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When I ran for Lower Saucon Township Council in 2011, I ran as both a Democrat (my party affiliation) and a Republican. I have taken my council responsibilities to protect the health and welfare of township residents very seriously. I have listened to residents and business owners, kept myself informed and acted in the best interest of the community.
The race for re-election is more challenging. Why? Because a corporation has invested an enormous amount of money in an effort to defeat me and two like-minded, self-funded candidates: incumbent council member Priscilla deLeon (D) and challenger Donna Louder (R).
IESI Bethlehem Landfill and its Canadian parent company, Progressive Waste Solutions, have invested $120,000 for the primary and general election in consulting, research, mailings, door hangers, robo calls, etc. Their message? Elect “our”candidates (Tom Maxfield and Sandra Yerger) to keep taxes low. The implication is that these candidates will vote for a controversial rezoning proposal to allow the landfill to continue to expand for the next 20 years.
To be clear, I opposed rezoning in 2013 out of concerns for the health and safety of nearby residents and the environment. I have supported the landfill’s current expansion proposal in a properly zoned area of the township, which is estimated to provide another 5-7 years of operation.
All landfills eventually become full and close, followed by a 30-year monitoring period to ensure public safety. Lower Saucon Township needs to prepare for that certainty. As an elected official, I have proposed and chaired economic development initiatives over the past two years to look for additional sources of revenue, which would reduce the township’s overreliance on a single business.
Today, Lower Saucon Township is on sound financial footing and there is no tax increase proposed for 2016.
The communications from IESI are a combination of facts, half-truths, speculation and scare tactics. They were prepared by Mercury LLC, one of the most influential political P.R. firms in the world. Mercury’s slogan is, “We know how to win in challenging situations.”
It’s hard to compete with this onslaught with a few hundred dollars worth of yard signs and postcards, and modest donations from friends and neighbors to our recently-formed authorized candidates committee, Citizens for Lower Saucon Preservation. But we will. We know how to win in challenging situations, too…with the votes of concerned citizens who learn all the facts and vote on Nov. 3.
David Willard
Member, Lower Saucon Township Council
