Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

A City’s Future: Harrisburg’s mayoral hopefuls state why they’re running, what they’ll do

 

If you’re in Harrisburg, you can’t miss it—an important election is upon us.

Signs for the candidates are everywhere, and, if you live in the city, you can’t avoid the ads, the flyers and the canvassers.

This cycle, we’ve asked all the mayoral candidates two open-ended questions. Through their answers, we hope you’ll better understand what’s important to them and maybe even discover something new about their positions and personalities.

Their responses follow in alphabetical order, with the five Democratic candidates listed first followed by the single Republican candidate. We asked candidates to limit their responses to 425 words and made minor edits to conform to our style.

The primary takes place May 18. Please make your voice heard!

Otto Banks (D)

What is the biggest issue Harrisburg faces and how do you plan to address it?

Our adults lack access to quality employment opportunities, affordable and adequate housing, business development and access to community mental, social and medical services. I will incentivize businesses to hire residents through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, awarding points in city RFP scoring matrices for hiring residents. I will partner with unions to ensure that our residents are trained and prepared for rebuilding our infrastructure and housing stock. I want to create more quality housing options by assisting developers in obtaining Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Redevelopment Assistance Capital, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnership Funds, and other programs that have long been at our disposal. To address the health deficits, I will ensure that the city’s Department of Health is fully funded and staffed to address the disparities within the social determinants of health.

Our children need quality education with intentional attention on trade schools, recreational, artistic and cultural activities, with summer employment and job readiness training. We can address youth programming deficits by working within HSD’s structure. Through funding and collaborations with HSD, we can expand normal operations by making schools “community centers” where children can obtain tutoring, job training, recreational activities and opportunities for artistic/cultural expression. This program will be underwritten through three funding streams: Title I, CDBG money and EITC Tax Credit money where corporations can contribute to a nonprofit education improvement organization and receive up to a 90% deduction against their state tax liability in addition to the federal deduction for donating to a 501C3. Youth summer employment opportunities will be funded through Parks/Recreation and the Department of Labor’s Youth Build program, a community-based apprenticeship program providing job training/educational opportunities for at-risk youth ages 16 through 24. Lastly, businesses need access to capital, credit and affordable professional support through legal, accounting, administrative and coaching/mentor services. I will expand and redesign the city’s revolving loan program, and work with local banking institutions that receive the city’s deposits to create competitive financial instruments that will be tied directly to city contracts. I also plan to support the local Chamber of Commerce to assist small businesses with locating or providing fiduciary management services.

What qualities does the mayor of Harrisburg need to possess and how do you exemplify them?

Harrisburg’s mayor must be a champion for our city. They must be knowledgeable, driven, devoted, transparent, optimistic, pragmatic, outgoing, versatile, benevolent, compassionate, industrious and a visionary. I have exemplified those qualities through my extensive background as a public servant. I’ve worked to create economic opportunity, contracting and partnerships. I am capable of not only dreaming big but have demonstrable ability to execute.

 

Kevyn Knox (D)

What is the biggest issue Harrisburg faces and how do you plan to address it?

Inequality! The powers that be seem to worry only about the more affluent residents but very little about the middle and especially the lower income residents. We are a city of 49,000 and the city government needs to be there for everyone!

What qualities does the mayor of Harrisburg need to possess and how do you exemplify them?

The mayor needs to be for the people—all the people! The mayor needs to surround themselves with the most qualified people to do their jobs and help the city and all its residents! The mayor needs to try everything they can to make this a fair and equitable city for all!

 

Eric Papenfuse (D) (incumbent)

What is the biggest issue Harrisburg faces and how do you plan to address it?

The biggest issue we face this election is whether Harrisburg sustains the progress we’ve made during my administration, or whether it falls back into the despair and dysfunction that originally inspired me to run for office. By nearly every metric, Harrisburg is better off today. Fiscal discipline, balanced budgets, civil discourse between branches of government, the expansion of city services—these were not the norm before I took office. And these advancements could easily be reversed under different leadership.

