Four four-year council seats will be determined in the Nov. 6. The three council members running for re-election are Richard Blouch, Lorraine McGee and David Trump. Dennis Palmer, whose term also expires at the end of the year, opted not to seek re-election.
Challengers for those seats include Anthony Vasco III, James Kilgore, John Crosson and Douglas Isenberg.
A partial term is also on the Nov. 6 ballot. Molly Smith, a council member since 2006, is hoping to complete the remainder of a four-year term for a seat to which she was appointed. Shes the only candidate for the partial term.
The York Dispatch asked the following questions of candidates.
Questions and Answers
1. If borough council could make one change to improve the quality of life for borough residents, what change should council make? Explain your answer.
Blouch: Further develop the borough park. Adopt a subdivision and land development ordinance, and a zoning ordinance to get some control over the types and amount of development. Our population has almost doubled in the last 10-15 years, which has increased the demand for services.
Crosson: I feel that one change they can make to improve the quality of life is to get some bad drainage areas fixed. We have some areas that when it rains, a lot of runoff goes into peoples houses or floods their
Isenberg: Diversify....Council, the water authority and the fire company are all run by many of the same people. At some point this may have ben necessary because of the small size of the community and a lack of interested candidates. Franklintown has grown and the whole community needs representation.
Kilgore: Better communication with the borough residents.
McGee: I think were doing a good job like we are, really. Residents and people really do not like changes.
Trump: Did not respond.
Vasco: My focus is primarily on growth of the community: The population of Franklintown Borough has nearly doubled in the past 10 years and I expect that it will grow at an even greater pace in the near term given the amount of development along routes 74, 15 and 194. My focus is to adopt a feasible zoning and subdivision ordinance in order to gain control of future expansion within the community. Also: A subset of the growth issue would be to work with PennDOT in order to acquire crosswalks and perhaps lower speed limits along Baltimore Street.
2. At 1.88 mills, Franklintowns property tax rate ranks at the 15th highest among 36 boroughs in York County. Are residents getting their moneys worth from borough government? Why or why not? Are there avenues the borough should explore to save money or control costs?
Blouch: At 15 out of 36 that puts us close to the middle. It must be remembered that we are one of the smallest boroughs in the county. There are very few businesses in the borough. Still in the past 14 years we have increased police coverage, purchased our first borough office, purchased our first borough park, repaired and reconstructed almost every street and sidewalk in the borough, and added some new sidewalks at no costs to our property owners. We have also increased office hours, computerized the borough office and worked with PENNDOT to upgrade Route 194.
Crosson: I dont believe that we are getting our moneys worth. I feel that their are times that instead of getting bids on work to be done, it's just given to someone. That makes it hard to see if you are getting a good price or not.
Isenberg: Absolutely not! For instance, council decides to widen Water Street, now every time there is a heavy rain the people at the lower end of our complex wade water to their knees to get in their car. We ask council for help and there is no money. We ask to redirect the water and we can't. For the first time ever, Franklintown had to borrow money ($15000) to make it to the end of the year. There was some mention of increased fuel costs as the reason. Council is spending without considering the actual cost of their improvements. New streets with inadequate drainage. A park I take my grandkids to and more often than not it's empty. Theres got to be savings ... lots of them.
Kilgore: No they are not getting their money's worth. I am certain that reductions can be made in borough budgets.
McGee: We dont really have any businesses or anything in our small little borough for taxes to come in off of.
Trump: Did not respond.
Vasco: Having just moved to Franklintown in April 2006, I have a limited amount of knowledge regarding the issue of finance. I will be attending a budget meeting this week whereby I hope to expand my perspective on that subject.
3. Franklintown borough relies on the Carroll Township Police Department for police coverage. How do you feel about the service the borough is receiving compared to the cost of that service? Do you foresee a need to change police protection over the next four years?
Blouch: The Carroll Township Police have done a good job for us. There arent many alternatives for police service in our area. With the rapid increase in our population in recent years, one of our biggest challenges is to pay for the increased demand for police services that has come with the increased population.
Crosson: As far as I know we are getting good service for the money spent. I really cant say if we might have to change in the next four years. It deepens on how things might change in the next four years.
Isenberg: Our options are limited. Given Dillsburg's past problems I don't see changing police protection anytime in the near future.
Kilgore: I do not favor any changes in the police department but would like to see some changes in their procedures.
