Mount Airy in experienced hands as mayor recovers from cancer surgery

The president of the Mount Airy Town Council assumed the role of temporary mayor Monday, as Mayor Patrick Rockinberg recovers from cancer surgery.

Rockinberg announced in February that he had esophageal cancer, The Frederick News-Post reported. He had surgery on Monday, according to Peter Helt, the council president and acting mayor.

“He’s expected to be hospitalized for quite a while,” Helt said in a phone interview Tuesday. “He can’t talk for a good, long while. I think the estimate for talking is at least 10 days he can’t talk.”

Rockinberg’s daughter, Sierra Rockinberg, posted on caringbridge.org — a website used to update concerned parties when a loved one falls ill — twice Monday and once Tuesday, informing followers about her dad’s progress.

In Monday’s post, Sierra Rockinberg alerted followers that her father had successfully completed surgery, which involved a biopsy, and that “the doctor said he did extremely well.”

“My dad is up and awake,” the daughter’s post said Tuesday, adding that the mayor could not have any visitors at the time.

Helt said the surgery was a sign of progress.

“It was good news that he had the surgery,” Held said. “If they hadn’t opted for surgery then that just meant there wasn’t much they could do.”

Rockinberg’s absence shouldn’t impact the Mount Airy Town Council’s function, as the mayor doesn’t have a vote. The mayor has veto power, but he’s used it sparingly, Helt said. “We’re separated kind of like the President and Congress.”

Helt said that while he sits in as mayor he’ll defer most executive decisions until Rockinberg is back in office, unless there’s an emergency.

With Helt, Mount Airy is in experienced hands as Rockinberg recovers. Helt served as mayor from 2009 to 2010.

“I know what needs to be done,” he said.