The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Norristown
up or down and listening to your community. Also, I’ve been involved in the Norristown community. I’ve lived in the Norristown community all my life. Currently, I’m a Norristown School Board Director. Along with that, I’m the secretary of Help A Single Parent Foundation and co-founder of Oak Street Youth Basketball Association.
What is the most important issue to you currently? (300 words)
Currently, the most important issue to me is our youth. What do we have for our children to do in the community? And notice I said “OUR” children. I want to help provide feeder programs as far as sports are concerned. I want to work with the Norristown recreation manager and Norristown Area School District Athletic directors to start the process and make things happen. Also, see what other goals and visions can be implemented for our youth.
Please list your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
My Facebook page is Tiffani Hendley. My Facebook page for my association is Oak Street Youth Basketball Association. My Instagram is stillglowin.
REBECCA SMITH » Describe your background and qualifications for a seat on the Norristown Municipal Council. (200 words)
My most direct qualification is serving as a current council member in Norristown since 2018. This gives me direct experience in understanding the current issues, ongoing projects, as well as the law and processes. However, this experience is informed by a broad set of other experiences that demonstrate my commitment to Norristown and to public service.
As somebody who was raised in Norristown, this is a community I care deeply about. I serve on the board of Keep Norristown Beautiful, and regularly volunteer at community events like street cleanups and park beautification. I also have a career in the public education sector, which has broadly informed my belief that one of the most important things local government can do is provide our young residents a high quality of life. Prior to public education, I have had previous work experience in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.K. House of Commons.
My educational experience includes a bachelor’s in political science from Arcadia University and prior to the term beginning in January, I will have earned a dual Master of Public Administration and Master of Science in Education, Culture, and Society from the University of Pennsylvania.
What is the most important issue to you currently? (300 words)
There are no shortage of issues facing local government, and this is not unique to Norristown. To narrow down to one issue means I must necessarily skip over many crucial issues, like infrastructure and policing. While the remainder of my response will not focus on those matters, I want to acknowledge the wide range of complex issues facing residents in Norristown. I am not a single-issue candidate, and I am prepared for the full range of these issues.
To speak to one critical issue, Norristown is at a pivotal moment for economic development, and I believe an equitable growth strategy is essential to ensuring you benefit from it. There are several upcoming major economic redevelopment projects, including at the intersection of Main and DeKalb, the Kennedy-Kenrick property, and the Norristown State Hospital. New development is important in ensuring fiscal responsibility and easing property tax burden.
Amidst these transformations, we need a growth model driven by just and fair inclusion in economic growth which all can participate and prosper. This requires redefining who participates in the economy — and who shares in the gains. If the community members who live in Norristown now are not included in this growth, it will still have been a failure.
Creating opportunities for all to participate in building a stronger Norristown is not just the right thing to do — it’s fundamental to the economic future of our community. Achieving equitable growth in Norristown will require unprecedented levels of collaboration, a new set of tools and innovative leveraging of resources. Some key steps to do this will include: growing industries and businesses that create good, accessible jobs (that are also not at-risk of becoming obsolete due to Amazon); support entrepreneurs of color and local business ownership; and leverage investments to support home ownership.
Please list your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
Facebook: @CouncilwomanRebeccaSmith Twitter: @RebeccaLynn_S
Ward 1
RASHAAD BATES » Describe your background and qualifications for a seat on the Norristown Municipal Council. (200 words)
I’m a Norristown resident for over 20 years. Attended Stewart Middle School and Norristown Area High School. I’ve been in the Information technology field for over a decade and worked in sectors of retail management, corporate, aerospace, and currently a small business owner in the field. I’ve been involved with local government for the last several years and either volunteered or served on the Norristown Planning Commission, Keep Norristown Beautiful (KNB), Stormwater Advisory Board, Norristown Citizens in Action, computer tutor for the Norristown Library and an executive member of the Norristown NAACP chapter. In addition to that I have completed courses such as the Citizens Leadership Academy (2017), Citizens Police Academy (2018) and Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute (2019). I believe that my leadership skills, loyalty, and dedication to helping Norristown and its residents move forward is what makes me qualified to become the next council member of Norristown.
