5 candidates running for 4 seats on Whitehall council
In the Whitehall council race, incumbents Linda Book, Kathy DePuy and William Veith face newcomers Stone Sobieralksi and John Paravati.
They are vying for four, four-year terms on council.
Here are the candidates and their responses to questions posed by South Hills monthly.
Linda Book
Age: 65
Political party: Republican
Education: United States Army, communications lineman; Point Park College, journalism/communications; Robert Morris College, paralegal certificate program; Steel City Aviation, pilot license
Occupation: Legal assistant
If elected, what are two short-term goals? Continue to provide exemplary services to our Whitehall residents during the volatile economy and continue to pursue grant opportunities available to pay for needed borough projects that will provide financial relief to our residents.
If elected, what is one long-term goal? Continue to work on five- and 10-year plans to prepare for the needs of Whitehall residents tomorrow and for many years ahead.
How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? Participation at our bi-monthly council meetings is always welcome and encouraged. I will continue to work with our borough administration to increase the borough’s social media presence as another tool for residents to contribute ideas and suggestions.
Kathy DePuy
Age: Declined to answer
Political party: Democrat
Education: Bachelor of Science from Carnegie Mellon University, master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh
Occupation: Retired teacher
If elected, what are two short-term goals? Keep a balanced budget without raising taxes and open the swimming pool for the 2023 season.
If elected, what is one long-term goal? Complete the five-year park plan and create a plan for the next five years.
How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? I feel the best way to individually communicate with the residents is to attend local functions, such as recreation programs, the library and parks.
John Paravati
Age: 56
Political party: Republican
Education: A.S., CAD System Management, 2000, Pittsburgh Technical College
Occupation: Senior Roadway Cadd Designer at CDM Smith
If elected, what are two short-term goals? I will monitor the borough’s tax revenue and evaluate options to increase borough revenues. I will partner with the other borough council members to establish a budget that generates the resources necessary to provide required borough services and support community growth, without increasing taxes.
If elected, what is one long-term goal? To be a voice for the residents. To achieve this goal, I will work to encourage and increase public awareness of borough policies, decisions, programs and meetings by implementing effective methods of communication and obtaining feedback from the community.
How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? I plan to use several means to effectively communicate with the citizens of our borough. A few examples include enhancing the borough’s website to encourage communication with the borough, creating easy-to-read documents that educate the public and community on important activities, attending Town Hall meetings on matters of interest, and engaging in outreach to understand what is most important to our community. I will strive for open, two-way communication to ensure our citizens have the opportunity to voice their opinion on matters important to them. This open communication will help borough council make decisions that incorporate the preferences of our community.
Stone Sobieralski
Age: 24
Political party: Republican
Education: Associate’s degree in accounting, finance and business
Occupation: Stonemason
If elected, what are two short-term goals? One of the biggest upcoming projects in the borough would be the swimming pool. The project is already underway. So funding the project, as well as overseeing the quality of the work will be a major goal of mine. Another short-term goal would be to meet all the council and borough employees that I don’t already know. Communication is a very simple but often overlooked part of local government and is key to making the borough run efficiently.
If elected, what is one long-term goal? The most important long-term goal is fiscal responsibility. I believe the most important job for council is to offer the citizens of the borough the best possible services at the lowest possible price and eliminate wasteful spending.
How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process? I believe the best way to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process is to simply get to know them on a personal level.
William Veith
Veith did not respond to requests for information for this article.
Katie Green is a TribLive deputy managing editor, overseeing features as well as the Trib's weekly and monthly community newspapers and websites. A former magazine editor, she's serious about coffee, is a proponent of the Oxford comma and enjoys tracing her family tree when she has the time. She can be reached at kgreen@triblive.com.
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