Sharpsburg has 5 candidates vying for 4 council seats

Editor’s note: The Herald is featuring candidate interviews in contested municipal and school board races only.

Sharpsburg has five people seeing four four-year council seats in November, according to Allegheny County Elections Division records.

Council president Adrianne Laing, vice president Karen Pilarski-Pastor, councilmen Roman Mason and Corey Ochai, all Democrats, will try to fend off Republican challenger Diana Oliver.

Democrat Mayor Kayla Portis is running for reelection unopposed. Democrat Councilman David Breingan is running unopposed for a two-year seat.

Here are responses from the candidates to questions posed by TribLive:

Adrianne Laing

Age: 50

Democrat

Education: BA in Behavioral Sciences from Point Park University

Occupation: On-site services program manager at the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh

Community involvement/volunteer work: Board member of the District Association, Sharpsburg Borough Council member since 2017. President of council from 2022 to present.

Years residing in district/municipality: 20

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

I am committed to preserving affordability for our residents. Our borough manager has been instrumental in securing grants for Sharpsburg, often with little or no local match. We also have capital funds for necessary projects. Our residents desvere to live in a safe community with well maintained infrastructure, and with proper oversight of our budget, we can ensure that without financial burden on them.

What is the most pressing issue/challenge in the municipality today and how do you plan to address it?

One of my priorities for my next term is to continue to work with our borough manager, council and our partners on our numerous projects. We have grant funding to build a Resiliency Microgrid, which will provide energy savings for Sharpsburg and will allow us to continue to operate critical services during emergencies. The Allegheny Shores Development has secured RAISE grant funding, which will provide the funds to continue the project, which once completed, will be transformational for our community.

Roman Mason

Age: 20

Democrat

Education: B.S. in accounting (in progress), Duquesne University

Occupation: Accounting intern, Accruity; Councilman, Borough of Sharpsburg; founder & president, Mason Allen & Co.

Community involvement/volunteer work: Borough of Sharpsburg Parks and Rec; member of the BEC Community Data Justice Collaborative; active in youth mentorship and neighborhood revitalization initiatives.

Years residing in district/municipality: Lifelong resident

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

Keeping taxes manageable starts with being smart about how we fund projects. Local government works best when we build strong relationships with the private sector and community partners. Public–private partnerships are a great way to get things done — whether that’s improving infrastructure, supporting small businesses, or investing in community spaces—without passing on additional costs to residents. By managing these partnerships carefully and focusing on projects that bring real value to the people who live here, we can keep moving the community forward while keeping taxes fair and under control.

What is the most pressing issue/challenge in the municipality today, and how do you plan to address it?

One of the biggest challenges in our community is making sure everyone feels heard. Too often, people share their opinions on social media but don’t come to meetings or workshops where real conversations happen, and that can make it harder for the council to understand what residents truly want and need. I believe the best way to fix that is through better communication and outreach — hosting town halls and being more accessible as a council member. I also plan to continue driving redevelopment, supporting affordable housing, expanding opportunities for small businesses and improving infrastructure. By strengthening communication and encouraging more community involvement, I want to make Sharpsburg a welcoming, accessible, and thriving place where every resident has a voice in shaping our future.

Karen Pilarski-Pastor

Age: Did not disclose

Political party affiliation: Democrat

Education: High school

Occupation: Administrative assistant at Hampton Township Police Department

Community involvement/volunteer work: Member of Sharpsburg council for 16 years, member of Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services Fire Department, North Hills Council of Governments – Sharpsburg representative, Allegheny League of Municipalities board member, member of American Legion Post 106 – Ladies Auxiliary, member of Christ the King Parish – lector, eucharist minister, pastoral council

Years residing in district/municipality: 57

With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?

With my tenure on borough council, I will continue to balance this issue as I/we have tried to do in the past. This includes working with our borough manager to procure funding through applicable grants. Our success with various grants has been stellar over the past few years. Before even considering a tax increase, I, along with council, will closely monitor our current budget to see if we can tighten up any of our spending across the board.

What is the most pressing issue/challenge in the municipality today and how do you plan to address it?

I personally have found that focusing on just one issue is not the best approach. I prefer to concentrate on three or four objectives. This allows for a wider brush stroke. This list would include improvements without raising taxes (as stated above), addressing the blight that exists in town to improve our appearance, which would include finding a way to hold our landlords more accountable for their properties, working on a plan to increase new businesses in our Main Street corridor, and finally improve the transparency between residents and government to make everyone aware of council’s continual attempts to make Sharpsburg the best it can be.

Diana Oliver and Corey Ochai, council’s communications committee member, did not respond to the election inquiry.