Challenging me this spring are longtime politicians like Wanda Williams who backed bankruptcy and were part of a broken political system that caused the state to take over the city. Two Republicans are also running in the Democratic primary. One of them has taken tens of thousands of dollars from school-voucher proponents eager to defund the Harrisburg School District. Another, multimillionaire Dave Schankweiler, backed Trump and Perry, fought against President Obama’s agenda, and is spending tens of thousands on anti-gay, anti-choice political consultants, disingenuously trying to persuade Democratic voters that he shares our values. But this is the first time he has even voted in a Democratic municipal primary.

I believe in term limits and pledge that, if voters re-elect me, this will be my last term. We can’t let right-wing ideologues take this city backwards or exploit our divisions. I want to build on the successes we have achieved together. Together, we can and must cultivate a new generation of progressive leaders, whose contributions I welcome and whose voices I pledge to lift up over the next four years.

What qualities does the mayor of Harrisburg need to possess and how do you exemplify them?

The most important quality the mayor must possess is the ability to bring competing stakeholders together to serve the interests of residents and advance the city’s recovery. I am proud to have earned the full support of organized labor and the endorsements of AFSCME, the Teamsters, the Central PA Building Trades and others. I am gratified also to have the support of business leaders and employers who continue to create new opportunities and are helping revitalize our city.

This past term, working with legislators on both sides of the aisle, my administration achieved what many thought impossible: a long-term solution to Harrisburg’s decades-old structural deficit. Harrisburg will be leaving distressed-city status this year, and we have an unprecedented opportunity to work with President Biden’s administration, investing tens of millions of dollars in Harrisburg’s post-COVID recovery. We will be able to address pressing infrastructure needs—from paving neighborhood streets to cleaning up the Susquehanna through proper stormwater management. I want to lead the city into an even brighter future.

 

Dave Schankweiler (D)

What is the biggest issue Harrisburg faces and how do you plan to address it?

Street violence is Harrisburg’s most challenging issue. It is what stands between us and our dreams for a thriving capital city—a city of 22 neighborhoods alive with arts, culture, festivals and an exciting generation of entrepreneurial talent. Without aggressive action to reverse rising violent crime—especially streets where predominantly Black and brown citizens live—we don’t have a city that works for everyone. And with the highest homicide rate in 30 years, there are no longer safe and unsafe neighborhoods. The shootings on Verbeke and Division streets this year proved that wherever a life falls, we’re all impacted. Making this city safe, clean and livable is a shared responsibility.

In my first full day as mayor, I’ll call on City Council, public safety officials, business, school, church, nonprofit and neighborhood leaders to participate in a Citywide Action Summit on Violence Prevention—a citywide conversation on the root causes of crime. We need to review manpower and resource needs to end violence on city streets, but this won’t get fixed by a single program or one-time infusion of cash. We need citywide commitment to making Harrisburg safe, clean and beautiful. City Hall can no longer be silent on the injustices of violence, trash, blight and crumbling roads.

We’re on the verge of great things—the bright spots in Midtown and downtown are good signs—but a widespread rebirth won’t happen if the city isn’t safe for families in every neighborhood. We must rise together.

What qualities does the mayor of Harrisburg need to possess and how do you exemplify them?

As I’ve watched political and business leaders over the years, it’s clear that, at a minimum, they must possess administrative ability, personal discipline, a strong emotional and spiritual core and an ability to turn critics into counselors. But the best leaders are servant leaders—those who balance confidence with humility. These are leaders who listen, treat co-workers with sincerity and kindness and are able to put another’s interest ahead of their own.

When I left the Republican Party and re-registered as a Democrat, I did so because the party no longer had a vision for the cities. It had lost sight of the dreams and hopes of the people who live in them. But beyond shifting values, my decision was primarily because the leader at the top didn’t possess any of the qualities that make a leader worth following. Instead of being connected to a value system that placed the dignity of others above ambition, Trump possessed an insatiable appetite for self. I couldn’t be associated with that kind of leader and party.