McGee: I think theyre doing a good job, but we only have so much money to spend on the police department. They come in and only give us so many hours in our contract. That means for them to come into our borough and patrol it, its probably once in the morning and once in the evening. I do feel like they do an excellent job every time Ive ever called them they were there promptly.
Trump: Did not respond.
Vasco: The Carroll Township Police Department does a great job for the community. However with a steady increase in population there will come an increased demand for police protection. This will need to be evaluated in the future.
4. Why should voters support you in your bid to be a council member in Franklintown? If elected, what issue(s) would you address and how?
Blouch: I have always tried to be accessible when people have problems or questions. I have also played an active role in the major improvements our borough has seen in recent years. Hopefully people will know that I care deeply about me town.
Crosson: If you want an open council that you know is for all the people then vote for me. I will strive to be honest and open about what we are doing in our council to improve our borough. Some issues I'll address is our drainage problem, our high trash bills, road repairs. We'll get some expert help in helping with drainage and road work. Then take bids on the work.
Isenberg: Franklintown needs open, honest government, willing to listen to the concerns of all the people. I will make every effort to get the community involved in their government. Improvements and expenditures will always be carefully weighed against their real cost and benefit.
Kilgore: I would like to see better snow removal; possible reduction of the trash rate for the borough and residents; making the borough more of a democratic society instead of having the borough council consisting of members from only two families; I would sincerely like to have more borough residents involved in the functions of the borough government.
McGee: I was born here in Franklintown 71 years ago, and Ive seen an awful lot of changes. I lived on RD 1 until I was 17, then when I got married I moved back to town again. At one time, my father was constable here in town, back in the 1920s. At that time, we had three hotels, two grocery stores, a family-owned gas station, a casket factory, cigar factory, and a basket factory. We dont have anything anymore like that not even anywhere to get a quart of milk or a loaf of bread. Forty-five years ago, I knew everybody in town, and now I think I know four or five families. The town is really growing, and thats good for the town. I think thats why the voters should vote for me.
Trump: Did not respond.
Vasco: As indicated, I have only been a resident for 19 months, but in that time I have come to know and care about the people of Franklintown. My background includes a BA Degree in Political Science and 25+ successful years in the business world. I am dedicated to making Franklintown a great place to live . I will be accessible to every citizen and I welcome and encourage all input and ideas.
Candidate Profiles
Candidates for 4-year seats
Richard Blouch Republican
Age / Address: 71; Baltimore Street
Family: Wife; five children (three at home)
Occupation: Retired from PA National Guard; part-time with Franklintown Public Works
Education: Susquehanna Township High School; Penn State York: Electrical Engineering
Current community service: Volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years, currently fire chief; volunteer EMT.
John Crosson
Republican
Age / Address: 55; Old Cabin Hollow Road
Family: Wife; five children with youngest son still at home
Occupation: Truck driver
Education: High school diploma; truck driver training
Current community service: None
Douglas Isenber
Republican
Age / Address: 55; Cabin Hollow Road
Family: Wife; daughter and family still living in Franklintown
Occupation: lab technician for Carlisle Syntech; retired from Appleton Papers
Education: High school diploma; two terms at Penn State Altoona; licensed real estate agent (currently inactive)
Current community service: Vice-president of the Cabinview Townhouse Association
James D. Kilgore
Democrat
Age / Address: 65; Baltimore Street
Family: Wife; two daughters
Occupation: Retired
Education: High school diploma; four-year carpenters apprenticeship
Current community service: Presbyterian Lend-A-Hand
Lorraine McGee
Democrat
Age / Address: 71; Cabin Hollow Road
Family: Husband; three children
Occupation: Housewife; retired
Education: Ninth grade
Current community service: Farmers Fair Community in Dillsburg; Farm Womens Group #17; council member since 1995.
David Trump, Sr.
Republican
Age / Address: 35; Baltimore Street
Family: Three children
Occupation: Dispatcher for trucking company
Education: High School
Current community service: Volunteer firefighter, currently first lieutenant with fire police; Northern York Community Services Foundation; borough council member since 2003
Anthony Vasco III
Democrat
Age / Address: 55; Baltimore Street
Family: Wife, Kelly; son, Anthony IV, 6
Occupation: Sales manager
Education: Bachelors degree in political science from Mt. St. Marys College, Emmitsburg, Md.
Current community service: Council member since June 2007
Candidate for 2-year seat
Molly Smith
Republican
Age / Address: 37; Baltimore Street
Family: Two sons, ages 17 and 9
Occupation: Dispatcher for a trucking company
Education: High school diploma
Current community service: council member since April 2006
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