Dan Miller held a press conference on Thursday at the Atlas Street Community Garden.
Harrisburg’s treasurer has officially announced his bid for mayor.
Dan Miller addressed the press and members of the community on Thursday, sharing that “city leadership has failed” in regard to several important issues, and that he would bring experience and knowledge to city hall as mayor.
“For the past 20 years, I’ve been deeply involved in Harrisburg city government, witnessing firsthand the decisions, inefficiencies, and waste that have held our city back,” Miller said during his announcement at the Atlas Street Community Garden, which he owns. “Harrisburg has the potential to be a great river city—a place we can all enjoy and be proud of.”
Incumbent Mayor Wanda Williams has said previously that she plans to run for a second term, though she has not yet formally announced her candidacy. City Council member Lamont Jones has said that he will pursue the office, as well.
At his press conference, Miller shared that some of his priorities as mayor would be to expedite the Broad Street Market rebuild project and improve safety. However, the issue he stressed the most, and has brought up repeatedly in the past, is Harrisburg’s uncollected trash fees, which total millions of dollars.
Just this month, Miller held a press conference to push for Mayor Wanda Williams and City Council to switch from monthly to annual trash billing, a lump sum fee that would be included when residents pay their property taxes. The change, he said, would help the city enforce payment and collect outstanding money that is owed.
“The mayor talked with me about this before she ran and said she would do this in the first month or two after she got elected and I thought, great. But she hasn’t done anything,” Miller said. “And I realized that, in order to get this done, and to get other things done, I mean there’s other efficiencies […] we could make things so much more efficient at the city, but people are entrenched in, this is how we’ve always done it, and they’re afraid to do something different because it might make a change. But we’ve got to bring the city into the 21st century here.”
Miller, 68, also ran for mayor in 2013, losing to former Mayor Eric Papenfuse.
Additionally, Miller has served on Harrisburg City Council and as city controller. He also founded and managed an accounting firm in Harrisburg.
Miller, who has been a resident since 1990, said that he has extensive knowledge of Harrisburg, not only because of his official positions but because he knows the community.
“I kept neighbors from losing their home due to reverse mortgage issues,” he said. “I have befriended and financially support local homeless neighbors. When the Atlas Street Community Garden’s land was about to be sold at auction, I stepped in to purchase the lot.”
At Thursday’s press conference, a group of community members showed up to support Miller, including several who have plots at the Atlas Street garden.
“I know he can get things done,” said longtime resident Elizabeth Johnson. “He’s smart and he’s willing to do the research and look into things. He is a person who is very dogged about trying to find better ways.”
A newer resident in the city, Ashleigh Dunfrund, said that she befriended Miller and has appreciated his understanding of the city.
“I’ve never met someone more knowledgeable about a place,” she said. “I could ask Dan about infrastructure, housing, the culture, the food, the streets, anything, and he would know. He really has his finger on the pulse.”
For more information, visit friendsofdanmiller.com.
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
