Township supervisor enters race in 126th District
James Oswald says Lower Alsace supervisor experience gives him an edge
James Oswald said he has learned a considerable amount over the last several decades serving his community as a member of the Lower Alsace Township supervisors and as a volunteer with Lower Alsace Ambulance.
And one of the lessons he has taken away, he said, is that decisions made at the state level can have a profound impact on the way resources and services are distributed at the municipal level.
Oswald said he wants to have a voice in that process.
So he decided the best way to do that is by throwing his hat into the ring for the Republican nomination to represent the 126th Legislative District. The district, which has been represented by Democrat Mark Rozzi for the past seven years, includes parts of Reading and its surrounding communities.
“I think my experiences at the local level will be very valuable in Harrisburg,” the 56-year-old said during a phone interview.
“Being a township supervisor and first responder makes me uniquely qualified for the position because I have such a wide background to draw from.”
Oswald said he has a clear understanding of the challenges local leaders face and will help represent those interests if voters decide to send him to Harrisburg.
He said the most pressing issue facing his constituents is the elimination of school property taxes and the full implementation of the fair funding formula when it comes to how those dollars are doled out to school districts.
“We have to have fair and equitable distribution of state funds for public schools because right now the funding formula is so out of whack that no one understands it,” he said.
Another important issue, he said, is making sure fire companies and ambulance services that rely on volunteers can survive. He said providing reimbursement for new equipment and funding basic training at the state level could help on that front.
Oswald said he also supports the effort to impose a fee on municipalities that rely on state police as their primary law enforcement agency because he’s concerned about highway dollars being used to underwrite the Pennsylvania State Police.
“Our infrastructure is suffering as a result,” he said. “Municipalities that do not have their own police departments need to start ponying up money to help cover state police.”
Oswald is the first Republican candidate to formally announce a run for the 126th Legislative District in the April 28 primary.
State representatives serve a two-year term and receive an annual salary of $90,300.