5 candidates vie for 4 open seats on Delmont council
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Five candidates will compete for four open seats on Delmont Council in the Nov. 2 election, each with their own ideas for the future of the borough.
“With input from the citizens of Delmont, council needs to identify issues and plan to correct them as we move into the future,” said Republican Jeff Cunningham, 54, an insurance claims account executive who earned a spot on the ballot through write-in votes.
He said he’d like to focus on the comprehensive plan council hopes to draft to guide the borough’s future.
“I believe the plan should address stormwater, training for our fire department and recreation,” Cunningham said. “The plan could help council secure funding to support the goals they’re planning.”
Incumbent Republican and engineering manager Stan Cheyne, 40, said he hopes to continue providing the services borough residents expect, “while combating increasing costs of those services and a rather steady revenue stream without raising taxes.”
Cheyne said he’s proud of his work securing a total of about $850,000 in grants for the borough during his time on council.
“This is money borough residents won’t have to pay for through a tax increase or new fees, and it’ll significantly reduce the impact on our residents for our mandated pollution reduction program related to our (state stormwater) permit,” he said.
Cheyne has also begun developing a recreation plan for the borough, which would eventually get rolled up into the borough-wide comprehensive plan.
Civil engineer and Democrat Kevin Bortz, 56, decided to run for council after speaking at a meeting and talking to residents afterward. With experience in stormwater engineering, Bortz said he’d like to help the borough stay on track with state consent orders related to sewage and stormwater, and work on bringing businesses into town.
“We just lost (Victory) car dealership which moved out of town to a larger site, and there’s a large void there that can be filled,” Bortz said. “And as an engineer, I can contribute to the ongoing sewage concerns in town and provide opinions on how best to meet infrastructure needs, such as new state regulations on stormwater runoff.”
Incumbent Republican and software engineer Andrew Shissler, 51, said he wants to sustain the police force and basic services “in these uncertain economic times and while dealing with unfunded mandates.”
“I’d continue having financial responsibility and managing our expenses well, and trying to find grants, especially with improving our parks,” Shissler said.
Incumbent Republican and receptionist Pamela Simpson, 60, also said she hopes to continue supporting borough police if elected, and pointed to her work on the borough building committee.
“We’ve made multiple upgrades to the borough building including new roofing, flooring, windows and HVAC systems, allowing us to offer quality rental spaces to bring revenue into the borough,” Simpson said. “I feel we’ve accomplished a lot of great things for the community over my last four years and I’d love to help Delmont become an even better place in the future.”
Bortz felt he had the right experience to bridge the gap between Delmont’s “mix of long-term residents and young families.”
Cheyne said he hopes voters continue to place confidence in his ability to “consider different solutions to the problems the borough faces and make sure the right decisions are being made for the overall improvement of the community.”
Cunningham pledged to seek the best solutions to better the borough.
“If my opponents have a better vision for the future of Delmont than I do, I will vote for them myself,” he said.
A fourth council incumbent, Bill Marx, resigned from council in September after accepting a military post, and was not running for reelection.
The election will take place Nov. 2.