2nd, 3rd Wards, and School district races matter! Vote November 5!

Thanks to the Gazette for the great coverage of the Indiana Borough Council election coming up this Tuesday, November 5. Despite my best efforts, Borough beat reporter Randy Wells put together a fine biography of my candidacy. Read about all five of the candidates for the second ward, including me and Don Lancaster running for the 4 year term, and Larry Dechurch and Brett Johns running for the 2 year term.

Don and I face off on who likes the 

borough more on WIUPfm 90.1

The Third Ward race is also heating up, with the rising candidacy of long-time Indiana residents Tara Federoff, and Jennifer Gonda-English (she's got a video!!). As write-in candidates, they're going to need lots of support, which they're hoping they'll get from residents and students in the 3rd ward.

The Indiana School District race is, as always, heated. This year it's been fueled by the current board's response to Pennsylvania's war on public education. The race is important, so check out the candidates, they just did a debate. It is important to note that contrary to recent ads in the Gazette, the current board did not pass a tax increase. They passed a referendum to ask voters what they think.

#awkward

So if you're in the 2nd or 3rd ward, or anywhere in the district, the good news is that people are excited enough about Indiana to be campaigning for a unpaid positions! Read or listen to the candidates,check their information online. There are many similarities in how we all care for our community, however, there are some stark differences, illustrated by these two recent letters to the editor, one from me, the other from my neighbor and principle opponent in this race, Bob Jobe.

And remember, go out and vote this Tuesday! These local elections effect your community!

Thanks for your support!

CANDIDATE: Gerald Smith

October 29, 2013 10:00 AM

Gerald Smith won Democratic and Republican nominations for Indiana council in the spring primary, but got the chance to start getting experience as a councilman without waiting for the general election.
Smith was elected by council in July to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Tom Shively. Shively’s departure was one of two vacancies for Second Ward council representatives within a few weeks earlier this year.

Smith enters next week’s general election as an incumbent with about four months’ experience as a sitting councilman.

A math teacher in the Indiana Area School District, Smith grew up in St. Louis and earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and philosophy from Northwestern University. He taught in public schools in St. Louis; Portland, Ore.; Renton, Wash.; and Pittsburgh. He also taught in Africa while a Peace Corps volunteer. Smith left teaching from 2004 to 2008 to become a community organizer with the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations. With NWFCO, he coordinated a national health care coalition focused on eliminating racial disparities in health outcomes and worked as a regional campaign manager for the national health care campaign that resulted in the Affordable Care Act.

Since coming to Pennsylvania, Smith has been an active volunteer with local environmental organizations and Indiana County Democratic campaigns. He founded the Coalition for a Healthy County and the Indiana Neighborhoods Community Association and has worked with the Center for Community Growth, the Friends of Yellow Creek and the Three Rivers Community Foundation.

Smith said one of the main reasons he is interested in serving on council is because be believes in community, and the Indiana community is shrinking.

He noted Indiana’s population dropped 13 percent from 2000 to 2010, and last month he asked Indiana residents to share with council the reasons people stay, not leave, Indiana. He suggested policies could be adjusted based on that feedback from residents.

Smith said his experiences in community activism and in bringing people together to address issues and solve problems are assets he brings to the Indiana council table.

Smith said he wants to help expand Indiana’s reputation as a regional destination.
“We need to be proactive in developing and promoting Indiana’s reputation as a local and regional destination by building on our assets,” such as the Jimmy Stewart legacy and the Wonderful Life events.
He also supports doing more to promote the borough’s farmers market, finding ways to have local agriculture play more of a role in the borough and creating a “buy local” campaign to encourage residents to spend their dollars in the borough.

Smith considers the Indiana Free Library one of the borough’s “prime assets” and supports keeping it at its present location.

He believes borough government could be more efficient by reducing the number of council seats and by having a full-time borough manager as it has in the past.

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