5 seek 3 Upper Pottsgrove commissioner seats

UPPER POTTSGROVE » The commissioners race here pits two Democrats against three Republicans for three open seats on the board.

Republican Martin Schreiber is the only incumbent, although Renee Spaide, another Republican, is a former member of the board. The third Republican is Trace Slinkerd.

The two Democratic candidates are Gloria Parker and Tyrone Robinson.

Schreiber, 46, is seeking his second term and holds a bachelor’s degree, “and after that I became a paramedic and I self-employed,” he wrote in a candidate response to the Digital First Media candidate questionnaire.

He is running again to “try and listen to the people and be their voice. I work for a living just like most of the voters and feel that we should have our voices heard.”

If re-elected, Schreiber wrote his top goal would be “keeping the community safe while not raising taxes.

In her response, Spaide, 59, wrote she decided to seek office again after being “asked by many neighbors and residents.”

The owner of Finders Keepers in Kutztown, Spaide holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a master’s in education.

If elected, Spaide wrote her primary goal will be to “control spending, keep taxes from not being raised, keeping the township as I have always known it to be.”

In his candidate response, Robinson, 67, wrote that he decided to run because “I have the desire to work for the benefit of my community.”

Robinson has 35 years of experience in the steel industry and 13 of these years were spend as an industry electrician. He also has 76 credits Millersville State College.

A resident of the township for 27 years, he is a deacon at his church.

If elected, Robinson said his top priority would be “to be a just representative of the people I serve and Upper Pottsgrove.”

In his response, Slinkerd, 57, wrote that he decided to run because he is “interested in local government and its operations.”

A retired U.S. Army colonel, Slinkerd is a former executive in the financial and energy sectors.

He has a master’s degree in the arts and USMA from West Point, and a master of science degree from the US Army Senior Service College in Carlisle.

He wrote that he has “extensive experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, operations, program management, organizational design and solution development in the federal and state government as well as in the financial and energy sectors.”

If elected, Slinkerd wrote his priority would be to “provide a safe and secure township at the least cost with the best service.”

Parker did not provide a response to Digital First Media’s candidate questionnaire.