Candidate for
Commissioner; Township of Haverford; Ward 2

Promises Made...Promises Kept

In 2005 I told residents of the Second Ward that they could count on me to be a Commissioner who would serve all residents equally and strive to create an atmosphere of bi-partisan cooperation...a Commissioner who would be involved and visible in the community and available to hear their concerns...a Commissioner who would serve with energy, passion, and integrity. I have kept that promise over the past eight years.

It is an honor to serve the people of Haverford Township and to represent the residents of the 2nd Ward. I ask for your continued support on November 5th which will give me an opportunity to finish the work that I have started.

Accomplishments

I truly love Haverford Township, and I am committed to keeping our community financially strong, keeping our streets safe, encouraging civic engagement, and protecting property values. Over the past eight years, when I have seen opportunities to expand our tax base, increase services to our residents, trim costs, beautify our public places, support local community projects, or develop long-range plans to insure a better future, I have acted on your behalf.

I trust that you will agree that my record reflects my commitment to you.

-- I was one of the strongest advocates on the board for developing Haverford Reserve, preserving open space, and building our award winning Community Center.

-- I provided leadership for turning a blighted lot into Llanerch Crossing Park, one of the most prominent gateways to Haverford Township.

-- I advocated for the creation of the Historic Commission to protect the buildings which represent our heritage.

-- I initiated and supervised the renovations of the Manoa business area and parking lot.

-- I co-founded the Haverford Township Tree Tenders Program in 2009 which has since planted over 300 trees. I have personally participated in over eight tree planting days.

-- I was a proponent of and voted for the Anti-Discrimination Ordinance which was passed in 2011 to protect the rights of all of our citizens.

-- I served as build captain and committee member for Freedom Playground, the largest playground for children of all abilities in Delaware County.

-- I advocated for and helped to successfully implement single stream recycling, which protects our environment and saves the Township $450,000 annually in trash disposal fees.

-- I supported the development of the Quarry Center and the Haverford YMCA.

-- I have served as a board member of the Llanerch Fire Company for the past seven years.

-- I co-coordinated the Township Hurricane Sandy relief project, which provided two truckloads of supplies to Project Hospitality in Staten Island.

-- I am currently serving as President of the Board.

-- I supported several changes to the way the Township was operating in order to make the township more financially stable, which resulted in a reduction of over 5 million dollars in spending. Fiscal tightening included reducing our work force by 15 full time personnel, consolidating the Township Emergency Communication System with the Delaware County 911 Center, and implementing green initiatives and new technologies which reduced gasoline usage, paper supplies & utility costs.

-- I assisted the Township with successfully hosting the US Open.

My Goals

When I ran for office eight years ago, Haverford Township was a very different place than it is today. The Haverford State Hospital project was in a tailspin -- a place which now offers a state of the art community center, several new playing fields, hiking trails, a dog park and Freedom Playground. The site of Llanerch Crossing Park was being considered for a used car lot. All of our business districts were in decline and disrepair. Now, the Township and HPED (the Haverford Partnership for Economic Development) have begun to focus on this problem, and several business districts have a fresh, new look. Without the Tree Tenders program, we did not have a plan or mechanism for replacing the grand trees which once lined the streets this Township, nor did we have the lovely gardens which now grace the median strips of Darby Road and West Chester Pike. We did not have the Quarry Center, the YMCA, the Oakmont Farmer's Market, the Heritage Festival or the Music Festival.

What we did have was a lack of interest on the board in moving beyond ward and partisan politics. In addition, we had members of the board that had betrayed the trust of our residents.

What a difference eight years make! I am very pleased with the many ways that the Township has improved during my tenure as commissioner, and I feel honored to have played a part in this ongoing transformation.

I do feel that there is more work to be done, and in my third term I plan to focus my time and energy on the following:

Business Revitalization

I believe that strengthening our business community will have a positive impact on our quality of life in so many ways: increasing our tax base will result in a healthier infrastructure and higher quality services; beautification and greening efforts will raise property values; and attracting new businesses to our Township will allow us to dine, shop and receive a wide range of services in our own community.

In the 2013 Survey conducted by the Haverford Township Civic Council, residents indicated that they believed that business revitalization was the most important issue that Haverford Township should focus on in the next five years. I have spoken personally to many residents who have echoed these feelings.

My plans include:

-- Encouraging Township administration and the Haverford Partnership for Economic Development (HPED) to work together on long-range plans and specific projects. Next year we will begin work on the Edgewood area and then move on to Darby Road in Oakmont.
-- Finding ways to support local businesses, such as the parking and outdoor seating ordinances that were passed this year.
-- Ongoing work on beautification & greening of business districts and main streets
-- Filling vacant stores by attracting new businesses
-- Initiating a Township parking study

Township Facilities

Most of our Township facilities are inadequate and this problem has been ignored for many years. The Township Building is operating at 50% of the recommended size. The Police Station is undersized and inefficient. Our Public Works facility was built in the 1920's and makes daily operations unsafe for our workers. A comprehensive study of our facilities was conducted over the past few years and the committee made the following recommendations, which I support:

-- Replace our Public Works facility
-- Construct a new municipal complex that would combine township administrative and police department functions at the site of the current police department.
-- Find a solution to space and parking issues at the library, whether that means renovating the building at the current site, or moving to another location

Traffic Calming and Safety

-- Making the Township more pedestrian and bike-friendly Supporting additional traffic studies and adding stop signs, speed humps, raised crosswalks and other traffic calming measures, where necessary
-- Developing additional hiking and biking trails in the Township

Trees

-- Continuing my support for the planting of trees on our streets and in our Township parks
-- Strengthening my support for the protection of trees in the Township

Recreation

-- Ongoing support for recreational programs and facilities, such as the addition of pavilions and bathrooms in our parks
-- Developing a tot lot playground on Llanerch Avenue in Llanerch

Fiscal Responsibility

Many of the Township issues outlined here have been ignored for decades. It is unfortunate that the current board of commissioners, the administration and the residents have inherited these problems, but we cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand.

How will we manage to pay for these Township improvements, especially the monumental cost of building new facilities?

First, we intend to take out a 30-year bond which will allow us to pay for this over a longer period. Like a mortgage, this is a good long-term investment in our future.

Second, as the Township transforms itself into a beautiful and business-friendly community, new businesses will bring in additional revenue. The new Quarry Center, for example, will be bringing the Township $350,000 each year in new tax revenue.

Third, we have done a good job over the past several years in reducing the size of our staff, trimming departmental budgets, and finding ways to increase revenue, but I will encourage the Township to find additional ways to reduce spending, when possible.