Those who have worked alongside me have said that my ability to listen and bring people together for solutions are some of my best leadership attributes. I would love to have the privilege of serving my neighbors as mayor and putting these skills to work for Harrisburg.

Wanda Williams (D)

What is the biggest issue Harrisburg faces and how do you plan to address it?

There are many vital issues that our city faces in these interesting times in which we live, but I believe these are two of the most important.

Making sure our businesses not just come back after COVID, but that they thrive—and expand into every neighborhood in Harrisburg. I have worked with national and state advocacy groups for almost two decades. I will work to secure as much federal and state funding to assist our businesses hurt by COVID and to help others start new ones.

We must continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe. I will start programs that keep our youth active and out of trouble. I will work to create more investment, which will produce more jobs. We also need to make sure all our police have body cams to ensure accountability by all parties.

What qualities does the mayor of Harrisburg need to possess and how do you exemplify them?

Leadership—On every level, I have shown the leadership necessary to be our next mayor. I have led City Council, serving as a check over the last three mayoral administrations, on behalf of the taxpayers. Additionally, I have served on national and state boards to help find solutions to the problems that cities like ours face.

Experience—This does not just apply to my 16 years on City Council, but also my experience with the people of our city. They know that I am real and approachable.

Dedication—I have lived in Harrisburg my entire life and raised my children here. We have all attended our schools and worked to make our city better. I have served on City Council for the last 16 years. I have been a Democrat my entire life and have never wavered in my support for Democratic candidates and for labor unions. This will never change.

Compassion—Like people, a city has up and downs, tragedies and bright spots. I have shared in our people’s good times and bad. I’ve had a member of my family shot by random violence. I know when our people are suffering and need help. I will always stand with the good people of Harrisburg, who deserve safe streets, good government services and a mayor who will listen to them.

Courage—When our city was in its most dire financial state, I stood up to the Commonwealth and Wall Street bond traders that wanted to tax our residents into oblivion and sell all our assets. I said no and was able to help forge a better, fairer deal for the taxpayers of our city. I will always speak truth to power.

 

Timothy Rowbottom (R)

What is the biggest issue Harrisburg faces and how do you plan to address it?

There are a number of great issues, all having relevance to each other. The lack of empowerment opportunities is tied to the corrupt Dauphin County prison pipeline system that includes the halfway houses, methadone clinics and the work release center. Another great issue that plagues this city, is opportunist politicians who only come around every four years to play the residents for their votes while delivering nothing in return. For too long the executive branch of Harrisburg has used the codes office as a weapon, attacked residents and catered to extremist views. No longer can we allow the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority to abuse its office, while Allison Hill and other broken blocks throughout the city are left in desolation.

The defund the police movement will be a disaster for this city and will leave the most vulnerable residents open to criminal victimhood. While I do believe that some police officers should not be police officers, and some judges shouldn’t be judges, I also believe that in order to instill morale among the police and to retain good officers, that respect should be given to those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.

Let’s call insanity, insanity, and stand together to push back on corruption. It is time that this city has a leader who respects private property rights, and respects the will of ALL people, not just those who donate to a campaign.

I will confront these institutions directly and deliver on the words that I speak.

What qualities does the mayor of Harrisburg need to possess and how do you exemplify them?

I believe all decisions are rooted in fear or faith-based principles, and I believe in order to bring the city out of the dysfunction that it is in, is to operate on faith while instilling hope for a better decade ahead. Harrisburg needs a leader who is not intimidated. Harrisburg needs a leader who is not enslaved to their donors.

Everybody who has their heart in this city has watched how opportunities have been squandered, neighborhoods have not been elevated, how businesses have been chased out through leadership vendettas, and everybody knows the core of the issue is a lack of proper understanding of a representative government. We elect representatives, not dictators.

I will listen to anyone who comes with a fruitful conversation and has actionable ideas.

I’ve put my money where my mouth is by investing my life and talent into Allison Hill.

Win, lose or draw, I am here to serve.

 

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