Three candidates are running for two spots to represent Mt. Pleasant’s 3rd Ward.

Republican Cynthia “Cindy” Stevenson, who has served more than 15 years on borough council, and Democrat Michael Barrick, who is finishing his first term, are running for reelection. Republican Nicholas Lucia is seeking his first term.

Updating stormwater infrastructure, creating parking and sign ordinances and improving communication with residents are among the candidates’ priorities.

Cynthia Stevenson

Stevenson, 74, is a retired hospital account manager for the American Red Cross, where she worked for 30 years. The Mt. Pleasant native is a founding member of the Cat Committee of Mt. Pleasant and volunteers with the Mt. Pleasant Area Historical Society.

Stevenson serves on council’s finance and ordinance committees. She is running for another term to bring a veteran perspective to council.

“We already are going to have a couple of new people … because (some) current people are not running again,” she said. “I would like to stay there as one of the experienced people.

“It’s just good to have both of those points of view to make things move forward.”

Stevenson aims to help council complete two projects it started within the past year — developing ordinances for parking and signage.

“Parking is always an issue,” she said. “It’s an old town. The town was built at a time when hardly anyone had a car, and now most families have two or three or four cars.”

Stevenson also would prioritize long-term financial planning and supporting the borough’s parks, streets and police department.

Michael Barrick

Barrick, 51, has worked nine years as a manager for Hunt Valley Environmental and serves on the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association’s board of directors. After being hired in 1996 to help with a flood control project in Scottdale, Barrick helped the association work toward its nonprofit status, which it received in the early 2000s, he said.

Barrick, a lifelong Mt. Pleasant resident, would like to continue council’s push for upgrading flooding and stormwater infrastructure, particularly in the 1st Ward. Council has submitted grants to assist with these improvements.

“We have funding, but we want to try to get some grants to help put it over the top — just getting it done right,” he said. “We don’t want to raise taxes for these items.”

Barrick also would prioritize supporting local businesses, putting the borough’s Pollution Reduction Plan into action, renovating the borough’s salt shed and improving Frick Park.

The park is slated for a parking lot along Spence Way, a staircase from the lot to the park, vegetation and new lights. Council plans to put the project out for bid this fall and begin work in the spring, Barrick said.

Nicholas Lucia

Lucia, 31, is a sales representative for Leaf Guard and a part-time life insurance salesperson. He has volunteered with the Mt. Pleasant Glass Festival and a local food pantry in the past.

A Mt. Pleasant native, Lucia decided to run for council after an unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2023.

“I just thought this was the next step in order to get to that position at one point,” he said. “(I) still wanted to be involved in the community, and I thought council was a good spot.”

Lucia is a registered Republican but received enough Democratic write-in votes to appear on both sides of the Nov. 4 ballot.

Lucia would prioritize communication with residents and increasing community involvement.

“My big motto is, ‘One town, one vote,’ which pretty much means we’re one community,” he said. “We’re one vote together.”

Lucia suggested starting social media accounts for council to share information with residents.

“We did a town hall meeting when I was running for mayor,” he said, “and (communication) was one of the primary issues that was brought up.”

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