This letter to the editor of the Delaware County Daily Times appeared in the paper last week. Pat Tillson (6th ward) rightly points out how the Democratic majority on the board has turned around Township governance in two short years.

    Since regaining control of the Nether Providence Board of Commissioners two years ago, Democrats have addressed serious problems that had been largely created and then ignored by the previous Republican-controlled Board.  Today, under the Democratic majority Board, the Township is in solid financial shape.  Long-term maintenance of sewers, parks, and other Township needs is being funded without major tax increases and without drawing down the Township’s reserve fund, which Republicans had raided over the years.  Morale among Township staff has largely recovered from the turbulence of 2004-2005.  That’s when Republicans forced out one employee and their actions appeared calculated to drive out others so they could fill those jobs with their political cronies. The effort backfired, but not before we lost several experienced, hardworking, and capable staff members and paid out thousands of taxpayer dollars in a settlement to one of them.

Control of the Board will be decided in the November 6 elections, as four of the seven seats are up for grabs.  If Democrats are able to win, they will retain control and be able to continue their efforts to reign in development, preserve open space, address storm water problems, improve recycling, make personnel decisions on merit, and keep our taxes under control.  On the other hand, if Republicans take back Board control, we’re likely to see a return to the practices of the past:  no-bid contracts awarded to the politically connected; a short-sighted view of government that puts ward politics ahead of at-large community needs; ever more intensive development; and little or no action on other issues that so many of us care about.

If ever there was an election that could change the character of our community, it’s the one that’s just days away.  I urge everyone to go to the polls to vote on November 6, and consider voting Democratic to keep the good government momentum moving forward in Nether Providence.

Sincerely,
Patricia Tillson

Rick Lacey ran for Delaware County Council as a Republican candidate in the May primary. He narrowly missed the November ballot.

But Lacey is a Republican who also knows about the ruthless single-mindedness of the local GOP bosses. Charlie Sexton shamelessly made Lacey’s father’s personal challenges a campaign issue in boosting the party’s own favorites.  Lacey also knows that the Republican’s claims about efficiency and fiscal responsibility aren’t all backed up by fact. (”We haven’t raised taxes in the three years.” “Yeah, but you raised property taxes 17% in the two years before that.”)

Mr. Lacey has asked the 19,000 Republican voters who cast ballots for him in May to throw their support behind Democrat David Landau.

Landau has also picked up the endorsement from the Delaware County Daily Times, as have both of the Democratic candidates for Court of Common Pleas, Frank Daly and Mike Farrell.

The Republican candidates for County Council have been trying to counter David Landau’s “Campaign Against the Courthouse” by alleging that Landau improperly obtained legal work in Nether Providence in the 1990’s. In case you missed it, former Commissioner and Board President Sara Petrosky had a letter in yesterday’s Daily Times flatly countering those claims.

Here are a few highlights from Sara’s letter:

The courthouse political machine repeatedly attacks David Landau for his role in the Nether Providence Township. As usual they have the facts wrong. […] Under my direction, the board requested proposals for various professional services such as solicitors and engineers. We interviewed candidates, both Republican and Democrat, and had a competitive process for choosing the candidates.

David was not part of the hiring process and neither he nor his firm was selected for these jobs.

Sara later explains how David came to represent the Township in a legal matter:

The township board later hired David to defend the township against a Republican developer who tried to block the preservation of open space. That was also the result of a competitive process.

David spent countless hours, many of them without pay, to help us achieve our goal. The insurance carrier covered the fees, other than the deductible. Through David’s work, the township won the case at trial and on appeal, and now there are two parcels of open space and a Field of Dreams in Nether Providence.

We residents of the Township are the beneficiaries of the actions taken by that previous Democratic board. Thanks to the Sara’s leadership and David’s fine work, Nether Providence remains a lovely community with green spaces permanently reserved for recreation and enjoyment.

State Rep. Bryan Lentz (PA-161) has added his name to the growing list of prominent local officials who are endorsing David Landau for County Council in the May 15 primary. At a press conference in the Nether Providence Township building on Sykes Lane, Lentz asserted that David Landau was the most qualified candidate in the field. He also cited Landau’s role in his own successful campaign in 2006, and the compatible approach the two wished to take on major issues of the day, especially open government initiatives and a strategic, comprehensive approach to transportation issues in the region.

As reported in the Delco Times this week, Senator Connie Williams (D-17) announced her endorsement of Nether Providence’s David Landau for Delaware County Council.

The weekend edition also published a roundup of candidates that included a brief profile of Landau.

In his bid for a seat on the Delaware County Council, Nether Providence Democratic Chair David Landau received the endorsement of Jane Young, Mayor of Lansdowne. Mayor Young has also accepted the role as Chairwoman of Landau’s campaign. The Delco Times has the full story.

The Times article is also notable as it includes a mention of the County race from Congressman Joe Sestak, for whose campaign Landau served as senior campaign advisor:

Sestak called Landau an “outstanding candidate in an extremely rich field of contenders.”

The Nether Providence Democratic Committee endorsed candidates for the May Democratic primary at their monthly meeting on Thursday night. Candidates for Township commissioner, school board, and magisterial district judge addressed the committee in seeking endorsements. In addition, Nether Providence Democratic Chair David Landau spoke about his candidacy for County Council.

The Committee unanimously endorsed Landau for county council, Stephanie Klein for magisterial district judge, and Frank Daly for Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. The following candidates for municipal office and school board also received endorsements:

Nether Providence Board of Commissioners

Deena Beard, 1st Ward
Frank Noyes, 3rd Ward
Mike Mayer, 5th Ward
Matthew Sullivan, 7th Ward

For School Board

Carr Everbach, Region 1
Vincent Marriott, Region 1
Jennifer Parker, Region 2
Michael Reilly, Region 2
Bryan Cullen, Region 2

Additional endorsements are likely to be considered at the Committee’s April meeting.