Wollyung Responds to CRIZ Comments Backlash; Pottsville Business Owners Offer Rebuttal

Pottsville’s Democrat mayoral candidate Andy Wollyung has issued a response to the backlash he’s gotten since remarks he made at a political rally last week were made public.

Over the weekend, Coal Region Canary reported on the dual rallies held by both the Democrat and Republican hopefuls for City Hall in the upcoming Municipal General Election on Nov. 4. At each rally, candidates addressed Pottsville being denied acceptance into the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) program in 2024.

Backstory

During the rally, Wollyung accused some downtown business owners of pursuing redevelopment programs like the CRIZ primarily for their own financial benefit, claiming they had received substantial public funding and turned it into private profit. He contrasted their interests with those of his campaign, which he characterized as being focused on community rather than personal gain.

“They want those things because that’s the best interest for them. That’s the best interest for their businesses, the ones they’ve taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from our city and taken and turned into assets for themselves. They’ve taken that money and they turned it into their own profits,” he said.

Wollyung also criticized state Sen. Dave Argall, questioning his support of the city’s prior efforts to obtain CRIZ designation and suggesting that local political and financial interests had stood in the way of cooperation.

“If Sen. Argall was so great, how come he didn’t want to work with us then? I could tell you why. Because they’d rather make us look bad than actually help us because that’s what they’re about,” he said in part.

On Saturday night, just a few hours after The Canary’s report broke, Argall responded sharply to the mayoral candidate’s comments, calling them “blatant lies.”

Wollyung Responds

On Monday, Wollyung issued a response to the backlash he’s received and attempted to clarify his remarks made at the rally last week.

“In my remarks, I referenced the CRIZ issue and brought up that Sen. Argall was more interested in politics than helping Pottsville move forward,” Wollyung, who is also a current City Councilman, said in a statement. “My remarks were not to attack any one individual, but rather to highlight the systematic breakdown that occurred in the CRIZ process. I referred to that small part of Senator Argall’s legislative endeavors.

The truth is, there was undoubtedly some bias against the city during the CRIZ process, but the larger issue was a failure of leadership at multiple levels, including City Hall,” he said, adding that he’s also partially responsible for the failed CRIZ application. “I’m taking accountability for not following up more aggressively on the application process. I placed trust in those who had a proven history of getting things done, but sadly in this case, that trust was misplaced.

“The reality is that mistakes were made and we must learn from them. What matters most now is that we move forward together, ensuring that Pottsville never misses another opportunity like this again. We owe it to the people of our city to restore accountability, collaboration, and transparency at every level of leadership.”

Pottsville Business Owners Rebuttal

Just this evening, some Pottsville business owners who feel they were targeted by Wollyung’s comments at a political rally offered a pointed rebuttal to the mayoral hopeful and offered a defense of their record.

In a statement issued by Joe and Joseph Drasdis of Drasdis & Son; Jared and Allie Doran of Arrow Studio & Events; Bobby Weaver of Black Rock Brewing; Josiah and Angela Meck of The Farm Store; Jon and Liz Marsh and Alex and Samantha Chivinski of The Chopping Block; and Bill Metzinger, Hannah Corbacio, and Nick Hair of The Rosalia Hotel, they say:

“The businesses that make up Downtown Pottsville are not built on handouts. They are built on risk, sacrifice, and hard work. Many of us have taken over blighted, vacant buildings, some on the verge of condemnation, many of which sat empty for decades. These properties, once scars on our downtown, have been transformed into vibrant storefronts and thriving businesses that serve our community every day.

“These projects required significant personal investment. Business owners have taken out loans, often using their homes, vehicles, and even family farms as collateral. Collectively, we have invested nearly $8 million into Downtown Pottsville, not for personal profit or prestige, but to breathe new life into the heart of our city. Together, our businesses employ more than 50 local residents, providing jobs, opportunity, and stability, with that number expected to grow as more projects near completion. To label our efforts as greed is both inaccurate and insulting to those of us who have invested so much in our community.

“While we have benefited from grant programs, these funds, which accounted for less than 15% of total project costs, were created specifically to combat blight and promote downtown redevelopment. Each grant was reviewed and approved by a five-member board appointed by the City of Pottsville, ensuring transparency and accountability. Every dollar received has been reinvested into restoring historic architecture, improving safety, and breathing new life into long-neglected properties.

“These grants were made possible through a combination of Keystone Community Grant funding secured in 2018 by Senator Argall and former Representatives Tobash and Goodman to target blighted and vacant commercial buildings in Downtown Pottsville. In addition, $1 million donated by D.G. Yuengling—through a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) reimbursement for the Mahantongo Deck—was contributed to further this same revitalization effort.

“Today, our businesses contribute to the city’s tax base, including the Business Privilege Tax, State Sales Tax, and soon the County Hotel Tax, while continuing to drive economic growth and activity downtown. We are proud to be part of a community that is once again becoming a destination for both locals and visitors, thanks to hardworking entrepreneurs dedicated to bettering our city.”

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