2 candidates vie for empty seat on Hempfield's Board of Supervisors

As two new candidates vie for one open seat on the Hempfield board of supervisors, a recurring theme is piquing the interest of those running.

If elected, candidates Bill Bretz and Jerry Fagert, both Republicans, are hoping to tackle improvements to the fire service, something supervisors have been working on for years.

“Our volunteer fire service, we’re making that transition from now 11 departments into one larger department with 11 stations,” said Bretz, 49. “It’s really important to keep funding those guys and let them concentrate on training and maintaining public safety and not so much on fundraising.”

Over the past several years, township leaders worked to combine the fire stations, previously separate entities, to fall under one department headed by a paid fire chief and deputy fire chief. Officials now are working to have the stations become chartered members, meaning the township will incur financial obligations as well as property and apparatus.

While several changes were made to the fire service in recent years, it has been an ongoing problem that has led to several initiatives such as the Hempfield Bureau of Fire and the Citizens Task Force. Fagert, 60, said improving the fire service was something he tackled as a township supervisor from 2011-17.

Still, he said, there’s more work to be done.

“That’s big on the list of my things. We’ve got to fix that (fire service),” Fagert said. “They’ve been playing games for long enough. The roads and the fire department are two things the supervisors are supposed to take care of. Anything else is gravy after that.”

Fagert, a maintenance worker for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, said he also would look into training options for firefighters. Other topics the candidate is interested in tackling include solving issues related to garbage pickups that began after the township switched from Advanced Disposal to County Hauling at the start of the year, he said.

Fagert noted his accomplishments as a township supervisor include converting street lights to lower-cost bulbs and creating a plan to replace old plow trucks. He was one of six candidates who ran for a seat on the board in 2019 but ultimately lost to incumbents Tom Logan and Doug Weimer.

Bretz, a service production coordinator at ABB in South Greensburg, held several positions within the community, including a seat on the planning commission and public safety committee. Bretz is chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee.

His wife, Jennifer, is a Hempfield Area School Board member.

The couple recently became involved in local politics, Bretz said, noting he has a political science degree from Saint Vincent College.

“I like to help people. I like to be involved with public policy, and I think that I can step in and keep Hempfield moving in a positive direction,” Bretz said.

If elected, Bretz hopes to continue the decades-long theme of not raising property taxes through controlled growth that will expand the tax base beyond the price of inflation, as well as through continued fiscal responsibility. He also hopes to boost the Westmoreland Mall corridor while attracting residential communities.

The township saw renewed growth over the past year. Live! Casino Pittsburgh opened in Westmoreland Mall in November, and plans to build a Mendards store at the former Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center are underway. New housing developments are proposed for places such as the former Valley Green Golf Course & Country Club.

“It’s very exciting to have some new housing inventory coming online, which will be good for attracting the families back in here,” Bretz said.

Bretz and Fagert are gearing up for the May 18 primary. The open seat on the board of supervisors is held by John Silvis, who is not running for reelection.