Primary may decide McSherrystown mayoral race
Two Democrats face off in May 17 election.
By CHRISTINA KRISTOFIC
Evening Sun Reporter
When long-time McSherrystown mayor Cyril Noel steps down at the end of this year, two Democratic candidates hope to take his place.
And the primary election could decide who will become the new mayor of McSherrystown, unless someone begins a write-in campaign or a minor party challenger surfaces before the general election in November.
Herbert Riede, 27, is already involved in McSherrystown politics as a councilman.
He serves on the borough's highway and police merger committees, the Adams County Democratic Committee and the Adams County Comprehensive Plan Update Transportation Element Steering Committee.
Riede said he believes his experience with the various committees and interaction with borough employees makes him the best candidate for the job.
Kenneth Moul, 47, said he thinks he's the best candidate because he has prior experience serving as a borough mayor.
Moul served as a councilman in Abbottstown borough for 7 years before he became mayor. He served Abbottstown as mayor for 2 years before he moved to McSherrystown.
The Evening Sun gave each candidate an opportunity to express his opinions about borough issues by responding to a series of questions. Those questions and answers follow:
1. If elected, what would be your top priorities during your term?
Moul: One of my priorities as the new mayor would be to make the office more accessible to public through more communication, and getting to know the public better through a program that I started in Abbottstown as mayor, "Meet the Mayor" program, where people can talk to the mayor at the borough office during certain hours in a non-confrontational manner. Being the main public relations person for the borough and its biggest cheerleader. So many times, the public comes to a meeting and right away it turns confrontational, and that is just not the way to do it. So if I can be a bridge between the council and the public, it would be a way of reaching out.
Riede: Safety and Service. My top priorities will be:
Ensuring that periods of non-coverage by a local police department are eliminated to avoid danger to residents and EMS responders.
Easing traffic on our infrastructure so that roads are safer for cross traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Making myself available to any and all people of the borough to the best of my ability.
2. Do you think McSherrystown borough has adequate police protection? If not, what would you do to improve it?
Moul: McSherrystown has very good and adequate protection. A few things I would like to see happen though: During the months when the weather cooperates, I would like to see a street patrol or bike patrol instituted. This would be done certain times and different place in the borough, days and evenings. The public would be more accessible. You can't always see what is going on while driving a car and there would be easier accessibility to places a car can't reach. Also would like the borough to purchase bikes for the police to ride if the program is approved.
Riede: No. With people moving out of McSherrystown to newer homes in surrounding townships, increasing the number of rental properties here as well as gaining a younger, growing borough population, higher crime rate, and a list of recent events that have happened while no officer was on duty, the urbanization of McSherrystown has made it clear that we are on borrowed time before a tragic event occurs because of understaffing.
We need to move to 24-hour police coverage.
To establish our own 24-hour police force, we would have to invest in, at minimum, two new officers. One innovative way to fund this includes establishing a 1 percent Nonresident Earned Income Tax, thereby spreading the costs equitably to those who also use the borough's services.
3. Borough officials have considered merging McSherrystown's police department with Conewago Township's police department. What are your thoughts on the possible merger? Do you think it's necessary? Why or why not? Do you think it would benefit residents? If so, how?
Moul: I think the police merger could be a very good thing for all parties involved, as long as the borough continues to get the coverage and the manpower that it has now. I will not, under any circumstances, approve of a merger where the safety of the citizens and taxpayers of the borough and our current police force is compromised by loss of coverage time and manpower. I will not stand for anyone losing the jobs or their ranks if the merger takes place. I believe there was some confusion in the last article in the newspaper that I didn't support the merger. I do if our police department is not compromised in any way.
Riede: I know we need to have 24-hour police coverage. That's why I drove the Police Merger Committee process so hard.
The survey that the state was to produce for the Police Merger Committee and the Borough and Township is yet to be completed and returned.
I know that if a merger occurs that all officers are promised their jobs at their positions and pay, and a state grant pays for the chief's salary for two years.
The benefits to the municipalities include the ability to schedule extra officers at peak hours, having officers work in specialty positions, eliminate mutual aid and jurisdictional problems, and lowering overhead. It could also mean lowering costs (and therefore taxes) in both McSherrystown and Conewago township.
