Why I am running

I, along with my wife and three children, are proud to call Hampden Township our home (okay, so two of them are in State College). If you are a resident as well, you might have noticed lately that business in Hampden Township continues to change. Our business owners are tenaciously striving to succeed. In almost every open space buildings are slowly rising or being re-developed. While this growth and redevelopment presents many exciting opportunities, it also brings new challenges – poorly thought-out development, over-crowding, increasing traffic congestion and failing infrastructure.

I am running for Hampden Commissioner because I, like many other residents, are concerned about how this growth and the changing tax base will impact Hampden Township residents and the Cumberland Valley School District.

Hampden Township’s next Comprehensive Plan must put people first by responsibly managing growth while protecting what makes our community special. With more families moving in, traffic congestion is rising, schools are struggling financially and nearing/exceeding capacity while demand for essential utilities and emergency services continues to grow. These are not just planning concerns—they affect daily life, from how long it takes to commute, to whether our children have adequate classroom space, to how quickly help arrives in an emergency. At the same time, Hampden residents value low taxes and a high quality of life, and they expect both to be preserved. The challenge—and opportunity—for the township is to strike the right balance: investing in infrastructure and services, planning smartly for development, and safeguarding the character of our neighborhoods without burdening taxpayers. A forward-looking Comprehensive Plan developed with input from our diverse community members must bring these priorities together, so Hampden remains a safe, affordable, and vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family.

I plan to work collaboratively with township staff and the Board of Commissioners to address issues proactively and responsively in a culturally sensitive and fiscally responsible fashion. As we address these issues, I believe we can work together to build a safe and sustainable plan for the future of our community.

I believe open and transparent communication between residents and the Commissioners is key. In 2021 I advocated to for the township to continue broadcasting the Commissioner meetings online.  Fortunately, the township has continued to do this.  I also advocated to publicly archive these meeting, so community members could watch the recordings.  Progress in this area is still needed.

When plans for business and housing development are approved or community services are changed, I believe Commissioners should help communicate the rationale behind the township’s decision and work to make sure decisions are implemented fairly for all of our community’s increasingly diverse residents.

I am asking for your vote for Hampden Township Commissioner.