2023 Update:
The future for local, county and state government is bleak. The 2020 pandemic has caused costs to rise, employment to drop and the supply chain to dry up.
In Berwick and Columbia County we have been spared the pain, only due to the fact that the remaining Covid Federal money was spent to shore up the budget. This will come back to bite us next year. There is no such thing as a "free lunch."
Going forward, we are going to need to work diligently to reduce costs and perhaps reduce or curtail services in order to ensure that taxes don't have to increase significantly. This is going to take serious consideration and deliberation so as not to adversely affect critical services and infrastructure.
Berwick Council also needs to discuss fire and emergency services and evaluate out capability to ensure adequate response capability, without excess expenditure. I believe we need to curtail non-critical out of the area assistance and need to reconsider non-essential equipment purchases for the fire service in particular. Do we REALLY need that super large ladder truck? Where in Berwick to we have any need for such apparatus? We can not keep raising borough and fire taxes to accommodate unnecessary luxuries. Also, what, if anything, can we do to improve emergency health care services now that our only hospital has been taken away from us. Without local emergency health care, people will die... That is a fact.
We also need to evaluate our fire department. Considering the critical shortage of volunteers and funding for the fire service, it was a serious mistake to shut down Eagle Hose, a self-supporting fire department owning their house and apparatus. In my opinion the company was shut down due to personal, not personnel issues. They were shut down due to a conflict between the Fire Chief and the former Fire Chief and to issues with personnel. You shut down a fire company if it is costing too much or is determined to not be needed, not because leadership can't control the volunteers. I have thus far seen no valid justification for shutting this fire company down, nor proof that the remaining companies can sustain the borough requirements for fire service coverage. There never was even any review sent to the press to advise the community of this.
Most important going forward is to review ways to encourage business and industry to locate in and near Berwick. Local business will not survive or prosper if there is no one to purchase their products and services. We will never be able to repopulate the K-Mart Plaza if business is leaving rather than coming to town.
In the past, I have served as the opposing voice, and sometimes the "voice of reason" on Council. My opinions and views have helped create discussion on critical topics. If elected, I will do my best to ensure that our community prospers and moves forward rather than slowly deteriorates.
I am asking for your support and your vote in 2023.
2019 Update:
Thank you for stopping by. I am on the 2019 ballot for re-election to the Berwick Borough Council.
My achievements on the Council thus far have included stopping inane and redundant regulation and codes. It is important to have rules and order, but government overreach and excessive costs for fees and fines must be controlled.
Over the past 3 years I have brought to Council a number of opportunities for grants and help from both state and federal agencies. As a borough we must abide by state and federal laws regarding borough regulation, which allows for few options to raise funds. Sadly, despite our best attempts to control our budget and tighten our belts, there is sometimes a need to increase taxes to fund the borough.
Berwick, like many other communities nationwide, has lost the sense of community. It is our duty as elected leaders to assist and provide for our residents. We should be kind and helpful, not steadfast and ruthless. Having been on the receiving end with my ongoing battle dealing with my sidewalk (which was damaged by a tree in the "care, custody and control" of the borough), I can personally attest to the lack of support I have received from the borough at all levels. This needs to change. We need to be able to offer support for those in need. We need to offer amnesty for those who can't. Most important, we need to partner with other agencies to be able to provide the support we are unable to provide. No one should live in fear over being run out of town by overly aggressive enforcement actions or government overreach. We, as residents, must stand up for our needs. It is, after all, our taxes that keep the borough running!
Over the next few years we will be needing to fund several state and federally mandated projects, including a number of environmental projects. These will come at a significant cost, but the cost of non-compliance is even greater.
One project I am currently working on is our recycling program. We used to make money with this. After several years it was break even. Last year we paid around $75,000.00 for curbside recycling, and this year the lowest bidder came in at $210,000.00! This is unacceptable and unaffordable. I have several options to present to Council this year that could eliminate all cost to the borough, yet would allow recycling to continue and still meet the state requirements. In addition, some of the cost savings could be used to provide for residents who are unable to comply with code requirements and to help repair some of our crumbling infrastructure.
As a Council we are also working to incorporate needed flood mitigation into the federally mandated stormwater plan. This will solve some borough flooding issues while also acting as a credit for some of the federal requirements, thus saving the borough money
My general platform as candidate for Council is to promote a low cost of living, including maintaining low taxes. In addition, keeping our history alive and promoting our history is key to maintaining our small town heritage. We need to help struggling historical sites in any way possible and promote our local clubs, organizations and fraternities. We need to encourage new business, and support our current local businesses in any way possible. We can do this by setting up methods for residents to voice concerns and for local business to promote their wares, including promotion of events such as Riverfest, the Christmas Boulevard, and other community activities. Promoting business will lead to more jobs and less crime. It is also imperative to spread the word that our town is actually quite safe compared to many other small towns, and definitely to any of the larger boroughs in the commonwealth. There are many who say that Berwick is a hopeless cause. I beg to differ. We have our problems, but we can resolve them with effort on the part of everyone in our community. Our crime statistics have a higher profile primarily due to the diligence and hard work of our fine police department acting on and investigating all potential criminal activity. With continued vigilance we can stomp out crime and substance abuse in Berwick, and provide help to those in need.
I am currently on the borough planning commission and regularly attend all Council meetings and maintain a close eye on activity in the borough. I would be proud to represent you again in this position! I am on the Republican ballot in the primary. There are no Democrats on the ballot. If you are a registered Democrat please consider writing me in. Be sure to get the spelling correct - Andrew Shecktor. Let's strive to make Berwick one of the best places to live in Pennsylvania!
The primary election is on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 and the general election is Tuesday, November 5, 2019.
