Walters challenging Shusterman in 157th House District
Former Republican Chester County Prothonotary Bryan Walters is challenging Democratic, incumbent state Rep. Melissa Shusterman for a seat in the 157th House District.
Both candidates talked about their qualifications, vision and a bit about themselves, during recent phone interviews.
The district covers Schuylkill and Tredyffrin townships, parts of Phoenixville Borough and parts of Upper Providence Township in Montgomery County.
Shusterman, 53, a freshman representative in the state House, said it is important to be accessible to the public.
“I make sure to amplify the voices that haven’t before been heard from and bring accessibility and transparency of government to the community,” Shusterman said. “We’ve made progress, but we have a lot more to do, especially during this time of CO
VID where small businesses, working parents and front line workers are challenged more than ever.”
Shusterman owned her own small business, a digital video company. She is married with an adult child. The incumbent is a Conestoga High School graduate. The vegetable gardener received a degree in Russian studies, with a minor in Chinese Literature, from Lafayette College, and earned a Master’s Degree in Film and Video from American University.
The hiker pointed to her successes obtaining grants for area school districts, the local school for the blind, a playground in Phoenixville, the Wharton Esherick Museum and numerous grants for infrastructure, sidewalk and traffic improvements.
“I’m proud of working with the governor to create a $225 million for a small business grant program to help mom and pop shops during COVID,” the lover of a good book said.
The incumbent is fighting for clean water and air, and gun violence reform.
She said the state is at a crossroads.
“We have to take a strong look at our budget and find ways to make up the deficit,” she said. “We need to explore other revenue streams as well as making sure the budget takes care of our most vulnerable — our caretakers, those with autism and intellectual disabilities, and our children and families living in poverty.
“Reopening our economy is not enough. We need to offer relief and tools to our businesses and working families.”
Walters has taken his business experience and used it while serving in government. For decades he worked at the family business, Walters Restaurant.
“You have to work with everybody to make it succeed,” Walters said. “You can’t quit.
“It helps to be able to work with people in different ways. You can go right or left to get to the same road.”
Walters, 63, was a Schuylkill Township supervisor for 11 years.
“You learn to work with the public and learn how local government works,” the Phoenixville High School graduate said. “You have to do things of the good of all people and not just individuals.”
As Chester County prothonotary, he worked with attorneys and judges for what he said is the “chief clerk for the civil court.”
“While working with the public in sometimes difficult situa-
tions you learn to understand the legal system and how things work,” he said.
Walters said that as an elected public official, budgets were always under budget and he never voted on a tax increase as a supervisor.
As township manager of
Sadsbury Township, Walters worked with police and budgeting during a township transition period.
Walters graduated from West Chester University with Business Administration and Political Science degrees, and at Immaculata University took accounting and management course work.
The history buff is single, with no children.
If elected, Walters would
increase support for law enforcement.
“Police need better equipment and training,” he said. “On state, local and county levels they need our support.”
Walters favors school choice and a parent’s option to send their children to charter schools.
The former prothonotary said that taxes should be frozen for seniors upon retirement.
“People have lived in the community for a long time and have raised their kids and shouldn’t be forced out of their homes because of taxes.”
The 157th House District includes the townships of Schuylkill and Tredyffrin and part of the borough of Phoenixville in Chester County, as well as part of Upper Providence Township in Montgomery County.