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Home > Blogs > West Chester News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > October > 15 > Entry
Candidates oppose incorporation
I attended the candidate forum last night, Oct. 14, sponsored by the West Chester Chamber Alliance, and the most intriguing question (of 10) was likely the first, which inquired about each person’s position on incorporation.
Here’s the back story on that.
There were some other aspects that I plan on detailing in this space later, but for now, here’s the resulting story.
Did you attend the forum? What did you think?
Each of the eight candidates vying for two seats on the West Chester Twp. Board of Trustees who participated in a candidates forum Wednesday, Oct. 14, expressed their opposition to the local hot-button issue of 2009.
The night began with perhaps the most intriguing question: Whether West Chester should become a city.
The Committee for West Chester kicked off its campaign for incorporation — or “cityhood” — in June, and representatives say they are continuing to fulfill the first step in the process, which is to gather the nearly 4,500 signatures needed to place the issue on the ballot. Organizers say they are seeking to have the issue before voters during the 2010 Primary.
Although it’s an effort that must be citizen-driven, and cannot be manifested by a township trustee board, according to state law, each of the candidates was quizzed Wednesday about where they stood.
And in at least one candidate’s case, that position has changed.
“I think it’s sad that we have eight would-be trustees responding to the question about whether or not there should be trustees in the future,” said Bill Zerkle, who is spearheading the incorporation effort. “It’s also interesting that we had some candidates who supported it.”
That support “seems to be seasonal,” Zerkle added.
Incumbent Lee Wong, who is seeking his second consecutive term, said late Wednesday he initially supported the idea of incorporation, even though he’s maintained the effort should be completely guided by residents.
But along the campaign trail, Wong said his perspective changed as he began hearing what he called a growing opposition to cityhood.
“I do what the people want,” Wong said after the forum. “And from the people I’ve talked to, they don’t want it.”
Most candidates said they would not support incorporation outright, while some suggested poor timing for the issue.
Candidate Joseph Mansour, who said throughout the night he had ideas for restructuring how the township conducts its business, was more direct, saying he would hire an attorney to fight incorporation.
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