Apr 4, 2017 By Mark Hofmann mhofmann@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

A Franklin Township supervisor, who wants to see sewage brought to parts of the township and a walking trail brought to a park, is running for his sixth year in office .

Supervisor Joseph R. Marcinek, 62, of Flatwoods said he’s running for re-election because people have asked him to run again.

The Democrat and retired coal miner said when he took office in 2011, the township had $246,000 in assets and $240,000 in debt, but by the end of February of this year, the township had $618,000 in assets and only $12,000 in debt.

Marcinek listed other accomplishments like not raising property taxes, promoting transparency in the township, establishing a staffed township office in the municipal building, increasing support to local fire departments, helping to buy a new plow/dump truck, improving township roads and saving the township thousands of dollars by not participating in its health-insurance benefits.

He also noted that during his tenure the township paid off most of the debt on the park’s community pool renovation.

Marcinek said he wants to see a walking trail installed in Franklin Community Park as a grant was applied for that project.

He added that one of the biggest issues is continuing the work with Dunbar Township to install sewage at areas in Bitner, Juniata and Little Summit.

Marcinek is divorced with one daughter and one granddaughter and said he enjoys hunting, fishing and golfing.

Marcinek is running against former Franklin Township Supervisor George Bozek, who currently has a pending lawsuit against Marcinek and current supervisor W. Thomas McCracken and former supervisors Melvin E. Lerch Jr. and Timothy A. Kelly.

Bozek and his wife and former township treasurer and office manager, Cheryl Bozek, had charges filed against them in 2015, accusing them of destroying a township hard drive, but those charges were all dismissed by 2016.