Better Know Your
Candidates
Board of
Commissioners’ Election
With the 2007 general election
just a month away, we ask the candidates running for the Board
of Commissioners a simple question:
What’s the most important issue facing South Fayette, and
how should it be addressed?
 Sue
Caffrey - R
Incumbent
Managing growth
with an eye towards the future continues to be the biggest
challenge. Recent changes in the zoning ordinance have created a
market-driven option for residential communities which allow
creativity in design in return for a greater percentage of
untouched land. Research indicates that new plans will be able
to offer new housing products serviced by less infrastructure,
while leaving more areas green, and that this varied housing
stock should attract all types of families, with and without
children. Models indicate a positive effect on both township and
school district revenues. Economic development needs to go
hand-in-hand with residential development, and the current South
Fayette Board of Commissioners has made great strides in this
area.
The board created a
new zoning classification that provides for the creation of
Business Parks. Plans for the 900,000 square-feet Newbury Market
are nearly complete after years of extensive environmental and
traffic review. And the Abele and Bursca Business Parks continue
to expand. As a taxpayer, I feel very strongly that the Board of
Commissioners and the school district need to work in
partnership to manage growth, to diversify the tax base, and to
create a livable and sustainable community. This has been my
goal for the past eight years, and it will be my number one goal
for the next four.
 Cindy
Cox - D
Incumbent
It's the growth. We
have to find a balance between maintaining green space while
undergoing the commercial and residential development we're
going to experience. It's going to require careful planning. We’re
on the right path now, as we've become very careful and very
thoughtful in our planning processes. In the past few years,
we've added an environmental advisory board, and we've gotten
more people involved in our planning process. And when reviewing
developments for approval, we've become very cautious about
issues like storm water management and other things that could
impact us down the road.
 Greg
Curl - D
Challenger
I think there are
many issues that are affecting the township, but if you talk to
the residents, the biggest problem is the rapid growth of the
area. I believe when this surge of development first began, we
welcomed all the new housing plans that were being built because
it meant growth to our township and to our school district. As
the new neighborhoods kept coming, a plan to capitalize on the
business opportunities afforded by that growth did not come
along with it. We are now at a point where attracting business
needs to be our priority and housing plans should be secondary.
I believe that our current township commissioners realize this
and are making an effort to turn it around. I think we also need
to look at our children and the need for more areas like parks,
ball fields, and other areas for our youth to play. If we work
together, I believe that South Fayette can overcome these
problems and move onward and upward.
 J.
Deron Gabriel - D
Challenger
The biggest issue
facing the township is developing a small business tax base and
to better control and manage the residential growth in our
township. The current lack of a strong business tax base has an
impact on both the school and the township. A lot of people have
been unhappy that the school has raised taxes in the last few
years, and that’s been partly because individual residents are
funding the lion’s share of school costs.
It seems to me, and
I believe it’s the consensus of residents, that we want to see
small businesses come into town that can bolster the tax base
while offering amenities that other communities already have,
like doctors, dentists, other professionals, and small retail
markets. One thing that I’ve already done in that regard is
founded the South Fayette Township Economic Development
Corporation. It’s a nonprofit in its early stages, but if we
can get more people on board, people from all backgrounds, it
will be a breeding ground for ideas to promote small business
growth in the township. This non-profit will ensure that more of
our residents have a voice in our Township.
 Robert
Milacci - R
Incumbent
When I was elected
as commissioner in 2003, there were many significant issues
facing the township. These included the growth of township
spending, the loss of open/green space, and the need for a
tax-base based on commercial, retail and business growth, and
not just residential housing. During these past years, we have
addressed these issues and many more. Most significantly, with
the approval of Alpine Point Office Park, South Fayette Crossing
shops, and the Newbury Market, we are bringing $125 million of
new taxable value in commercial, retail and business
development. But with this development, we expect an increase in
traffic and congestion. The board is working with developers,
our engineering department, outside consultants, and residents
to plan and take the necessary action that will minimize these
disruptions.
 Clarence
“Bud” Mills-D
Challenger
The biggest issue
is the speed with which the township is expanding. We need to
plan for the future, and I don’t think the commissioners are
doing it. We need to ensure that the township’s infrastructure
is adequate for the growth we’re going to have. Right now,
they’re concentrating on this Newbury development, but not on
whether we’ll be ready for when it’s built out. It’s going
to require more hours from our police and public works
departments, and we have to be prepared. You can’t put the
cart before the horse. At the same time, we have to attract more
retail and manufacturing businesses to the township. On the
housing side of things, we’re growing too fast. We have some
unreliable figures that say the housing growth is not going to
have much of a financial impact on the school, but when we have
houses selling for $300, $400, or $500,000 only being assessed
for $250,000, that’s going to impact the township and school
district. We have to put more restrictions on these developers.
They’re getting away with a lot of stuff that they shouldn’t
be.
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