Editor’s note: The Herald is featuring candidate interviews in contested municipal and school board races only.
Indiana Township has two candidates vying for one four-year supervisor seat in District 5.
Democrat incumbent Jonathan Neumann and Republican challenger Terrence Wirginis will be on the November ballot, according to Allegheny County Elections Division records.
Here are responses from the candidates to questions posed by TribLive:
Jonathan Neumann
Age: 45
Democrat
Education: University of Pittsburgh (BA: philosophy, history, political science); University of California, Berkeley School of Law (JD)
Occupation: Attorney, small business owner
Community involvement/volunteer work: CoNectar Flora to Table Education (cofounder), Trinity United Church of Christ (member)
Years residing in district/municipality: 7
With state funding often limited, how would you balance the need for new projects or services with the responsibility to keep taxes manageable?
I’m proud of our board of supervisors’ success in overseeing budget surpluses and keeping taxes low. That said, the dysfunction at the state and federal levels requires us to sharpen our focus on what matters most in our budget. To me, public safety is paramount. As a municipality in a state of fiscal strength, Indiana Township should be setting the standard in financially supporting our volunteer fire departments and EMS service, while also providing our police officers with the level of compensation they deserve for their dedication to protecting our residents. Making sound investments in our first responders today is the best way to ensure that we never have to balance our obligation to uphold public safety against the desire to keep taxes low in the uncertain future.
What is the most pressing issue/challenge in the municipality today and how do you plan to address it?
Protecting the health of our citizens, the character of our community and the strength of our tax base from mass housing developments, fracking and AI data centers. The notion that the financial health of the township requires us to accept these projects against the wishes of the residents is a lie. We are only in a position of vulnerability because of the cowardice and collusion of both Republicans and Democrats at the state level, who care more about their political careers than about protecting the interests of the citizens. To address these threats, I will continue to do what I’ve been doing for the past four years: fight to the greatest extent the law allows to put our citizens’ needs first and negotiate aggressively against any corporate interest that threatens to ruin the Indiana Township we know and love.
Terrence Wirginis
Republican
Wirginis did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment for this article.
