After a series of dropouts and replacements, voters will find two candidates on Tuesday's election ballot competing to represent York Township's 2nd Ward as commissioner.

Republican George W. Jones, 67, will try to unseat independent Dennis Ness, 61, who is finishing his first four-year term.

In the township's 4th Ward, Republican Albert Granholm is running unopposed to succeed Phil Briddell, who is not seeking re-election.

Jones was the principal of Dallastown Area High School for 27 years and served the district in a number of other capacities before that. Ness is a self-employed building code official.

Revenue down: Reached Monday, both candidates identified finances as the most pressing issue facing the township.

Several months of falling home sales have taken their toll on real estate transfer tax income, and other sources of revenue are down, too, Ness said.

That could force commissioners to make some tough budgetary decisions next year and beyond, such as holding off on money for the township's capital reserve fund, he said.

"We're going to have to make some changes in what we spend our money on," he said. "If the economy continues like it has been, it's going to even more difficult next year."

Jones has applauded the township for the breadth of programs it offers, but commissioners likely will have to be selective about what they choose to support in the coming years, he said.

"Everyone is going to have their hand out for a piece of the

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pie," Jones said. "I think it's a matter of prioritizing. Development is down, and revenues are going to be an issue not just this fiscal year, but it appears to me for the foreseeable future."

Experience: Ness said voters know what they're getting if they vote for him Tuesday.

"I've been in the office for four years. I've proven myself, at least I hope I've proven myself, because of some of the decisions I've made," he said.

He pointed specifically to the completion of a sewer project near the intersection of Leader Heights and Reynolds Mill roads. The sewer work wasn't in his ward, but he campaigned on delivering it anyway, and the project came in under-budget, he said.

Ness also cited his work in trying to fix and ultimately voting to repeal the township's traditional neighborhood development ordinance.

Left unchecked, the ordinance would have invited "more problems over next five to 10 years than the township could deal with," he said. "I think I did the right thing there. I really do."

Jones said his four decades with the school district have given him plenty of experience working inside the budgetary constraints of a tax-supported government agency.

He said he recognizes that people approach problems differently and that he can "disagree agreeably" with them when necessary.

"Running a township and working for a school district -- it's a team effort," he said.

- Reach Peter Mergenthaler at 505-5439 or pmergenthaler@yorkdispatch.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ydcity.