Politics & Government
Four Seek Seats on South Whitehall Board of Commissioners
Three political newcomers and an incumbent are in the race for three seats on South Whitehall Board of Commissioners. The township budget is the big concern.
Three political newcomers and an incumbent are battling for three seats on the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners in an election on Tuesday that will surely change the face of the board, no matter the outcome.
With two incumbents choosing this year, the five-member board will have at least two new commissioners. All of the candidates are Republicans.
Here's who's running:
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-- , a certified public accountant and vice chair of the South Whitehall Zoning Board. He won both the Democratic and Republican nods in the and will be on both ballots.
-- , a divisional vice president for transportation for a department store chain and an emergency medical technician. He also won both the Democratic and Republican nods in the primary and will be on both ballots.
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-- , the only incumbent and former director of property services for Lehigh County, having retired from that position in 1992. He is on the Republican ballot.
-- a member of the South Whitehall Planning Commission and a tractor trailer mechanic. Though a Republican, he will be on the Democratic ballot, having won that nod as a candidate in the primary.
Three of the candidates -- Block, Bond and Hite -- in a League of Women's Voters forum in October, addressing development, township spending and environmental issues. They also have gone door-to-door to meet voters and have blanketed the township with campaign signs.
As is his custom, Daubert, who first joined the board in 1990, has been low key in campaigning.
Glenn Block
Block, 54, as a certified public accountant, is trained in forensic accounting and audits. He sees his financial background as a strength as the township deals with the challenges of higher expenses and lower revenues in a sagging economy.
Concerned that the township has needed to use reserves to balance the budget, he said his goal would be to balance revenue and expenses in a given year. With his business knowledge, he said, he would want to manage the township the same way he manages his home and business.
"I'm somebody who doesn't like to spend more money than I take in," he said.
David Bond
Bond, 47, is responsible for the transportation of merchandise from The Bon Ton department stores' three distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois to its retail stores in 23 states.
As with the other candidates, he said budgetary concerns are paramount.
"We need to take some hard looks at everything we do," he said.
Bond points to his business experience and his methodology for solving problems -- listening to both sides, doing research -- in explaining what he would bring to the township if elected.
"I'm willing to make the decisions that need to be made," he said.
Dale Daubert
Daubert, who is in his early 80s, points to his experience in government and township matters and his years of service as setting him apart from the other candidates.
He said he was first motivated to run for township commissioner in 1989, after the township raised taxes significantly for that year, and points to the fact that the township has not raised real estate taxes over the past two decades as evidence of his effectiveness.
"Through quality development and careful budgeting, hopefully we can continue the same trend," he said, calling South Whitehall "the envy of the area."
Brian Hite
Hite, 41, is a lifelong resident of South Whitehall and a tractor trailer mechanic. He said he would be able to bring an historical perspective to the board, given his deep knowledge of township matters that comes from his regular attendance at commissioner meetings the past decade (he says he has attended more than 230 meetings), as well as his service on the township planning commission the past two years.
"I've always been well prepared," Hite said, noting that he never has missed a planning meeting.
Hite also consider township finances as the biggest issue facing the township. While real estate taxes have not gone up over the past two decades, he said, there have been increases in garbage fees and a new municipal services tax. He said the financial challenges require that the budget be examined line by line.
Daubert, as well as Block, Bond and Hite attended the township's first budget hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 2, as officials begin examining the projected revenues and expenses for next year.
All four candidates also responded to the League of Women Voters' guide for the Nov. 8 election. According to information available on the league's website, candidates in contested races were asked, “What do you view as the major issue in this campaign, and how will you address it?”
Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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