4. Adams County is facing intense development pressure. Is your municipality doing enough to control residential development? Why or why not? If not, what more can be done?
Moul: Adams County is facing tremendous growth and McSherrystown is no exception. I think the borough is pretty much built up and the main growth is continuing around the borough in the townships. Unfortunately, you can't stop growth, but you can regulate it by making sure your zoning and comprehensive plan are up to date. You also have to be prepared to use them also. You have to work together with the county. I don't think anyone has the answer to the question of the growth issue facing Adams County and our schools in the area. Adams County should be proud to have McSherrystown as their southern gateway to the county.
Riede: I strongly believe in protecting the rural character of Adams County. That said, as a borough, McSherrystown is the town center. While McSherrystown was not fully developed just a decade ago, the state of being "fully developed" has already come and passed McSherrystown. I believe that we should encourage reasonable development in McSherrystown, wherever possible, and discourage development of open land. I believe that municipalities, not builders, should plan communities and developments, just as it was done in the time of official maps before the 1950s. I believe that McSherrystown should be able to offset costs through pass-through impact fees from development nearby in Conewago Township.
Kenneth A. Moul
Age: 47
Address: North Street, McSherrystown
Family: single
Education: graudated from New Oxford High School in 1976, completed some college courses
Occupation: packer, Utz Quality Foods Inc.
Current Community Involvment: Member of the board of govenors and volunteer with the East Berlin Community Center, and becoming an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society.
Herbert L. Riede
Age: 27
Address: Main Street, McSherrystown
Family: wife, Stephanie; two daughters
Education: graduated from Meadville Area Senior High School in 1996, completed courses at Edinboro University, completed Pennsylvania State Borough Association training in 2004, a member of Leadership Adams-Hanover Class of 2005, currently taking courses at Harrisburg Area Community College's Gettysburg campus.
Occupation: web developer at The Boyds Collection, Ltd.; McSherrystown borough council
Current Community Involvement: Leadership Adams-Hanover, LEAD/Character Counts Task Force, Adams County Democratic Executive Committee, McSherrystown borough council.
Contact Christina Kristofic at ckristofic@eveningsun.com
Two Democrats face off in May 17 election.
By CHRISTINA KRISTOFIC
Evening Sun Reporter
When long-time McSherrystown mayor Cyril Noel steps down at the end of this year, two Democratic candidates hope to take his place.
And the primary election could decide who will become the new mayor of McSherrystown, unless someone begins a write-in campaign or a minor party challenger surfaces before the general election in November.
Herbert Riede, 27, is already involved in McSherrystown politics as a councilman.
He serves on the borough's highway and police merger committees, the Adams County Democratic Committee and the Adams County Comprehensive Plan Update Transportation Element Steering Committee.
Riede said he believes his experience with the various committees and interaction with borough employees makes him the best candidate for the job.
Kenneth Moul, 47, said he thinks he's the best candidate because he has prior experience serving as a borough mayor.
Moul served as a councilman in Abbottstown borough for 7 years before he became mayor. He served Abbottstown as mayor for 2 years before he moved to McSherrystown.
The Evening Sun gave each candidate an opportunity to express his opinions about borough issues by responding to a series of questions. Those questions and answers follow:
1. If elected, what would be your top priorities during your term?
Moul: One of my priorities as the new mayor would be to make the office more accessible to public through more communication, and getting to know the public better through a program that I started in Abbottstown as mayor, "Meet the Mayor" program, where people can talk to the mayor at the borough office during certain hours in a non-confrontational manner. Being the main public relations person for the borough and its biggest cheerleader. So many times, the public comes to a meeting and right away it turns confrontational, and that is just not the way to do it. So if I can be a bridge between the council and the public, it would be a way of reaching out.
Riede: Safety and Service. My top priorities will be:
Ensuring that periods of non-coverage by a local police department are eliminated to avoid danger to residents and EMS responders.
Easing traffic on our infrastructure so that roads are safer for cross traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Making myself available to any and all people of the borough to the best of my ability.
