There are four open seats on Pleasant Hills and five candidates — although six will actually appear on the ballot.

Justin Horvat, one of the Democratic primary winners, has moved out of the area and missed the deadline to withdraw.

According to the Allegheny County Office of Elections’ unofficial candidate list, incumbents Cheryl Lee Freedman, Marian “Mimi” Haley, Robert Karcher and Eileen Solinas are facing newcomer Jarrett Niecgorski.

Here are the candidates and their responses to questions posed by South Hills monthly.

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Cheryl Lee S. Freedman

Age: 69

Political party: Republican

Education: Master’s degree special education, Airline Transport Pilot Certificate

Occupation: Retired United Airlines pilot. Currently, I am the chief ground instructor, aviation program coordinator and associate professor at Community College of Allegheny County.

If elected, what are two short-term goals? Provide community programs and services for all demographics represented in our community.

Support our police, fire, EMS, public works, administration, and library by providing them the tools necessary to maintain our borough in a safe, clean and beautiful manner. In addition, I wish to be sure our public buildings are up to date with safety and technology improvements to better serve our community.

If elected, what is one long-term goal? To assure that Pleasant Hills remains a safe and beautiful community while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? I plan to utilize several vehicles to communicate information such as our Pleasant Hills Borough web page, our biennial newsletter, social media outlets and scheduled public meetings on important projects.

As always, I like all other council members, have a borough email and am available via email. In addition, I am happy to discuss issues with our residents via email, phone or in person.

Marian Haley

Haley did not respond to requests for information for this article.

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Robert D. Karcher

Age: 65 +

Political party: Republican

Education: Associate’s degree in data processing

Occupation: Retired

If elected, what are two short-term goals? Push Duquense Light to get the power to the lights on Breisinger Soccer Field and reduce the water flow in our storm sewers to stop flooding.

If elected, what is one long-term goal? Work on reducing sanitary sewer overflows.

How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? Have them attend council meetings if they are having problems and discuss them.

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Jarrett Niecgorski

Age: 19

Political party: Republican

Education: College

Occupation: Student

If elected, what are two short-term goals? To find a solution to the flooding problem in Pleasant Hills. This issue directly affects so many of our residents and needs a solution as soon as possible. Second, provide continued support for our police department. Pleasant Hills is an extremely safe community, and that has to do with our police officers. I would like to see they have all the resources they need to continue to keep our community safe.

If elected, what is one long-term goal? To make sure the council operates in a fiscally responsible way. In the past, there have been some outlandish expenditures that have cost our residents more than what was needed. I would like to make sure that this does not become a continued practice.

How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? I plan to have open lines of communication with constituents through social media and email. I would like to keep all residents informed by creating an active social media page, where events and important votes can be seen. I would also like to have as close to an open-door policy as possible. I will try to be as reachable as possible through social media and email to keep the constituents involved in this process.

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Eileen Solinas

Age: 35

Political party: Republican

Education: Master’s degree

Occupation: Registered nurse

If elected, what are two short-term goals? First, I’d like to help develop a reliable revenue stream to finance infrastructure improvements to our storm sewer systems, as many of our residents have suffered flooding issues during recent summer storms. Though no one can prevent an act of God, we can better prepare for the future. Next, I’d like to increase our communication and participation with residents. Without input from our taxpayers, it’s difficult to know how to best prioritize topics. This is absolutely vital to running an effective local government and the pandemic has challenged us to adapt.

If elected, what is one long-term goal? The most important long-term goal is rather general. I plan on living in Pleasant Hills for a long time because it’s a beautiful and safe place to raise a family. My goal is to continue investing in our borough while remaining fiscally responsible to ensure that our taxes remain reasonable. With school taxes continuing to increase, it’s important to keep our borough taxes low and avoid pricing our young families and seniors out of their homes.

How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? I think one of the largest decisions that will be made in the coming years is the development of a new borough building. I think it’s exceptionally important for residents to have input in this process. Though I’m not the largest fan of social media, it does serve a purpose in helping to disseminate information. However, I’d prefer to use that platform to advertise for in-person meetings (or virtual) to ensure open dialogue on these types of important conversations.

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