodish said.

Leiner deferred to borough solicitor, Lisa Pereira.

"It can be misleading," she said. "It could be giving the impression you're the mayor of Coplay."

"It's confusing," added Councilman David Royer. "You're saying it's a mayor's achievement award. We do not have a mayor's achievement award."

"I'd like you to look into this," Leiner said to Pereira.

When she said she would do so at council's directive, Leiner said he doesn't want this to cost the borough any money.

"Funds are tight as it is, so I'll just call it the 'Former Mayor's Achievement Award,'" he said.

Editor's note: Johanna S. Billings also contributed to this story.