Upcoming City Council Election: Candidate Spotlight

On Tuesday May 21st, the city of Greensburg will be voting a new candidate in for city council to serve a four year term. As the election is this week, we asked all the candidates a couple questions in regards to their motivations for the future of Greensburg. Randal M Finfrock (D), Cheryl A Lennert (D), Sindy Diaz (R), and Colin Johnson (R) are the candidates running.

 

Randall M. Finfrock responded in regards to the past, present and future of Greensburg and his positioned aligned with the city.

What issues are you passionate about in the Greensburg area and what do you intend to do to resolve them?

My passion is the city. Greensburg is my home. I was born, raised and educated here. I remember growing up and all the hustle and bustle that occurred in the neighborhoods and downtown. Time has not treated the city kindly. When Robb, Cheryl and I ran for the current term, we had a choice. We could try and manage the demise of our hometown and try for a soft landing, or we could try to reinvent it. We promised the citizens the latter. The first step was to own what the city had become. It was, and is, unacceptable that Greensburg was living as though there were no changes in the last 50 years. We had become an old community with a declining tax base. It was indeed dying. Since our election, I think we have kept most of our promises to reinvent the town. We have totally replaced every single major position in the city with the exception of Trudy Ivory in recreation and her job has been reinvented. We have restructured our debt and finances so that we are in great shape fiscally. We have not raised taxes in 11 years. We have not cut any services. We have not closed a single facility. We have not laid off a single employee. We have rebuilt most of our infrastructure including the swimming pool which will soon reopen. While I am very proud to have been a part of this, the work isn’t finished. I now want to be a part of the revitalization of downtown which is just beginning. I want Greensburg to have busy streets again. I want the downtown repopulated. I want people to be proud of their hometown as I am. This will be accomplished by teamwork. All five elected officials are working together to get this done. Pennsylvania Avenue is being transformed as I type. We are eliminating redundancies in building codes, and eliminating those that are unnecessary as we find them. We have instituted a grant program, unique to Greensburg, and not involving tax dollars, that will reimburse some soft costs for new development. There is an entire generation of people who want to live in small urban settings and don’t want cars or mortgages. We are encouraging loft development to accommodate that demographic. I’m not ashamed of any of this and I want to continue down this path. The city will never be perfect. It will never be what it was in terms of retail, but it will be a great little town that will build on its past.

If you are elected, what do you hope to accomplish for the city in your term?

If elected, I would like to continue what we are doing. I want to move on from Pennsylvania Avenue to Main Street and the side streets. I want to continue to remove hurdles that slow down and prevent development. We have the best police and fire department of any city our size. They need to be supported both in spirit and in dollars. I will continue to push for Greensburg to be an arts community and a fun place for residents and visitors of all ages. I will continue to make our streets safe. I want to leave the next term knowing that the city believes in who and what it was, and will build on the past to reflect a new generation. Everyone is welcome in Greensburg. If the city continues on its current path of reinvention and maintains fiscal responsibility in the process, I will leave office very satisfied.

Randal M. Finfrock has been an active member in city council as the accounts and finance director.

 

Cheryl A. Lennert discussed primarily the issues within the city’s business district as well as the recreation elements Greensburg withholds and needs to work on.

What issues are you passionate about in the Greensburg area and what do you intend to do to resolve them?

The one passionate issue I have been working towards and will continue to move forward in my next term is the business district of downtown.  We have started to develop the downtown area and will continue in the future.  Not only Pennsylvania Avenue but also Main Street and Maple Avenue.  We have work to do, but nothing happens over night; it will come.  Growing up in Greensburg I loved to shop and explore downtown with my Grandmother when I was a little girl; and it will be there again for our future generations.

If you are elected, what do you hope to accomplish for the city in your term?

I hope to accomplish more in the recreation department by talking and listening, as I have already, to the residents and the community about their interests and wants, not only the young but all ages.  With all parks, playgrounds and facilities the City of Greensburg has to offer, the opportunities are endless.

Cheryl A. Lennert has served one term on city council as the Director of Parks and Public Property.

 

Sindy Diaz gave a background of several issues in which she sees need of work and those that she sees plenty of potential.

What issues are you passionate about in the Greensburg area and what do you intend to do to resolve them?

The issues I’m running on include; partnering with county, state, and federal officials to fight the opioid epidemic, supporting initiatives to keep our library’s doors open, creating a more vibrant and welcoming business environment, and supporting our public safety community, both fire and police to ensure they have the resources they need.

If you are elected, what do you hope to accomplish for the city in your term?

I love where we live, and I believe our our city has so much untapped potential to become even more of a local destination, and I hope to be a part of that transformation.

If Sindy Diaz is elected, this term would be her first as a councilwoman.

 

Colin Johnson verbalized his determination to actively improve the environment of Greensburg for all generations. He also discussed the need for further communication between residents of Greensburg and the city council to enhance the needs of the city.

What issues are you passionate about in the Greensburg area and what do you intend to do to resolve them?

Some issues that I feel are vital to the future success of the city I love are clear. Creating a welcoming environment for large and small business that will in turn provide viable jobs for residents while stimulating our economy and downtown area is paramount. Another important concern is keeping our children engaged in positive and healthy activity. City parks, youth/teen programs, drug and alcohol counseling and a vibrant recreation department are in my opinion, necessary to assist in the maturation of our kids into wholesome adults. Lastly, a line of communication between the residents of Greensburg and the council/ Mayor is critical. I plan on promoting regular visits by citizens to council meetings so they can be a part of the process of making decisions that will directly effect them. After all, I chose to run for city council to represent my family, friends and neighbors and to ensure a bright future for all of our kids.

If you are elected, what do you hope to accomplish for the city in your term?

Once elected, I plan to use my entrepreneurial skills acquired from owning and operating my own business(GoLube), and my 10+ years of managerial/leadership experience in the juvenile justice system to make much progress in elevating Greensburg to its full potential during my term on council. I could go on for hours about my intentions to help in solidifying our city as a premier destination for business and commerce. This is a very exciting time locally for all of us and platforms like the Downtown Greensburg Project should be applauded for highlighting the wonderful stuff Greensburg has to offer.

If Colin Johnson is elected, this term would be his first as a councilman.

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  • […] For the city council election article, I was in charge of composing two big picture questions to ask the four candidates. I asked them what they would like to maintain in Greensburg/ what issues they would change as well as their future plans to continue modernizing the city. It was interesting to reach out to them and speak with them individually. Each candidate had a drastically different answer and their own vision for the city. The article helped me form further communication skills as well as being creative with the questions I had asked them. For the article, I posted the questions and answers each person gave me. I had also given some background about each one running and their relationship to the city of Greensburg. Here is a link to the article: https://www.downtowngreensburgpa.us/upcoming-city-council-election-candidate-spotlight/ […]

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