Republican Springdale mayor faces Democratic challenger

Two men are vying to be mayor of Springdale on Nov. 4.

Democrat John Murray is challenging incumbent Republican Joel Anderson, who has served as mayor since 2023.

Anderson declined TribLive requests to comment for this story.

A resident of the borough since 1996, Murray, 66, ended up on the ballot after obtaining enough write-in votes in the primary election to qualify for the general election. Murray ran for mayor unsuccessfully in 2017, and has never held any office.

If elected, he said, he hopes to bring Springdale closer to its neighboring municipalities and the Allegheny Valley School District.

“I would like to bring some unity back to this community,” Murray said.

He said that could happen through sit-downs with local leaders.

Currently a school bus driver for W.L. Roenigk Inc., he previously worked as a crossing guard.

Growing up in East Pittsburgh, Murray graduated from the now-closed St. Thomas High School in Braddock before attending the Control Data Institute, a vocational school.

As mayor, Murray would be in charge of overseeing Springdale’s police department.

He said he believes Chief Derek Dayoub has successfully managed the department, and he hopes to work to continue that success.

Another of Murray’s primary concerns is recreational opportunities for younger residents.

For local youths, he’s interested in more outdoor amenities and recreation nights at the Springdale municipal complex.

As for what’s likely the hottest topic in the borough — the proposed data center project — Murray said he’d like the borough to hire its own experts to testify about the project’s potential effects.

While he’s not explicitly opposed to the data center, Murray said the approval process needs to proceed slower so the borough understands all the project details.

Though the mayor sits with council during meetings, they generally don’t vote on proposals. The mayor can break a tie, however, if council is deadlocked with an even number of members present.