2. Do you think McSherrystown borough has adequate police protection? If not, what would you do to improve it?
Moul: McSherrystown has very good and adequate protection. A few things I would like to see happen though: During the months when the weather cooperates, I would like to see a street patrol or bike patrol instituted. This would be done certain times and different place in the borough, days and evenings. The public would be more accessible. You can't always see what is going on while driving a car and there would be easier accessibility to places a car can't reach. Also would like the borough to purchase bikes for the police to ride if the program is approved.
Riede: No. With people moving out of McSherrystown to newer homes in surrounding townships, increasing the number of rental properties here as well as gaining a younger, growing borough population, higher crime rate, and a list of recent events that have happened while no officer was on duty, the urbanization of McSherrystown has made it clear that we are on borrowed time before a tragic event occurs because of understaffing.
We need to move to 24-hour police coverage.
To establish our own 24-hour police force, we would have to invest in, at minimum, two new officers. One innovative way to fund this includes establishing a 1 percent Nonresident Earned Income Tax, thereby spreading the costs equitably to those who also use the borough's services.
3. Borough officials have considered merging McSherrystown's police department with Conewago Township's police department. What are your thoughts on the possible merger? Do you think it's necessary? Why or why not? Do you think it would benefit residents? If so, how?
Moul: I think the police merger could be a very good thing for all parties involved, as long as the borough continues to get the coverage and the manpower that it has now. I will not, under any circumstances, approve of a merger where the safety of the citizens and taxpayers of the borough and our current police force is compromised by loss of coverage time and manpower. I will not stand for anyone losing the jobs or their ranks if the merger takes place. I believe there was some confusion in the last article in the newspaper that I didn't support the merger. I do if our police department is not compromised in any way.
Riede: I know we need to have 24-hour police coverage. That's why I drove the Police Merger Committee process so hard.
The survey that the state was to produce for the Police Merger Committee and the Borough and Township is yet to be completed and returned.
I know that if a merger occurs that all officers are promised their jobs at their positions and pay, and a state grant pays for the chief's salary for two years.
The benefits to the municipalities include the ability to schedule extra officers at peak hours, having officers work in specialty positions, eliminate mutual aid and jurisdictional problems, and lowering overhead. It could also mean lowering costs (and therefore taxes) in both McSherrystown and Conewago township.
4. Adams County is facing intense development pressure. Is your municipality doing enough to control residential development? Why or why not? If not, what more can be done?
Moul: Adams County is facing tremendous growth and McSherrystown is no exception. I think the borough is pretty much built up and the main growth is continuing around the borough in the townships. Unfortunately, you can't stop growth, but you can regulate it by making sure your zoning and comprehensive plan are up to date. You also have to be prepared to use them also. You have to work together with the county. I don't think anyone has the answer to the question of the growth issue facing Adams County and our schools in the area. Adams County should be proud to have McSherrystown as their southern gateway to the county.
Riede: I strongly believe in protecting the rural character of Adams County. That said, as a borough, McSherrystown is the town center. While McSherrystown was not fully developed just a decade ago, the state of being "fully developed" has already come and passed McSherrystown. I believe that we should encourage reasonable development in McSherrystown, wherever possible, and discourage development of open land. I believe that municipalities, not builders, should plan communities and developments, just as it was done in the time of official maps before the 1950s. I believe that McSherrystown should be able to offset costs through pass-through impact fees from development nearby in Conewago Township.
Kenneth A. Moul
Age: 47
Address: North Street, McSherrystown
Family: single
Education: graudated from New Oxford High School in 1976, completed some college courses
Occupation: packer, Utz Quality Foods Inc.
Current Community Involvment: Member of the board of govenors and volunteer with the East Berlin Community Center, and becoming an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society.
Herbert L. Riede
Age: 27
Address: Main Street, McSherrystown
Family: wife, Stephanie; two daughters
Education: graduated from Meadville Area Senior High School in 1996, completed courses at Edinboro University, completed Pennsylvania State Borough Association training in 2004, a member of Leadership Adams-Hanover Class of 2005, currently taking courses at Harrisburg Area Community College's Gettysburg campus.
Occupation: web developer at The Boyds Collection, Ltd.; McSherrystown borough council
Current Community Involvement: Leadership Adams-Hanover, LEAD/Character Counts Task Force, Adams County Democratic Executive Committee, McSherrystown borough council.
Contact Christina Kristofic at ckristofic@eveningsun.com
Comments