Whitehall Township, in its long history, has never had three ranking offices - two appointed positions, the other an elected post - to be filled not by the ballot box, but by Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. and the board of commissioners.

Over the past month, decades-long Fire Chief Robert (Bob) Benner passed away, Police Chief Linda Kulp retired and Commissioner Gerard (Jerry) Palagonia resigned midway through his present four-year term.

Hozza has appointed Joseph Shambo as interim fire chief. Shambo, a veteran township firefighter most recently serving as a deputy fire chief, will head the township fire department and its five fire companies until a permanent chief is appointed.

The mayor said filling the fire chief’s position is a priority but gave no inkling on a successor to Benner.

Police Lt. Michael Marks, who heads the criminal investigative unit and oversees the department detectives, was named by Hozza as interim police chief.

Giving no indication the police chief post will be filled quickly, Hozza said the position will be advertised, and a national search for the township’s chief law enforcement officer will take place.

The nationwide search does not mean the administration will not also look inside the department to fill the office, Hozza said.

Regarding Palagonia’s vacancy, board of commissioners President Phillips Armstrong said interviews with individuals applying for the commissioners seat will take place in May, and the appointment could come as soon as the May 9 meeting.

A referendum question approved by the voters last November states the vacancy must be filled by a person of the same political party as the commissioner who vacated the seat.

As of Monday, two individuals had made inquiries regarding the appointment process. The appointee would serve to the end of 2017.