Money is the key issue that hangs over the election for New Castle City Council.
By that, we mean the city’s financial plight. New Castle is an Act 47 community, officially recognized by the state as financially distressed and operating under a system designed to promote fiscal accountability.
There are restrictions under Act 47. But they mainly require the city to operate within a believable budget. The city still can develop policies and programs as it sees fit.
It just has to be able to pay for them.
There appear to be a lot of misconceptions in New Castle about Act 47. And many of them are held by candidates running for city council. Typically, these consist of the view that being in Act 47 is a terrible thing.
We disagree. The terrible part was the poor leadership that dug the city into a financial hole. Act 47 is the salvation, a lifeline for the community.
And not only does it force the fiscal discipline city officials were unwilling to provide by themselves, Act 47 also presents an opportunity to move forward. New Castle’s recovery plan under Act 47 includes plenty of ideas for strengthening the city and its operations.
The key ingredient is a group of city officials willing to tackle the hard work.
And that brings us to Tuesday’s race for city council and our endorsements. Voters will select three new faces for council, two for four-year terms and one for a two-year stint.
The two-year contest is a special election (resulting from a resignation vacancy) that pits Democrat Richard Beshero against Republican Theo McCracken. Neither candidate ran in the primary; they were selected for the ballot by their respective party committees.
Of the two, we think McCracken is the stronger choice. He has a long record of civic involvement that can be an asset to council. Beshero, a political newcomer by contrast, demonstrated little knowledge of city government’s structure or the responsibilities of a council member.
Candidates in the four-year contests for council are Democrats MaryAnne Gavrile and Ed Yerage and Republicans John Altman and William Schafer.
Our strongest endorsement goes to Gavrile. We believe she understands the role council must play in New Castle’s future, not only in terms of Act 47, but also in setting standards for protecting neighborhoods from poorly tended properties.
That’s something New Castle desperately needs.
Similarly, we recommend Altman as a good choice for council. As a private citizen, he was among the early proponents of Act 47, pushing the issue via petition. Without the input of concerned individuals such as Altman, it is terrifying to think where New Castle would be today.
Like Gavrile, Altman recognizes the need to target problem properties in order to protect neighborhoods. He would be a positive force on council. Altman and Gavrile demonstrate to us a knowledge base of how city government ought to run.
Although we will not endorse him in this contest, we were impressed with Yerage’s energy and passion for the city. These are admirable qualities. However, they are no substitute for the experience and insights offered by others in the race.
The final candidate, Schafer, offered little insight into city operations, despite a heavy background in local politics and government. Schafer pledged to listen to the people; we think a serious candidate ought to have a solid game plan for tackling the city’s problems.
So our endorsements for New Castle City Council in Tuesday’s election go to MaryAnne Gavrile and John Altman in the four-year contest and Theo McCracken in the two-year race.
Editorials
EDITORIAL: Council question
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High court forces lawmakers back to drawing board
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to throw out a legislative redistricting plan exposes a fundamental truth: The mapping of House and Senate districts in the commonwealth have nothing to do with representation or serving the people.
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Our Opinion: City hurts businesses by ticketing during lunch hours
Most of the candidates running (and now elected) for New Castle City Council and mayor last year said they believed downtown redevelopment was important. This was a common theme during editorial board meetings at the New Castle News prior to last spring’s primary and before the general election.
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Citizens offer to take open seat on New Castle City Council
It’s good to see there is so much interest in serving on New Castle City Council. On Tuesday, council interviewed nine citizens who have expressed a desire to fill an existing vacancy. The only unfortunate part is that most of these people weren’t interested in the post last year, when it was on the ballot.
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Second thoughts
County commissioner decides to take charge of prison board
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Our Opinion, Part 2: Mayor’s hiring of his son raises more serious questions
If you ask New Castle residents to identify the biggest problem in local government, one word will stand out:
Nepotism. The term, of course, refers to the hiring of one’s relatives for positions, regardless of the fact others are equally — or more — deserving of available positions. -
Our Opinion: Why didn’t council keep Chief Tom Sansone?
Last week, a majority on city council refused to confirm Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo’s appointment of Tom Sansone to continue as police chief. For the moment, the city has no police chief, and city residents are left to wonder why.
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Writers reveal ignorance of school board politics
Editor, The News: In a recent edition of The News there was a letter by James Smith that caught my attention.
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Fairness is consideration in Jameson Hospital’s request to city
Jameson Hospital wants New Castle to give it a break. And it’s something city council should consider — if doing so makes sense, and if it is fair to all.
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Proposal to cut size of Legislature moves modestly ahead
Efforts to streamline Pennsylvania’s Legislature took a step forward this week. But plenty of additional steps remain in what promises to be a daunting process.
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Violence flares in Mideast nation as American troops depart
It doesn’t always make headlines in America, but violence is a regular occurrence in Iraq. Yesterday, car bombings in Baghdad killed 14 people and wounded 75 others. In the United States, such bloodshed would be a major event. In Iraq, it’s just more of the same.
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High court forces lawmakers back to drawing board
