(UPDATED) Voter's Guide: Canonsburg Council

Editor's Note: Here is the story, now in its completed form. Because of an editing error (My bad!), about half the story did not appear in the original post.

Four seats are open for Canonsburg Council—and only one of the seats is uncontested.

Here are the candidates by ward:

First Ward

A.J. Williams Jr. is a Democrat running for a second term on council. He is running unopposed.

Williams said he decided to run again to finish some of the initiatives and start some new ones.

“For me, it wasn’t so much what I have done, but what I haven’t gotten a chance to accomplish yet,” he said, adding that he would like to institute a neighborhood watch program.

Williams, 23, will graduate from Washington & Jefferson College this year with degree in French. During his first term on council, he has been the representative to the parks and recreation board, and served on the board of directors for the Greater Canonsburg Chamber of Commerce.

Second Ward

Two-term Councilman George Coleman declined to run for a third term and Fran Coleman I seeking re-election—and three Democrats are vying to fill the two seats.

Fran Coleman, 64, is a retired head secretary with district Judge David Mark—with more than 30 years of service to the county, who was appointed to council two years ago to fill the seat vacated by then-councilman Ron Cianelli, who moved out of the borough.

Fran Coleman said she decided to run for the four-year seat because two years on council “just wasn’t long enough for me—I was still getting my feet wet.”

She said that as a longtime resident of the borough (for more than 40 years), she understands the fabric of the community, and that if elected, her goal would be to get the roads and alleyways of the community up to par.

Fran Coleman said pending renovation plans for Canonsburg’s municipal building will be a priority for council in the next year—especially since the Greater Canonsburg Public Library will be moving from its space there to its multi-million facility on Murdock Street.

She is married to Canonsburg Police Deputy Chief Harold “Buddy” Coleman, and said she enjoys spending time with her 13-year-old granddaughter.

If elected, Fran Coleman said she would be an independent voice on council—and work for the bet interest of all borough residents.

Joseph McGarry, 66, is a retired middle school teacher with the Canon-McMillan School District who is running for his first term as a Canonsburg Councilman.

He said this is the first time he has considered running for a public office—mostly because of time restraints. Not only did teaching consume much of his free time, but he also helped care for his late wife, who died three years ago from complications of diabetes.

“I decided now is my time,” McGarry said. “I’m going to spend however much time I have left trying to serve my community.”

He said he would add “a new approach” to council, and that if elected, one of his priorities would be the budget, and ensuring that spending is cut before taxes are raised.

McGarry also said revitalizing the borough would be a priority if elected—adding that Canonsburg is poised to bring in new businesses and residents if it can capitalilze on its location on Interstate 79 near amenities such as Tanger Outlets and The Meadows Racetrack & Casino.

“There are so many things going on that can bring people in,” he said.

Anthony Ross, 65, is a Democratic Committeeman and retired steelworker who is running for a first term on Canonsburg Council.

Saying the seat is “on my bucket list,” he said that if elected, he would ensure council work together as a cohesive group so that more would get resolved.

Ross said cleaning up blight and vacant properties would be a main priority if elected, adding that changes in the code enforcement office could be needed.

“I see negligence here,” he said. “Either citations aren’t being issued or aren’t being followed up on.”

Ross said rehabbing roads and alleys is important, as is the borough renovation project. He said he opposes plans for a music museum featuring Perry Como and other crooners native to Canonsburg as part of those renovations—and he also is opposed to council chambers being reduced.

If elected, he said he would speak out on issues to ensure the right thing is being done.

“I have this passion,” he said. “I have the guts to speak out.”

Third Ward

Current council President Joseph Milioto, a Democrat, will face off in the general election against Republican challenger Timothy Bilsky.

Milioto is running for a third term, and was first appointed to council in 2002. A longtime member of the borough’s planning commission and former county Democratic committeeman, he said he believes one of the biggest issues facing council in the next year is the redevelopment and revitalization of Pike Street.

Bilsky, 29, is a claims service representative seeking his first term on council.

He moved to Canonsburg from the Mon Valley three years ago, and was recently appointed to the borough’s planning commission.

“I just want to make a positive change,” Bilsky said, adding that the budget and blight are two of the biggest issues facing the borough.