Candidates battle for Plum Borough's mayoral seat

After the passing of Democratic Plum Borough mayoral candidate Shawn Marcellino this summer, the Plum Democratic Committee tapped David Biondo to challenge Republican incumbent Mayor Harry Schlegel.

Here are the candidates and their responses to election questions posed by the Plum Advance Leader.

David Biondo

Why did you decide to run for election? To be completely honest, I had never thought about running for a political office before.

Shawn Marcellino was the previous Democratic Nominee for the Mayor of Plum and was a good friend of mine. Because of that I was following his campaign closely and we had a lot of the same visions and goals for the community. When Shawn unfortunately passed away earlier this year, I decided to step in and take over for him.

To add to that, my wife and I moved to Plum 13 years ago. This is the community where we wanted to plant roots and have a family. We have three young children and really do love all that this community has to offer. I love that Plum is becoming a more diverse community and want to make sure that everyone feels welcome and included.

Overall, this is where I’m raising my kids. I want to ensure that they have a great community now and for many years to come!

What do you feel is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed? If I get elected, there are a few things that I would like to address.

Below are a few that are top priority to me, in no particular order.

I will work closely with our police department to ensure they have all of the resources and training they need to ensure their safety as well as the safety of our citizens. With that, possibly having a mental health official/co-responder to help our officers when needed. Inclusion, as Plum becomes more diverse, I want to make sure that every family feels welcome, included and heard. Flooding, I was a victim myself and I will be an advocate for those in our community that continue to deal with this. I would love to work with council to come up with a solution that would help alleviate this problem. We need a solution. Small business, not only helping any of our current small businesses who may be struggling but helping to attract new business to our community as well.

What should voters know about you? I have been a Plum resident since 2009. I am married with three young children ages 8, 7 and 5 ½.

I say this because I think family is important. My wife and I choose Plum to raise our children because of the community. Currently, I am a Senior Project Manager at iHeartMedia Pittsburgh. I am very used to taking on and handling multiple projects from inception through completion. I feel like I can use this experience to help as things arise in our community. I want Plum citizens to know that they have someone who will listen to them no matter the issue. Big or small I want them to know they can come to me. I may not be able to solve their problems on my own, but I will work with them to help find a solution.

Harry R. Schlegel

Why did you decide to run for election? I decided to run for reelection as I have been involved in Plum since 1976 in youth sports and local government and still enjoy being involved in Plum. I am a firm believer in “You either effect change or you are affected by it.” Change is inevitable. I want to do what I can to insure it’s impact on Plum is positive.

What do you feel is the biggest issue that needs to be addressed? Biggest issue that needs address is exploration companies thinking they can use Plum as a waste dump and end the negativity that others are spreading.

What should voters know about you? I have the desire and the skill sets to see that best.