Jefferson Hills voters have a contested council race with seven candidates vying for four seats in November, according to Allegheny County Election Division records.

Candidates are Democrats Edward Manfredi and former councilwomen Karen Bucy and Nicole Stoicovy-Ruscitto, and Republicans Nicholas Horgan, council president Melissa Girman-Steffey and vice president Hilary Kingsley-Budd and councilwoman Diva Mares.

Mares won a Republican nod in the May primary and earned enough write-ins to also be on the Democratic ticket, county records indicate.

Republican Mayor Carrie Nuss-McCaffrey is running unopposed for reelection.

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

Karen Bucy

Democrat

Age: 69

Education: BS in education from the University of Pittsburgh, MS in reading specialist from California University of PA, Master’s principal’s certificate from California University of PA

Occupation: Retired public school teacher

Community involvement/volunteer work: Served on Jefferson Hills Council for two years as president and two years as council member (2020-2023), election candidate to serve on the potential JH Home Rule Committee. Worked as a volunteer grant writer for Andrew Kuzma’s office to assist small communities in District 19, volunteer for the Cloverleaf Food Pantry for the past five years, recipient of the PA Clean Roadways and Adopt a Highway Award for 30 years of service in picking up litter on roadways, and volunteer for Triumph of the Holy Cross kitchen bingo staff.

Years residing in municipality: 24

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

With limited state funding available, JH borough must prioritize all projects and services, and must coordinate the borough’s budget around these goals. Our current borough taxes, alongside obtaining additional grant funding through Allegheny County and private venues, can provide the best the borough can afford for its residents’ projects. Public safety is a number one priority. Also, projects such as safe roads, sewer maintenance and park facilities are the foundational building blocks for good communities. In January of 2023, JH borough accrued $10 million in its reserve funds through the diligent past practices of fiscal management. This nest egg of taxpayers’ money will be essential in keeping taxes manageable for its residents.

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

With the increase in the cost of living affecting borough residents, the most pressing issue is to hold the line on taxes and fees while maintaining quality services. Our borough revenue must not exceed our expenses. It is my core belief that the borough has a fiscal responsibility to maintain quality borough services such as police, fire, EMS, and public works. In addition, it is essential to have money in reserve for weather emergency situations and disasters.

Nicholas F. Horgan

Republican

Age: 20

Education: Thomas Jefferson High School diploma, current junior political science and history major at Robert Morris University

Occupation: Student

Community involvement/volunteer Work: West Jefferson Hills Republican Committee Treasurer and precinct committeeman for Jefferson Hills District 8. I volunteered for the last two Earth Days to clean up borough parks. Senior camp counselor for Summer’s Best Two Weeks at Lebanon Presbyterian Church, former Jefferson Hills poll worker, former West Jefferson Hills School District public relations intern.

Years residing in the district: 12

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

I’ll balance new projects with fiscal responsibility, even amid Pennsylvania’s ongoing budget delays. I would carefully review the borough’s budget to optimize spending, prioritizing support for emergency services to ensure they have the best equipment and rapid response times. To fund initiatives like park renovations and a new recreational center without raising the 5.63 mill tax rate, I’d aggressively pursue state and federal grants, working closely with our dedicated grant writer. Additionally, I’d explore public-private partnerships to support small businesses and boost local revenue. My focus is on transparent budgeting, ensuring residents and businesses benefit from modernized parks, community events and strong public safety while keeping taxes manageable and our first responders well-equipped.

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

The lack of a strong commercial tax base places too much reliance on residential taxes, especially during state funding delays. This limits our ability to invest in new projects and services. I would prioritize attracting and supporting small businesses throughout the borough to foster economic growth and diversify revenue streams. Doing so would create jobs, ease the tax burden on residents and strengthen our local economy. Promoting community events and the businesses there, already existing or otherwise, would further connect residents and stakeholders with local companies and raise awareness of the great businesses we already have. The Economic Development Committee is an excellent foundation, and I would be eager to work alongside them to continue advancing Jefferson’s future. Through transparent, resident-focused governance, we can build a vibrant, economically stable neighborhood where businesses thrive and community needs are met without raising taxes.

Melissa Girman-Steffey

Republican

Age: 49

Education: Bachelor’s in business management from Robert Morris University

Occupation: Realtor with Jeffrey Costa Select Realty

Community involvement/volunteer work: Volunteer at all borough-related recreation events, borough Clean Up Days, various school functions and events

Years residing in district/municipality: 18 years

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

Despite the limitations of state funding, we have pursued other opportunities without the need to resort to tax hikes. For instance, our proactive approach included securing grants and advancing our partnerships with local businesses and organizations, which resulted in us capitalizing on our park improvements, infrastructure upgrades and expanding upon our recreation. Our recent installation of the dek hockey rink at Andrew Reilly Park serves as an example of our vision in community partnership and progress. Over the past two years, our council and staff have secured various grants, such as the Local Share Account for safety and maintenance upgrades for our parks, DCNR grant for our Montour Trail sidewalk and Route 51 pedestrian connection, and multiple CDBG and additional DCNR funding applications are currently under review for our Gill Hall, Beedle Park and Tepe Park improvements with an emphasis on ADA upgrades and park redesigns.

