State Sen. Dave Argall has issued a response to Pottsville Councilman and mayoral hopeful Andy Wollyung’s comments regarding his help to the city with the rejected CRIZ application.
During a campaign rally last week, Wollyung, the Democrat candidate for Pottsville Mayor in the upcoming Schuylkill County Municipal Election, told supporters that Argall didn’t want to help Pottsville complete a successful application for the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) program because it was the senator’s intent to make them look bad.
“They often talk that if they were in office, they would have got that done, the CRIZ and all of these grants. Well, guess what .. 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,” Wollyung told rallygoers. “They could have stepped up and been that any time they want but it wasn’t in their best financial interest and they didn’t and that’s unfair to all of us who have built this city together.”
Argall took sharp exception to those comments and quickly fired off a statement that was released Saturday night.
In his comments, Argall said, “Mr. Wollyung’s comments are simply lies. My record on supporting Pottsville’s revitalization efforts speaks for itself. For years, I’ve worked closely with local officials, business leaders, and community organizations to help breathe new life into downtown Pottsville by attracting new public and private investments and family-sustaining jobs. That includes consistent, bipartisan efforts to try and secure a CRIZ designation with my strongest possible support for the city, as clearly stated in my letter to DCED Secretary Rick Siger after the City submitted their application in October 2024.”
The senator added that his office is a constant presence at city board meetings and that he’s helped bring millions of dollars to Pottsville to aid in its revitalization efforts.
“Anyone who has worked with me knows my top priority has always been helping our local communities succeed—Republican, Democrat, or Independent. I won’t stand by while someone tries to rewrite history with blatant lies,” Argall said. “My team and I are constantly at the table—supporting city leaders, helping identify state funding opportunities, and working through complex issues to ensure Pottsville’s continued revitalization. We’ve been there every step of the way and will continue to be.”
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