Communities talk open seats ahead of February nominations

By Chadwick Dolgos

-Local elections-

With the 2021 municipal elections quickly approaching, residents in our readership area have less than one month to decide if they want to run for office, and voters will once again be asked to go to the polls and decide on leadership in their communities.

The municipal primaries will be held on May 18 across the state. Here is each seat in our readership area with terms expiring at the end of the year.

Crafton

Five seats on the Crafton Borough council are set to expire. Four of the seats will be for four-year terms and one will be for a two-year term.

Councilman Mike Crown’s two-year term will remain a two-year term in 2022 because, “Roy Niemann didn’t complete a four-year term,” according to President Phillip Levassuer. Neimann was elected to council in November 2019.

Councilman Edward Alo’s position will be restored back to a four-year term beginning in 2022. “Ed ran for a two-year term as Abbie Rosario left about midway in a four-year term,” said Levasseur.

Coraopolis

There will be four open seats on Coraopolis’s council, one from each ward. In addition to the four council seats, voters will be asked to elect who will be on the November 2021 ballot running as tax collector and mayor.

Kennedy

Kennedy Township voters will also be selecting a tax collector in November as the seat of current collector Mel Weinstein expires, according to Kathy Meyers, township secretary.

Four commissioner seats will also be open to contest: One with a two-year term, and three with four-year terms.

Stowe

There will be two Stowe Township commissioner seats up this year for election. “The new board will be down to five members come January,” said Township Secretary Nick Martini.

The terms of President Robin Parilla and Commissioners Darrel Chestnutt, Chester Glowacki and Richard Derzic are all set to expire this year.

Prior to Martini’s employment, the board of commissioners voted to reduce the number of commissioners from nine to seven in 2020, and down to five in 2022. This is the last phase of the reduction.

Beginning in January, the Stowe Township Board of Commissioners will consist of five commissioners at-large as opposed to the original distribution of nine by ward.

Currently, the board uses a hybrid model: Three commissioners are elected at-large and four are elected by ward.

Neville

Two positions are opening on Neville Island’s board of commissioners, according to a Neville Island resident and previous candidate for the board. “The term for Rick Rutter as well as Bill Leon expires next year,” the resident said.

Commissioner Rutter currently serves as chairman to the board, while Commissioner Leon serves as vice-chairman. One seat is for the at-large and the other is for Ward 2.

McKees Rocks

According to McKees Rocks Councilwoman Sarah Harvey, there are three seats opening on the council, including that of former President Paul Krisby (a Jan. 8 resignation has his seat currently in the process of being filled in the interim) and former Vice President Kathy Evich, both in the second ward.

Along with five seats opening on council, McKees Rocks residents will also be voting on who they want on the November ballot for mayor and tax collector.

Robinson

There are three commissioner seats open for election in Robinson Township.

According to Manager Frank Piccolino, the terms for three Commissioners, Kenneth Kisow, Ronald Shiwarski and Dr. James Mancini, are expiring by the end of the year.

Robinson residents will also be asked to vote for a candidate for tax collector on the November ballot.

Important dates

The first day to circulate and file nomination papers is Feb. 16 and signature collection ends on March 9.

Anyone wishing to vote in the upcoming municipal primary elections will need to register to vote by May 3.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 18 for in-person voting.

Deadline to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot is May 11, and all mail-in and civilian absentee ballots must be received by the Allegheny County Board of Elections by 8 p.m. May 18.