ALLENTOWN – Two residents are running for a four-year term as mayor in the Nov. 3 election and when the polls close, Allentown will have a new mayor for the first time in more than two decades.
Long-time Republican Mayor Stuart Fierstein is not seeking re-election.
Voters will elect Democrat William Borkowski or independent Gregory Westfall to the borough’s top elected position.
Borkowski is currently serving on the Borough Council. He was elected to the governing body as an independent candidate.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
Both candidates were asked why they are running for mayor and what issues they believe Allentown will face in the next three years that will need oversight and action.
Borkowski said, “For too many years, sidewalks and sewer repairs were promised, but never started. In my first year on council we made very good progress in both areas. In our first project, the streetscape project, we awarded the largest municipal project in more than 20 years and covered 96 percent of the cost using state and county grants that were expiring this year.
“Project No. 2 is the sewer plant. The council was told lower sewer fees were not obtainable even after replacing the entire sewer plant, so we investigated alternatives. Today we have two viable options that will reduce our sewer fees and that includes qualifying for a fixed 1 percent interest state backed loan.
“Additionally, the council is addressing the abandoned buildings issue through a new ordinance and the council completed an agreement for parking directly behind Woody’s Café.
“Now that I am retired from full-time employment, I am running because I enjoy helping others and gathering information by reading and listening. Together with my Borough Council running mates Thomas Fritts and Barbara Hallmark, we will work collectively to protect our town’s financial and historic future,” Borkowski said.
Borkowski is married and has two daughters. He graduated from Drexel University with a degree in engineering.
Westfall said, “I have been approached by leaders of both the Democrat and Republican parties to run for public office and decided to run as a nonpartisan independent on the Allentown First Committee ticket.
“As a recently retired U.S. Department of Agriculture employee, I now have the opportunity to give back to the community that has been good to my family and me. I have the experience, ability and leadership to fix the ongoing problems that have confronted Allentown for many years and gone unresolved.
“As an independent mayor, we will put Allentown first and bring the residents of Allentown together regardless of political affiliation and personal interests to address community issues.
“The top issues on my agenda as mayor are spiraling taxes and sewer rates, an apparent need to rehabilitate our existing sewage treatment system to meet state requirements – which will require considerable forethought to minimize costs to residents, the continuing need for adequate parking to facilitate a healthy business climate in our national and state historic district, regional development impacting on quality of life in Allentown, dangerous traffic on our streets, a need to continue and expand our shared services agreements with other municipalities and transparency in our local government,” Westfall said.
Westfall is a 30-year resident of Allentown. He earned a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and natural resources from Cornell University and a master of science degree in water resources from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He is currently an administrator with the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management.