What is the most important issue to you currently? (300 words)
The most important issue to me, besides constituency services, is improving the quality of life in the community. I see it myself and hear complaints about the litter all around town, the youth doing burnouts and riding non street legal vehicles during the late-night hours, drivers ignoring stop signs and other things of that nature. My goal is to try and help change the community’s behavior and get the residents to hold each other accountable. If we host more volunteer cleanups, maybe have block captains/neighborhood watch; neighbors would get to know eachother more and hopefully take more responsibility of how their block looks and encourage others to follow their lead on keeping the community safe and clean. If we can do that, I’m sure the morale of the town would increase, our property values would go up and that would be just the beginning of a brighter and better future for us now and our children’s future. Public safety is also part of improving the quality of life and I will be encouraging more positive interactions between our police and fire departments with the residents it serves.
Please list your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
Facebook.com/RashaadBatesforMunicipalCouncil Twitter: @councilmanbates https://www.linkedin.com/ in/rashaad-bates-439517a9/
Ward 3
DUSTIN QUEENAN » Describe your background and qualifications for a seat on the Norristown Municipal Council? (200 words)
As a native son of Norristown, I can say that I am a proud product of the best that Norristown has to offer. As a resident for over 50 years, I attended Gotwals Elementary School, Eisenhower Middle School, Norristown Area High School. I left Norristown for a brief period of time to attend Kutztown University where I studied business management. Working in management for a Fortune 500 company and being a small business owner for 14 years has provided me with a unique perspective. Acutely aware of the help that businesses in District 3 will need, I am dedicated to supporting local business and teaching the next generation about business through mentorship opportunities. I will bring my business acumen to helping residents see the return on investment on property taxes. The success of my consinutest is my business, because Norristown is next.
What is the most important issue to you currently? (300 words)
Helping local businesses thrive: All businesses in District 3 deserve the proper resources to grow and thrive. This goes far beyond simply patronizing business. I will help foster the opportunities, educational experiences and connections business owners need to prosper.
Tackling affordable housing and high property taxes: I hope to cultivate a strong sense of community to enrich the living experience of our current residents and engage the youth in new educational opportunities. This will allow our residents to feel like they are seeing a return on investment regarding their high property taxes.
Opportunities for the next generation: I want to work closely with community leaders and Erica Genuardi to increase opportunities to engage with our youth via programs and mentorship.
Please list your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
Instagram and Facebook: @Queenan4Council
ANA SANTOYO » Describe your background and qualifications for a seat on the Norristown Municipal Council. (200 words)
I have a background in business and am fluent in Spanish. I became a licensed social worker in 2007. Since 2007, I have worked as a counselor for military members and their families and at Valley Forge Medical Center and Hospital, an inpatient drug and alcohol facility near Norristown. Over the last five years I became a certified trauma professional offering free support services to seniors in Norristown and surrounding areas. I volunteered at Grace Bean’s soup kitchen and at the new emergency homeless shelter opened this past winter during the pandemic. I am a member of the Montgomery County branch of MLK’s National Revival of the Poor People’s Campaign and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
What is the most important issue to you currently? (300 words)
While I plan to support responsible business owners and developers in Norristown, my biggest priority is to support ideas and proposals that will benefit the majority of Norristonians. All too often, traditional business development has hurt our environment and the poor while dramatically increasing the wealth of the ruling class. Ending homelessness, investing in children and their caregivers, and safer, healthier communities are some of my personal priorities for Norristown. How we achieve this is every resident’s responsibility
Please list your campaign website, social media pages, and/or anywhere else our readers can find you.
Facebook: @Santoyo4Norristown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/ in/ana-santoyo-mss-lswcctp-959bba3b/
Candidate responses were edited for grammar, length and AP style.