The new Republican majority at Pottsville City Hall was sworn in to their offices on Monday morning.
Mayor Tom Smith and Councilmen Jon Marsh and Scott Price were whisked into office in November on a campaign of promising change at City Hall and in the city itself.
But they’re certainly not the first local politicians to make such promises and use those talking points to garner votes. So it begged the question – a question someone actually asked on our Facebook post while their swearing-in/reorganization meeting was happening … Why should anyone believe this change will be any different than the change that’s been promised in the past but never materialized?
Marsh called it a fair question. He said he felt as though the city was on the cusp of a true revitalization a few years ago when he went through the Launch Pottsville business competition.
That ultimately led him and his business partner to open The Chopping Block downtown. But that feeling went away somewhat and it convinced him to make a run at a City Council seat last year.
“We are uniquely positioned to get everyone rowing in the same direction,” Marsh said. “I think we can get back to it pretty quickly. There’s so much excitement. That’s been my biggest takeaway.”
Marsh said people have been bombarding he and his running mates with requests for help since they were elected in November. He said the people that are coming forward looking for help believe there’s someone in government “actually listening to us.”
Both he and Price, when posed with the same question, pointed to the board and authority appointments that were approved on Monday, with more being promised before the end of this month. There were 26 appointments on Monday. (READ ABOUT THEM HERE.)
That was a campaign talking point and was clearly a priority for this new majority’s first hour in office. By filling those boards with people who share their vision, this majority believes they can spur a true revitalization.
“Everybody that’s on there is committed. They’re committed to pushing their agenda forward. All of these boards and committees are going to be striving for the same vision, which is our job to create,” Marsh said. “It’s felt like for a while, there’s been no vision here. Now there’s going to be a clear one.”
Price added that in the past, he believes those in City government were there to pursue their own interests more than Pottsville as a whole.
“We don’t have anything to gain. Our appointments were bipartisan. We’re just a group of people who want to show up for the city,” he said. “We want everybody involved in the city. We want everybody that wants to help, we want them part of our coalition.”
Smith said that outside the board appointments, his administration will do something he said previous City Councils hadn’t.
“We’re not going to be an isolated, single-franchise team,” Smith said. “They’re just used to doing their own little thing and it’s not representing the people.”
The new Mayor said that the enthusiasm he, Marsh, and Price have seen from people, however, must now be met with action to get people to believe that this time change is more than just a stump speech.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm but we have to deliver,” Smith said. “We are going to deliver.”
What Does Change Look Like Right Away in Pottsville?
So, how will people know they’re getting the change they voted for in Pottsville?
All three said people will see some immediate changes in how City government operates. One of them was very obvious right from the jump on Monday.
Normally, a City Council meeting’s agenda fits easily on a single sheet of paper. Monday’s agenda for the Pottsville reorganization meeting was several pages long, with printing on the front and back.
In addition to making those numerous board appointments, Council hinted at some major changes, including departmental reports to be delivered by the heads of those departments on a monthly basis, like the Pottsville Bureau of Police.
“You’re going to see departments be more open and transparent about their funding, their budget and action items and it’s going to give citizens more of a chance to see what’s going on behind the scenes,” Price said.
Marsh added, “What gets measured gets done.”
Some of the key signs of change people in Pottsville can expect to see, Smith said, extend beyond the board room and the four walls at City Hall. These will be changes anyone will be able to see,” he added.
The mayor said he aims to get aggressive against blight and even more immediately, his administration plans to implement a program that offers better access to parking downtown.
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