Those campaigning for elected offices in four Centre County boroughs don't talk a lot about Republican policies or Democratic Party platforms.
These candidates say running for borough council offices is less about politics than it is about community service and assembling a team that's willing to work together to accomplish as much as possible with the fewest tax dollars.
Candidates for seats in Bellefonte, Centre Hall, Howard and Port Matilda say they are running not to put forth political agendas, but because they want to be hands-on players in the day-to-day operations of their hometowns.
Here's a look at the choices that will be before voters in those boroughs on Nov. 8.
Three people are running for two council seats in Bellefonte's West Ward. They are Democratic challenger Joanne Tosti-Vasey, who owns a statistical analysis business, and Republican incumbents Joseph Heidt, a software developer who also owns the Reynolds Mansion, and Paul DeCusati, a purchaser for chemical corporation Croda.
Heidt, an eight-year Borough Council member who is serving as president, said that in addition to finishing a project to put water meters in all borough homes and petitioning the state Department of Environmental Protection for an increase in the amount of water the borough can use daily, his top priority is the borough's budget.
"Our costs are always going up, and (the question is) how do we keep our taxes in line, because our tax base isn't going up?" Heidt said.
He said he will review all expenses, making sure the borough is paying only for what it truly needs and is making tax dollars work for the community.
DeCusati was appointed to council in December 2004 to serve out the term of Joe Masullo, who died of a heart attack while at a council meeting.
DeCusati said he thinks his business skills can be a benefit to the borough.
"I want to help," he said. "I want to do the best for my town. I can't complain if I don't volunteer to jump in and get my hands dirty."
DeCusati said his priorities would be to get the water system up to modern standards, pursue the purchase of the soon-to-be vacated Reserve Center for possible borough use, and manage the borough's tax dollars wisely.
"If we keep increasing our taxes, we'll just drive people out to the townships and leave a hollow core," DeCusati said. "I don't want to see that happen.
Tosti-Vasey, who serves as treasurer of both the state Democratic Party's women's caucus and the Pennsylvania National Organization for Women, has conducted a door-to-door campaign to discover what issues affect borough residents.
The top three, she said, have been concerns about speeding in certain sections of the borough, ongoing problems with maintenance of properties, and a strong desire to see council meetings televised once again on CNET, the county's government and educational access channel.
Tosti-Vasey said that, if elected, she also would work on keeping bus service in Bellefonte and bringing the borough's Visioning project to fruition.
Preserving Howard's unique, small-town atmosphere is a top priority for most of the five candidates seeking four seats on the Borough Council.
After that, goals break down along typical lines: keeping borough streets and water lines in good condition, supporting activities to beautify the town park, keeping the fire company alive, and keeping a rein on taxes.
"It's a small community, and in the last 30 years, it's seen a lot of changes," said Orie Hanley Jr., a Republican who is looking to unseat one of four incumbents. "We were a rural farm community until they built (Sayers) Dam, and I'd like to keep it a rural community."
Hanley said he would work to limit growth and "keep the town like it is," to keep taxes down and to make sure taxpayers "get the right bang for their buck."
Republican Carolyn Hollar said she is running for re-election because of her love of her hometown and her desire to keep it looking attractive.
"I think we've kept up with the roads very well and (replacing) street signs," Hollar said. "We're in the process now of laying sewer lines to replace old ones that have been in since about the 1930s."
Hollar said she has done her best to keep any tax increases to a minimum and to "make good decisions and be as honest and fair as possible."
Philip Winchell, a Republican who for the past 16 years has served as council president, said he wants to continue bringing "common sense to any of the matters that come before council."
Clifton Corman, a Republican, was seated in a special election two years ago. He said he has enjoyed his time on the council and looks forward to completing the projects begun by the current board.
Corman said he would especially like to ensure that borough ordinances "cover every scenario" and keep utilities up to date.
Leon Marshall, the lone candidate running on the Democratic ticket, could not be reached for comment.
Incumbent Democrats David Keller and Harry Henry and Republican Joseph Hammaker are being challenged for their seats on the Centre Hall Borough Council by Republican Ernie Mowery.
Henry, a salesman for a local store who has served 10 years on the council, sees water as the biggest concern for the borough.
"We're looking for more sources of water because of the growth on our system," he said. "There are more and more developments going in."
In the past few years, Henry said, the borough has dug or has begun excavating a number of wells and has placed a water tower on a nearby mountain.
Growth, he said, is something that needs to be watched.
"There has to be growth or the economy suffers," he said. "But if I were in a more rural area, like Potter Township, I'd like to see farmland preserved."
Joseph Hammaker, a retired teacher who is seeking his third term on the council, also said water is a key issue.
"We need to get good water so we feel we have water for the future. We're in the process of getting that done, digging a new well and getting it online," Hammaker said. "We keep having developments going up around us. Centre Hall can't develop anymore; we're land-locked by Potter Township, and (it is) constantly putting in developments and requesting our water. As long as we have the water and it's available and there's enough of it, we're OK. What we have to establish is how far away we want to go with that."
Hammaker serves as vice president on the council and as chairman of the borough's Planning Commission and Finance Committee.
David Keller, a habitat manager for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, cited repair of sidewalks as a pressing issue when responding to a request for information for the CDT/ League of Women Voters Guide.
"The most common question/complaint is about the sidewalks," Keller wrote. "Repair costs exceed our budgeted amount of money, which made large-scale repair projects impossible. We recently applied for a grant to address sidewalks that need repaired/replaced."
Ernie Mowery said he would like to be elected to one of the three available council seats because he thinks "new blood would be good."
Mowery said the council sometimes has trouble getting a quorum for meetings.
"Evidently, some people on council are too busy," Mowery said.
Retired from Penn State's Office of Physical Plant, Mowery said he has plenty of time and would use it to attend meetings and listen to the concerns of constituents.
If he is elected, Mowery said, he would like to investigate the possibility of making recycling mandatory in the borough and "moving the ball forward" on repairing town sidewalks.
Three seats on the Borough Council are being sought by four candidates: Republicans Kenneth J. Maney, Edie Johnson and David S. Lykens and Democrat John Fogleman.
None of the candidates could be reached for interviews.
Fogleman, responding to a request for Voters Guide information, said the most important challenges facing the borough are its relationship with the fire company and the problems with the borough water system. Fogleman, a plumbing-heating-refrigeration technician, has been employed by the State College Area School District for 26 years.
Lykens, Maney and Johnson did not respond to requests for Voters Guide information.
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