Fayette County commission candidates discuss economic development plans
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Al Ambrosini, (left) incumbent Democratic commissioner candidate, and Sean Cavanagh, Independent commissioner candidate, share their views about improving county government during a debate with the six candidates vying for the office.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Sean Cavanaugh, former commissioner and Independent commissioner candidate.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
David Lohr, Republican candidate for commissioner.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Jack J. Cole, Independent candidate for commissioner.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Vince Vicities, Democratic candidate and former commissioner.
Above: Vince Vicites (left), Democratic commissioner candidate, and Angela Zimmerlink, incumbent Republican commissioner candidate, along with Dave Lohr (far left) and Jack Cole (left) discuss the issues impacting Fayette County during a debate at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, recently.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Candidates for Fayette County Commissioner gathered together at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, for a public debate regarding the issues facing the future of the county.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Jack J. Cole (left), Independent commissioner candidate, and David Lohr, Republican commissioner candidate, discuss the issues facing Fayette County during a debate with all six commissioners candidates at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
As Fayette County continues to lose population and increase in the number of those unemployed, the candidates seeking to lead the county for the next four years say they are well aware there must be change if there is to be prosperity.
The six contenders for the three commission seats, incumbent Commissioners Angela M. Zimmerlink and Al Ambrosini, former Commissioners Sean Cavanagh and Vince Vicites, and businessmen Dave Lohr and Jack J. Cole, believe they have the expertise and commitment to spur economic development.
The candidates recently shared their plans with an audience of about 200 people in Swimmer Hall at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and those viewing the live broadcast on the Herald-Standard website.
Voters will choose two of the three commission hopefuls when they go to the polls on Nov. 3. Unlike the primary, voters can cross party lines in the general election.
Zimmerlink and Lohr are registered Republicans; Ambrosini and Vicites, Democrats, and Cavanagh and Cole, Independent Party candidates.
Zimmerlink, who is seeking a fourth term in office, said that while the county has striven to improve its infrastructural systems, it has yet to meet the demands of businesses seeking new locations and those of potential residents.
“Businesses will only come into the county if the infrastructure is in place,” she said, adding that both past and present administrations have pursued the improvement of roads, water and sewerage systems. “This is a multimillion-dollar project and is ongoing.
“We have been and will continue to work on our county infrastructure.”
Unemployment figures fluctuate, said Zimmerlink, but can be tied to the slow infrastructural development and the lack of a skilled workforce.
“Our workforce out there right now is not prepared for the jobs that are coming into Fayette County,” she said.
Various county-related agencies and technical schools are working jointly to prepare job seekers to work in the Marcellus shale and other industries, Zimmerlink added.
“We are working to prepare our workforce,” she said. “It’s just going to take a little time.”
Cole, a first time commission candidate, agreed that a properly skilled workforce will not only reduce the unemployment numbers, but also draw new business and improve the county’s economy.
“We need to implement work programs through our agencies we already have in place,” he said. “We need to secure grants, monies and (financial) aid to train these individuals.”
Cole said that leadership is needed to unite the community to improve job opportunities.
“We need sustainable jobs where people can live above the poverty level,” he said.
While a college education is beneficial to many, others are more geared for technical school training, and those opportunities should be available for those individuals, added Cole.
“Let’s focus our attention on the trade schools, vocational-technical schools and services,” he said. “Sustainable wages can be made in these fields.
“Let’s focus on the industries we have first.”
Lohr, who is making a fifth bid for a commission board seat, said the county must improve its archaic zoning regulations that he believes hinders those looking to open new businesses or building a new home.
His plan would employ several attorneys to review the current policies and develop, along with the commissioners, a more streamlined system that is understandable for anyone needing to comply, he said.
“It needs to be a fair, across the board program for anyone that comes into the county to build or expand a business or build a home,” he said. “Everything has got to be fair.”
Lohr said that initiating a fair system will lure business and residents and reduce the unemployment numbers.
“(Businessowners, developers and residents) shouldn’t have to hire an attorney to understand our zoning rules,” he said. “We need to fix it.”
Cavanagh, who served as a county commissioner from 1996 to 2004, said that if elected, he would embark on a similar path that brought the development of the South Union Township business park, economic development and jobs.
“I had to persuade and cajole my fellow colleagues to develop this cornfield and get it on the tax rolls,” he said. “I worked with then-Congressman John Murtha, the township supervisors, engineers and others to put a team together.”
A team concept allowed for progress to be made, said Cavanagh, adding that the current administration has failed to employ a similar initiative.
“Although there has been two votes, they haven’t gotten anything done,” he said. “You have to work with your federal (lawmakers) and state legislators and we did that.”
With the county’s investment of $2 million and other allocations bringing the total to $17 million, the business park now has 48 tenants who have brought millions of dollars into the county, said Cavanagh.
“I am proud to have spearheaded that,” he said, adding that it was also supported by his fellow commissioners. “We got it done. It was the most successful project completed by the county in 40 years.”
Cavanagh claimed that he is the only candidate with a plan for the next four years.
“‘Resource Fayette’ will lead to population growth, economic development and county pride by its residents, he said.
During his administration and since, Cavanagh said that he has developed relationships with former Fayette countians that have gone on to lead corporations and small successful businesses.
It is those people he would engage to help restore success.
“We can’t just sit on our butts and wait for it to happen,” he said.
Ambrosini, who is seeking a second term, said that creating a climate conducive to economic development is the prime responsibility of the county commission.
“We need family-sustaining jobs that pay fair wages, that have healthcare benefits and a retirement plan,” he said. “I will continue to work with companies, like West Penn Power, Boeing Aircraft, Gerome Manufacturing and others to create economic-based jobs.”
Ambrosini said that for the past year he has worked with Circles USA — a national organization that pairs individuals and businesses with those struggling to make ends meet.
“We are working on workforce development initiatives to train the working poor,” he said. “This plan solves two problems — first by tapping into the workforce pool of the unemployed and working poor, and secondly, meeting the needs of the developing job market.
“This is truly a win-win situation.”
Vicites, who served four terms as a commissioner before being defeated in 2011, said economic development is the number one issue for the county.
“It will be my priority,” he said.
During his prior administration, Vicites said that he learned from visiting successful neighboring counties that it is imperative to have a private/public partnership to develop growth and a working relationship with the county redevelopment authority, local chambers of commerce and organizations such as Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, that foster business development, to enhance opportunity.
The foundation established in the prior administrations must now be expanded to bring higher paying jobs to the county, he added.
“I would be very active in that effort,” said Vicites. “I would work tirelessly with these organizations.
“We have a strategic plan in the county that has been updated in recent years and we need to follow it.
“We have the blueprint, we just need to work harder to make this happen.”
The full video of the debate is available for viewing at www.heraldstandard.com.