Two veteran East Deer commissioners and three newcomers are vying for three at-large commissioner seats in the township.
Four of East Deer’s five commissioner seats, three at-large and one in the 1st Ward, are up for election this year. The only seat not up is held by 2nd Ward Commissioner Edward Kissel, who has been in office since 2006.
Democrats running for the three at-large seats are two incumbents, Anthony Taliani Jr. and Rick Stoneburner, and challenger Jennifer Savka.
Taliani, 75, has been a commissioner in East Deer since he was first elected in 1971. Stoneburner, 57, has been a commissioner for 20 years. Savka, 40, has been an elected auditor in East Deer for eight years.
Two Republicans, both newcomers, are challenging them for the three at-large seats. Jacob Leonard Gigler, 22, was the only Republican on the May primary ballot. Joseph S. Pomaybo, 55, ran a write-in effort at the primary and got his name on the general election ballot with 16 votes.
Commissioner John Nwranski did not seek reelection this year.
Commissioner Joseph E. Novosat Jr., a Democrat, is unopposed for reelection to his 1st Ward seat.
Gigler, an East Deer native, said he decided to make his first run for elected office upon hearing that Nwranski would be leaving.
“I plan on living in the town the rest of my life,” he said. “This is a good opportunity to get in there and start doing things, ideally working with the previous commissioners and letting them walk me into it to start the next generation of commissioners.”
Repairing roads and waterlines, improving communication with residents and expanding township events are on Gigler’s list of priorities. He said he could bring new ideas and possibly a better understanding of technology that could help township operations.
“My biggest goal is for the betterment of the town. I have no ties to anything else. I want to make the town better,” he said. “I want to take the momentum we have and keep it going.”
Also an East Deer native, Pomaybo has been a township volunteer firefighter since 1986. A couple of days before the May primary, Pomaybo said he launched a write-in campaign after several people suggested he do so.
“I’m not a politician. I’m just a regular guy. I think I can help out this town,” he said. “I would love to go around the town, talk to landlords and homeowners, and try to clean up properties and get this town looking nicer.”
Pomaybo said he considered running for commissioner before but wasn’t ready for it.
“This is all new to me. It’s a learning experience,” he said. “I look forward to working with the commissioners. They’re a wealth of knowledge.”
Like Gigler, Savka said she also decided to throw her hat in the ring upon hearing there was a vacancy from Nwranski stepping down. She is also a township native.
“I want to see better things for our community. I’m invested. I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “A lot of our commissioners and officers for local clubs, they’re getting older and nobody of the younger generation is willing to step in and replace them. You want to make sure you have the right person for the job. I feel I can be a wonderful asset.”
Having seen the township’s budget as an auditor, Savka said she knows what things it has the ability to do and not do.
“I want to be another voice for the concerned parties of the township.” she said. “As a member of the community, I have a lot to offer. I’m willing to hear both sides.”
As incumbents, Stoneburner and Taliani tout their accomplishments while saying there is more they each want to do.
In separate interviews, they cited progress the township has made in separating the township’s sanitary and storm waterlines and in replacing waterlines. Much of that work has been paid for by state and federal grants.
Beyond not raising taxes, Stoneburner noted that commissioners have reduced taxes. The preliminary 2024 budget has a 0.25-mill reduction, from 4.9 to 4.65 mills, marking the third cut since 2015.
“We’ve been very successful in obtaining grants to limit the burden on the taxpayers,” Stoneburner said.
Taliani said his experience includes bringing in more than $3 million in grant revenue to the township over the past decade. The township has pursued grants for its sewers, water system and roads.
“I’m very knowledgeable of all of the grants available through state, county and federal agencies,” Taliani said. “You can’t beat experience — especially when you’ve had the success we’ve had in grant acquisition and infrastructure development.”
Stoneburner and Taliani tout recent business development in East Deer, including Pittsburgh Brewing, Pitt Penn Recycling and Air Products. Stoneburner also cited a former Sheetz on Freeport Road reopening as a Par Mar convenience store and gas station.
“Things are looking up,” Taliani said. “We reduced our taxes for next year for the third time in eight years because of the industrial growth and expansion we had. We are sharing that with our taxpayers.”
