8 candidates vie for 4 seats on Plum Council

Four seats are up for grabs on Plum Council this year, and eight candidates are seeking to win them.

The incumbents — all Republicans — are hoping to retain their places in the face of four younger challengers on the Democratic slate.

Both sides, however, seem to be concerned about borough infrastructure and taxation.

Here’s a breakdown of this year’s candidates:

Phoebus Apollo

Age: 45

Political affiliation: Democrat

Education: High school diploma from Greenville High School in Greenville, Mich.

Occupation: IT professional for a managed services provider

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

The biggest issue facing Plum Borough is fiscal mismanagement. The 40% tax hike in 2024 was a wake-up call. Year after year, spending increases while our quality of life stays flat. That’s not sustainable.

One-party control has led to decisions without enough scrutiny. I’ll bring a practical, independent voice to council — someone who asks why our budget grew over 11% in one year, nearly four times the inflation rate, with little to show for it.

Let’s ensure council includes voices that ask tough questions and make our budget work for Plum.

Ryan Delaney

Age: 38

Political affiliation: Democrat

Education: Plum High School graduate; bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg; master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Occupation: Mental health therapist; owner of August West Wellness

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

Infrastructure, infrastructure and infrastructure. The borough needs to bring to completion the several stormwater projects it has been working on since the floods of 2019 as quickly as possible. Also, we need to partner with the State for assistance to update our roads to meet the current population demands of our borough since there are close to 30 miles of state road within our borders. Unless our roads are updated, commercial development projects like the one at the old borough building site will continue to be stalled.

Also, in addition to the amazing events that are already a part of our Boro HAPS program, I would love to see more events focused on education and wellness. We have done a great job of entertaining our residents and providing family fun. Now let’s make sure our residents are educated and invested in their overall wellness.

Paul Dern

Age: 65

Political affiliation: Republican

Education: Some college; two years of technical school

Occupation: Electrician for UPMC; owner of Dern Electric

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

I think the biggest issue we face is public safety. It’s threefold: EMS, fire protection and police. With EMS, it’s a reimbursement issue that we face with insurance companies. Presently, when someone uses EMS service, the insurance coverage money gets sent to the individual and not the EMS service. This is an issue because a lot of times, that money doesn’t get to the Plum EMS. We are working with Senator Pisciotanno to see if this can be addressed at the state level. The reimbursements need to be sent directly to the EMS.

With fire safety, we are in the midst of a fire study that is looking at what can be done to keep our departments funded and get more volunteers. We started a stipend program to have coverage in the borough during weekdays. It has been working very well. We have had several communities from across the state reach out to our fire departments for information.

With our police, people are less inclined to enter police work. Thanks to our chief and our current council, we are changing scheduling to attract and retain in our department. We are also addressing our pay scale.

James McBride II

Age: 39

Political affiliation: Democrat

Education: Plum High School graduate; school at Forbes Road Career and Technical Center in heating, cooling and refrigeration

Occupation: HVAC group lead at UPMC Mercy Hospital

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

The biggest issue I’m continuing to have is still concerns with flooding. Residents are still facing continuous tax hikes with nothing to show for it. With smarter spending, we can fix these issues and find new ways to attract businesses here.

Raymond Rall

Age: 41

Political affiliation: Democrat

Education: Bachelor’s degree in media communication from the University of Pittsburgh; bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Maryland; master’s degree in social studies education from the University of Pittsburgh; graduate certificate for K-12 principal from Point Park University

Occupation: Dean of Students at Passport Academy Charter School

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

One of the biggest infrastructure challenges is the borough’s aging water and sewer systems. Many of the borough’s water lines are over 20 years old, leading to frequent leaks, costly emergency repairs and service disruptions. Similarly, outdated sewer infrastructure increases the risk of overflows and environmental hazards. Council has the authority — and responsibility — to address this issue proactively.

By prioritizing infrastructure upgrades, council can invest tax dollars into long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes. Smart planning, competitive bidding for projects, and seeking out state and federal grants can stretch taxpayer funds further. Council should also ensure that infrastructure spending is transparent and aligned with a clear, community-driven capital improvement plan.

Investing in reliable infrastructure not only protects public health and safety but also demonstrates responsible stewardship of residents’ tax dollars — delivering lasting value and trust back to the community.

Vicky Roessler

Age: 57

Political affiliation: Republican

Education: Graduate of Franklin Regional High School; two years at University of Pittsburgh

Occupation: Former recruiter; currently spends time helping elderly parents

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

I believe the biggest issue facing the borough is to continue to support our fire departments without raising taxes. This year, council addressed the fire departments staffing issues by offering a stipend to fill the daytime void of volunteers.

Moving forward, we need to make sure funds are being prioritized to continue to support this stipend program. The borough needs to continue to keep our fire departments staffed to keep public safety a top priority.

David Seitz

Age: 60

Political affiliation: Republican

Education: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton; law degree from Duquesne University

Occupation: Corporate V.P. Legal for a Fortune 300 company

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

There are two big issues currently facing the borough, both of which the current council is contending with and addressing for the present and beyond. The first issue is providing for the maintenance and/or replacement of the borough’s infrastructure, including stormwater management systems and the various roads within the borough that we are obligated to maintain.

The second issue is ensuring the continued ability of the police, EMS and fire departments to successfully serve the borough. In the last few years on council, we have undertaken long-term planning in both of these areas to provide and improve these essential services efficiently and in a financially responsible manner. We need to make certain these plans are finalized and successfully implemented for the benefit of the borough and its residents.

Steve Taylor

Age: 65

Political affiliation: Republican

Education: High school diploma from Plum High School

Occupation: Retired

What is the biggest issue facing the borough that council has the ability to fix?

In my opinion, the biggest and most costly issue facing Plum is stormwater management. Unfortunately, the products used 50 years ago are and have been failing us for some time. This issue is not going to go away, and I truly think that it will take many councils down the road to correct this issue.

With future developments coming into Plum, this will continue to be a serious and expensive issue for all of us. It’s going to take responsible decision making to juggle this issue into the agenda with all of the other issues that it takes to keep a community safe, happy and a place we all can be proud to call home.

As I stated, this issue will require many future councils to address this. As they say, this is a marathon, not a sprint.