Whitehall Township commissioners were unable to agree on the appointment of a new addition to its seven-member board Monday.

Despite having a list of seven potential candidates to choose from, commissioners were split down the middle when it came to a yea-or-nay vote on one of the candidates.

The commissioners were deadlocked on selecting retired township police officer Richard Klock, the only candidate whose name came up for a vote.

The board had met last week to interview all of the candidates, with the appointment on the agenda for Monday's meeting.

Commissioners Clair Hunsberger, Gerard Palagonia and board President Linda Snyder voted in favor of Klock's appointment.

Commissioners Philip Ginder, Dennis Hower and Thomas Slonaker were opposed.

The commissioners did not issue any comments explaining their vote.

"We're deadlocked," Snyder said.

Hunsberger, who brought Klock's name to the floor for a vote, said he had received a letter from an anonymous person regarding the selection of a commissioner.

He told The Press Tuesday the letter alludes to drug charges filed 20 years ago against Klock, who was later acquitted.

At the meeting, he said the person was a "coward" for not signing the letter.

Snyder reminded the board the deadline to appoint the candidate is Feb. 20.

Snyder said if the appointment is not made by the Feb. 20 date, the decision goes to the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, where a judge would name a person to the seat.

The board has 45 days to fill the seat once the vacancy occurs.

The commissioners agreed to meet Feb. 17 to deliberate on filling the position.

They will then convene 7 p.m. Feb.19 to vote on naming a candidate to the vacant seat.

Phillips Armnstrong Sr., James Carpenter, Michael Cocca, Jeffrey Dutt, Ann Freyman, Joseph Marx Jr., Susan Mickley and Klock applied for the vacant seat and were interviewed.

Snyder reported James Roth, who had been an applicant for the seat, withdrew his name due to an illnes in his family.

Roth had served on the Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority, but failed to win reappointment in January when the commissioners unanimously named Commissioner Paul Geissinger to the CWSA board.

Palagonia, who seconded Klock's motion for appointment, agreed with Hunsberger's assessment of the author of the unsigned letter.

Hunsberger said applications for a commissioner's appointment should ask if the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony.

The two-year commissioners seat became vacant when Snyder won both the four-year and two-year-seat in the November general election.

In January, Snyder chose the four-year-seat, resulting in the vacancy.