5 Souderton Council seats up for election
10 candidates include one incumbent on ballot
SOUDERTON » There will be a lot of new faces on Souderton Borough Council next year.
Of the 10 candidates on the ballot for five four-year board seats, Edward M. Huber is the only incumbent.
Incumbents Richard Godshall, Ned Leight, Matt Mscichowski and Brian Goshow did not run for re-election this year. Mayor John Reynolds also did not run for reelection. Current council member Dan Yocum, politically an Independent, is the only candidate on the ballot for mayor, with his name on both the Democratic and Republican tickets after having been a write-in for the parties in the primary election.
In Ward 1, where there are two seats up for election, the candidates are Democrats Richard Detwiler and Richard Kelly and Republicans Matthew Dinenna and Richard Walczak. In Ward 2, where there is one seat, the candidates are Democrat Michael Pipe and Tracy W. Burke. In Ward 3, where there are two seats, the candidates are Democrats Ginny Vandenburg and Daniel Bencsik and Republicans Courtnee L. Wampole and Edward M. Huber.
Each of the council candidates was sent a questionnaire for this article asking their background and qualifications for the position, reason for running, and listing websites, social media or other places where voters can get information about the candidates.
Daniel Bencsik
Describe your background and qualifications for municipal council:
From studying Economics at Temple University, working in a family business from the age of 11, having 3 generations of family history in Souderton, my volunteer board service for the Awards and Personalization Association, being the President of the Awards and Recognition Industry Education Foundation and my unique ability to provide thoughtful leadership and decision making for all the citizens of Souderton, not just some, gives me the qualifications needed to serve on Souderton Bor
ough Council.
Why are you running for this office? To serve the town and it’s people. I am running to continue the good work that has been done by the current and past council while being the competent and thoughtful leader Souderton needs to tackle some of the bigger issues in the borough such as stormwater runoff and other issues that climate change brings, continued access to affordable housing & protecting existing home values, being a good steward of the town’s resources in order to maintain the standard of living that makes Souderton such a great place to live. Increase communication, create opportunities to celebrate our history and our diverse community are reasons why I want to serve on Souderton Council.
Tracy W. Burke
Describe your background and qualifications for municipal council: I’ve resided in this community for over 30 years since leaving active duty. My wife and I have raised our four children here and I have a thorough understanding of the issues we all invariably face. As a United States Marine, I’ve learned many lessons in leadership and teamwork. I try to build upon the ethos which primarily focuses on mission accomplishment while always looking out for the welfare of those you are privileged to lead, especially the underdog. Through numerous positions of increasing responsibility in the region’s pharmaceutical industry, I’ve also honed a sensible business acumen which will be very helpful now since several experienced councilmen are vacating their positions after long tenures of faithful service. During the last decade of my career, I’ve primarily worked in third party relationship management. This has allowed me to further develop contract management, negotiation skills, and an ability to develop and implement cross-functional business processes. These skills are immediately transferrable to the local municipal setting.
Why are you running for this office?
I am a proud Souderton resident committed to the principles of hard work, civic involvement, and devotion to duty. I’ve formerly served as a borough councilor and now have a better understanding of what it takes to accomplish objectives in this setting. I believe that I can add value by collaboratively working with my colleagues and the community to overcome many challenges. This isn’t or shouldn’t be about high stakes national politics, but more about good men and women working together to do what’s ultimately best for Souderton. I believe in the citizens of this community and know we all want to live meaningful lives in which character really does count. To borrow from the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition, these attributes include but are not limited to citizenship, responsibility, respect, honesty, and caring. You can trust me to embody these characteristics especially the most important of these: honor and integrity which is beyond reproach. I’ll strive to maintain the highest degree of accountability for myself and your other elected officials. Together we can continue to build upon the achievements of those who have gone before us while continually striving to improve upon our circumstances. Although our country is at a crossroads, I feel we have a unique opportunity in the small borough of Souderton to show everyone how we can live together in mutual harmony and respect, regardless of political identity.
Please list your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
If you have any questions regarding my candidacy, feel free to contact me via email: burketra@yahoo.com
Richard Detwiler
Describe your background and qualifications for municipal council For more than 30 years Souderton has been an ideal place for me to connect to my Pennsylvania German heritage, to Spanish-speaking community, and to my wife’s Vietnamese language