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

Economic development. Despite the geographical challenges, we see this as an opportunity. To lead this effort, our borough government has reestablished the Economic Development Commission this year. The EDC will be presenting its first comprehensive economic development plan this month, which will be a significant step towards our goal. This plan will lay the foundation for attracting small businesses, entrepreneurs and other services that will fit within the scope of our community needs. We plan to work closely with our EDC to identify redevelopment sites, streamline permitting, and market Jefferson Hills as a small-business-friendly community. We are hopeful that their success will foster our community identity.

Hilary Kingsley-Budd

Republican

Age: 45

Education: Graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, Duquesne University/BS in organizational leadership and management

Occupation: Homemaker

Community involvement/volunteer work: Participate in clean-up days, assist Jefferson Hills Recreation Initiative with Fish for Fun Day, plus council offers many opportunities for volunteer service

Years residing in district/municipality: 41

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

Projects and services must be prioritized and planned out in order to properly arrange for funding and completion. Lack of planning and no thought towards the future are major roadblocks to obtaining funds. With the assistance of a recently hired grant writer and the support of the exceptional borough staff who are skilled at challenging the status quo, as a team, we have the capabilities to explore avenues other than state funding. We have been fortunate to secure several donations from local businesses to support ventures within the borough. Phasing large projects, planning for public works to complete jobs in-house, and renegotiating and reevaluating current contracts have been some ways council has been able to work with staff to keep this balance.

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

It is hard to pick just one challenge among the growing, multifaceted needs of the community. We must consider the varied population of Jefferson Hills. I find it challenging to have the borough so constrained by the borough code in terms of investigating other forms of revenue or other benefits to residents, such as a break in taxes for seniors. Referring to the previous answer, we must continue to work as a team with our borough staff to find innovative ways to balance expenditures with revenues. I am hopeful that reinvigorating the economic development commission will spur long-awaited business development in the borough. More exploration of public-private partnerships must also occur. Teamwork, creative and unconventional thinking and organized planning are the keys to addressing the borough’s challenges.

Diva Mares

Republican

Age: 42

Education: 2002 graduate of Elizabeth Forward High School, 2006 graduate of Pittsburgh School of Massage Therapy

Occupation: Licensed massage therapist, Certified Yoga Teacher, and small business owner of Masaya Wellness

Community involvement/volunteer work: Volunteer at various church and council-related community events.

Years residing in district/municipality: 9 years

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

Over the past two years on council, we have encountered this issue many times. We keep an ongoing list of projects. Discussions with our finance director are crucial. Those conversations define the boundaries and limitations of what is feasible. We then prioritize what can be done and in what order, while remaining open to sudden changes. This can be disappointing once things reach later stages of planning, but it is a reality we face nonetheless.

Last year, we hired a grant writer, who has improved our ability to identify and pursue available funding opportunities. That process in itself is very time-consuming. Many of us have full-time jobs and young families in addition to our various council duties; it’s essential that we use our time wisely to serve the residents effectively.

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

One of the most pressing issues our municipality faces is meeting the growing community needs while relying mainly on residential tax revenue. We are often compared to our neighboring communities with strong commercial revenue. Our funding options are far more limited, but our desire to provide and maintain the requests of the borough residents remains our focus. We continue to explore creative and sustainable ways to increase revenue without raising taxes. We are very fortunate to have such hardworking and dedicated staff members who equally make this their priority and help us to stay informed of both possibilities and risks along the way.

Edward V. Manfredi

Democrat

Age: 72

Education: Duquesne University, BS in education, Penn State University, MS in education

Occupation: Retired public educator, 35 1/2 years, currently a sales rep. at LeWay Enterprises

Community involvement/volunteer work: Coached community softball, soccer and basketball in Jefferson Hills for 38 years. Given the Community Service Award by the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame for 51 years of basketball coaching. Was an active member of the Jefferson Hills Lions’ Club.

Years residing in municipality:

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

Jefferson Hills has a limited number of commercial properties. I would like to try to encourage more commercial development, to take some of the tax burden off the residents. I would also like to acquire more public and private grant funds to help defray the public tax burden.

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

We are a growing community, and we must maintain our public services, such as First Responders and Public Works. I would also like to improve our Parks and Recreation Facilities. We must be responsible to our residents to provide the best that we can without increasing their taxes.

Nicole Stoicovy-Ruscitto

Democrat

Age: 54

Education: California University, education; Duquesne University, master’s in secondary ed., social studies

Occupation: Retired teacher

Community involvement/volunteer work: Varsity and middle school basketball and softball coach, former member of JH planning commission, library volunteer, former school librarian

Years residing in municipality: 15 years, graduate of West Jefferson Hills School District

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

As someone who previously served on council, I understand the importance of fiscal responsibility. When I was on council, we maintained strong reserves by carefully prioritizing spending and seeking grants or partnerships before turning to taxpayers. I believe in balancing progress with prudence — investing in projects that truly benefit residents while avoiding unnecessary debt or tax increases. Every dollar should be spent strategically, with transparency and long-term stability in mind.

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

One of the most pressing challenges our borough faces is balancing growth with preservation. We must protect our green spaces, keep taxes low and ensure that any development aligns with our community’s values. I will advocate for responsible planning that welcomes appropriate businesses — those that enhance our quality of life, not add pollution or strain our resources. By prioritizing environmental stewardship, smart budgeting and transparency, we can protect our children’s future while maintaining the character and financial stability that make our borough such a special place to live.

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