Election 2023: Democrat Ellen Zschunke For Horsham Council

Candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —Ellen Zschunke is running as a Democrat for a seat on the Horsham Township Council in the Nov. 7 general election.

Zschunke is running with Democrat Samantha Slaff for two seats on the Horsham Township Council against Republicans Stephen VanHorn and Council President Mark McCouch.

Biographical Information

Name: Ellen Zschunke

Age: 42

Town of residence: Horsham

Position sought: Horsham Township Council

Are you an incumbent? No

What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Horsham

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family: Jeffrey Zschunke (husband), Cecelia Zschunke (14 yo daughter), Elliot Zschunke (10 yo son)

Education: B.S. Education with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood Education (Shippensburg University), M.S. Reading (Gwynedd Mercy University), Post-Graduate Library Sciences (Arcadia University)

Occupation: School Library Media Specialist

1. What are the top issues currently facing your position and how do you plan to address them?

In meeting with countless Horsham residents, while going door to door throughout the community, they've stated that they don’t have a voice in decisions being made that impact their day-to-day lives in our community. Samantha Slaff and I hope to bring balance to the Township Council and ensure that residents are represented, well-informed, and respected.

2. Identify specific goals or ideas you have to enhance life in your position:

One of our goals is to connect residents to resources that will improve their quality of life here in Horsham Township. Residents have expressed to us their frustration with the lack of local community activities as well as the limited number of small businesses that are accessible to residents. We hope to highlight existing local businesses and expand the offerings from the township to help foster the growth of our community. Residents have shared that navigating our governmental systems, like the zoning process and accessing information on the township website, is not very intuitive. We hope to streamline these processes and offer residents support from our engineers to find solutions when undertaking projects or making improvements to their property.

3. What in your experience or background prepares you for election to office?

In all facets of life, professional and personal, I am the type of person who can identify creative solutions to complex problems. As an educator and school librarian, I value the perspectives of others, communicate clearly and effectively, budget to meet the needs of my community, and collaborate to achieve goals and plan for the future. If given the opportunity, I plan to be a Councilwoman who will facilitate engaging experiences for all residents of Horsham.