Elizabeth Township has several contested races

By LIAM BELAN

[email protected]

Elizabeth Township has several open seats to be decided in Tuesday’s election.

Incumbents Mark Cain, a Democrat, and James T. Benedek, a Republican, will be seeking reelection in Ward 1 and 5, respectively, while Ward 7 only has incumbent Christopher Evans on the ballot. 

Ward 3 will be decided between newcomers Jason Lenart (D) and Michael Hansen (R), while Adam Musisko (R) will oppose Cain in Ward 1 and Kellianne Frketic (D) is the other candidate in Ward 5. 

The Mon Valley Independent received information from three candidates ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

What accomplishments from your tenure are you most proud of? For non-incumbents: What decisions would you have made differently than the current commissioners?

“I have served for a year now, and I am thrilled to have started a new project reinventing and recreating the Boston Baseball field,” Benedek said. “I was able to assist in designing plans to resurface and reimagine the Boston field area. We requested and received grants from the state to help restore roads and were able to provide recycling bins to the township. The recreation committee was also able to host a community movie night at the Boston ball fields.”

“In June of 2022 I was appointed to the Elizabeth Township Board of Commissioners upon the resignation of Dr. Bart Rocco. I am very proud of the fact I was able to step in right away and serve my community quickly and efficiently because of my previous experience on the Elizabeth Township Planning Commission,” Cain said. “Having served on planning for almost eight years, I believe I was able to have a positive impact right away on an already tremendous board of commissioners in the following ways: 

“I helped spearhead an effort to fight blight.  Approximately 25-30 properties have been condemned and will be torn down this winter. I also helped spearhead an effort to Start a redevelopment authority in the township, the initial purpose of which will be to help find solutions to the acid mine drainage that enters the Yough near Douglas Run Road. Long term, the authority will hopefully find properties for redevelopment for new homes or businesses in the Township. 

“Since my appointment we have hired three additional police officers to add to an already terrific department. This allows us to have proper personal coverage on all shifts to protect our community, as well as being able to work with the school district so that some of our officers can be “school resource officers” during the school year. 

“Renewed emphasis on public works projects such as Forest Hills Road, which was able to be done in house by our Public Works Department, Jacktown Road Bridge repair and Jacktown Road Slide repairs just to name a few.”

“Having attended all the hearings, I would not have approved the Conditional Use Application for the Heracles Well Pad, presented by Olympus Energy,” Frketic said. “My takeaway from the hearing was that the board and the solicitor were not listening to their constituents, professionals in the field or doctors. They were not considering the potential health risks to the children in the high school less than half a mile away or the noise disturbances to the surrounding residents. I attended all the sessions for the hearing unlike my opponent, Jim Benedek, who was only appointed to the board on Nov. 21, 2022 and sworn in on the 22nd. His appointment only afforded him the opportunity to be seated for the last hearing on Nov. 29. I don’t believe an honest, objective, and informed decision could be made by only hearing one of six hearings and he should have recused himself from voting on the matter for that reason. 

“The health concerns presented during the hearing were again confirmed when the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health scientists’ studies exploring health impacts of human exposure to environmental risk factors, including unconventional natural gas development activities were released on July 31, 2023. The noise disturbances/violations predicted by the sound expert have also been confirmed by the recent recordings by residents. I don’t believe a thorough risk analysis was done with consideration of long-term effects on our tax base that we so desperately need to expand. I don’t know anyone who is choosing to move into a residential (bedroom) community where they are allowing fracking (especially next to a school), raising fees (i.e., sewage increase), aging homes, and inflated home values. 

“Our elementary schools are consistently busting at the seams; however, our graduating classes are less than 200. That’s an indicator that families are leaving. The last thing we need is to give young families another reason to leave or to not locate here in the first place.”

What do you consider to be the top three issues your township faces? If elected, how would you address them?

“Some of the objectives that I would like us to accomplish are continued development of recreation and community growth, infrastructure improvement and sustained economic growth for our township through grant funding,” Benedek said. “We have already made great strides on the recreation piece, but I would love to see even more opportunities for the community to grow closer together. As far as infrastructure goes, I will be advocating for Ward 5 roadways with new water flow drains and fresh road paving. Finally, securing grant funding for all of these unique projects will be essential for completing this positive vision for the township.”

“First and foremost, I believe we need to be fiscally responsible in everything we do,” Cain said. “I am a firm believer in ‘If you take care of your pennies the dollars take care of themselves.’

“Maintaining a strong police force. I am proud to be a part of a Board of Commissioners that has strengthened their communities’ police department. Now we need to make sure it stays strong and has a positive impact in our community for years to come.

“Infrastructure repairs, whether it be repaving a road, sanitary or storm sewer upgrades, some of our infrastructure is old and in need or repair. We need to make sure we are selecting the proper projects to benefit the community, be cost effective in terms of planning as well as staying within budget and time frames for completion.”

“Growing our tax base,” Frketic said, giving these examples:

“Encourage economic development: Attract businesses and industries by offering tax incentives, streamlined permitting processes, and promoting the advantages of locating in our township.

“Foster entrepreneurship: Support local entrepreneurs by creating business incubators, offering small business loans, and organizing workshops or seminars on entrepreneurship.

“Enhance infrastructure: Invest in infrastructure development, such as improved roads, rehabilitating parks and recreational facilities, developing a community center and public library to make the township more attractive to businesses and potential residents.

“Ordinances that do not benefit our community,” Frketic added:

“Community feedback and involvement: Establish regular town hall meetings or community forums where residents can voice their concerns and suggest changes to existing ordinances. 

“Review existing ordinances: Conduct a comprehensive review of current ordinances to identify those that may be outdated, ineffective, or detrimental to our community’s well-being. Consider repealing, modifying, or replacing these ordinances with more effective alternatives.

“Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop new ordinances that are in line with the community’s best interests and address the current needs of the township.

“Financial mismanagement,” Frketic concluded:

“Implement transparent financial practices: Introduce measures that ensure all financial transactions are transparent and accessible to the public. I also believe a forensic audit is necessary.

“Create checks and balances: Establish a system of checks and balances to prevent any potential misuse of funds. This could involve creating an independent oversight committee or implementing stricter financial controls and accountability measures.

“Long-term budget planning: Develop a comprehensive long-term budget plan that takes into account future economic trends, potential risks, and upcoming projects or initiatives. This can help in allocating funds strategically and avoiding unnecessary expenditures.

“Additionally, as an elected commissioner, it’s crucial to maintain open communication with the residents, keep them informed about the progress being made on these issues, and regularly solicit feedback to ensure that the strategies being implemented are aligned with the community’s needs and preferences.”