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5 vie for seats on Farrell council
Two incumbents and three newcomers are running in Tuesday’s primary.
FARRELL, Pa. — Five people are running for four seats on city council in Tuesday’s Democratic Party primary.
There are no Republicans running.
Two incumbents will challenge three political newcomers. Issues, they all say, range from attracting more jobs to the city to crime to activities for teenagers.
Bob Burich, who has been on council for 16 years, has lived in Farrell since 1976. He and his wife, Cindy, reared their now-grown son and daughter in the city.
Burich owns Burich Amoco Service, a gas station on Roemer Boulevard.
Right now, Burich said, the biggest issue facing the city is money.
“Like everybody, nobody knows what will happen,” Burich said. “We’re trying to keep taxes at a livable level and still keep services.”
Burich also said attracting industries to town is important, and there is a lot of vacant land available in Farrell. “We have our economic director looking all the time trying to bring something in,” he said.
The other incumbent, Stephanie Williams-Sheffield, has been on council for four years.
Originally from Farrell, she lived in Washington, D.C., before moving back in 1989.
A single parent, she worked at Sharon Steel until it closed down 11 months later. She went back to school and obtained an associate degree in business. She worked at Werner Ladder in Greenville and in Youngstown until that company moved out of the area.
She pursued a special-education degree from Slippery Rock University and is now self-employed as a day-care provider. Her clients include those with special needs.
She said Farrell’s biggest issue is its loss of jobs. She said green industries might provide some jobs for the city.
She also said the city needs entertainment for youths “to get them interested in something besides the streets.”
Kimberly Doss, who is runnning for office for the first time, said she has a vision for the city.
“I just think we need to make a change,” she said. “We need businesses and jobs for young people.”
Doss, a 48-year resident of the city, works for Educational Affiliates of Baltimore as an X-ray program director. She designs radiology programs for the company.
“I’ve lived here all my life,” she said. “There’s a lot of positives here. There’s good people here.”
Stephen L. Bennefield said he has been interested in public service for some time.
He said he has been active in his church and in helping senior citizens.
He is the technology technician supervisor for the Farrell Area School District. He and his wife, Geraldine, reared three children here, he said. They have lived in the city since 1984.
Pressing issues, he said, are making the community safer and eliminating blight.
He also said he wants to help attract jobs and businesses, and he wants to provide more recreation for youths.
Susan Leach, who is retired, says she now has time to dedicate to public office.
She and her husband, Philip, have lived in the city for 36 years.
Leach also said jobs are a critical issue. “I want to push for new green industries,” she said. “We have the space for it on Martin Luther King Boulevard.”
Leach said she is involved in community activities such as the Farrell Alumni Association of Farrell schools, the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross.
starmack@vindy.com