Corfman said he is disappointed he won’t be able to fight for more amenities for the township.
“I am concerned about West Chester’s future and its walkability but elections have consequences and the the people have spoken,” he said.
Incumbent Fiscal Officer Bruce Jones will also keep his seat with an unofficial tally of 62 percent to Julia Flake’s 38 percent.
RELATED: West Chester Twp. has contested races in Nov. 5 election
Corfman, an IT manager who is active in the community, said he challenged Becker because he believes she cares more about business than the residents. He said he and a group of other residents worked on a bike path plan in the area of Keehner Park and she dismissed the idea quickly.
“I was not seeing that our township residents were getting a fair return on their tax dollar investment,” Corfman said. “Everything I had seen from her was focused on business and not a serious effort on her part to provide amenities, beyond repainting the tennis courts for pickle ball.”
Becker responded that she supports walkability and bike paths but as a trustee she must consider the long-term fiscal impact of any new amenity. She said it not just the cost to build things but also to maintain them for years to come. The proposed bike path plan would require taking land from 13 private properties for one of the paths, another problem for her.
“I’m not supportive of eminent domain,” she said. “I don’t think our residents would want to take other people’s property to put in a recreational bike trail,” she said.
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