Tag Archives: Gina Roberson

Harrisburg City Council passes 2023 budget, includes public safety, infrastructure investments

December 13, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council during a legislative session on Tuesday

Harrisburg has approved a spending plan for the new year that includes increased investments in public safety and for infrastructure.

City Council voted on Tuesday in favor of a $74.9 million general fund budget for 2023 that includes no property tax increase. The budget passed 6-1, with council member Shamaine Daniels voting against it.

Harrisburg introduced the proposed budget to council in November. Before voting to adopt the spending plan, council made small amendments to a few salaries, among several other items.

In total, the budget equals $110.4 million, including the general fund budget and the $20 million neighborhood services fund budget, among others.

Public safety is an area of focus in this year’s budget, as salaries for city police officers are set to increase by 3.5% and 16 new positions in the bureau will be funded.

Infrastructure improvements are another focus of the budget, including street lighting upgrades and ADA accessibility improvements within the State Street construction project. There are also funds designated for renovations to the MLK City Government Center and Public Safety building.

In other news, council voted to approve the appointment of David West as the director of the Public Works Department. West previously served as the director of public works before retiring in October 2021. However, the city contacted West about returning, and he was rehired in early July to resume his position, he said.

Additionally, council approved the appointment of Gina Roberson, special advisor to the mayor, to serve on the board of directors of the Susquehanna Regional Transportation Authority for a five-year term.

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And They’re Off: The race is on for Harrisburg mayor, council, school board.

March 7, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Five candidates for mayor, seven candidates for City Council, and 10 candidates for school board.

Harrisburg voters will have three very competitive local races to consider come the May 16 primary, as the deadline passed today for candidates to submit nominating petitions.

The roster of candidates doesn’t offer many surprises, as most had already announced for office or indicated an interest in running.

For mayor, incumbent Eric Papenfuse will face off against former council President Gloria Martin-Roberts, former city police officer Jennie Jenkins, newcomer Anthony Thomas Harrell and old foe Lewis Butts in the Democratic primary. No Republicans submitted petitions to run.

Notably, two candidates who stated an interest in the race did not submit petitions for the primary: former state Assembly candidate Gina Roberson and former council candidate Chris Siennick, who has indicated that he may run as an independent in the general election in November.

For council, three incumbent Democrats filed for four, four-year seats: Wanda Williams, Shamaine Daniels and Ben Allatt. They will face four challengers: former council candidate Jeremiah Chamberlin, school board member Ausha Green, activist Angela Kirkland and Dauphin County Young Democrats leader Dave Madsen. No candidates filed to run on the Republican side.

The Democratic roster for four, four-year seats on the school board includes incumbents Judd Pittman, Danielle Robinson and James Thompson and challengers Brian Carter, Carrie Fowler, Edward Saterstad, Richard Soto, Gerald Welch and Cory Williams. Newcomer Percel Eiland is the only candidate running for the board’s sole two-year seat. Thompson also filed on the Republican side, the only school board candidate to do so.

Incumbent city Treasurer Dan Miller and incumbent city Controller Charlie DeBrunner are running unopposed in the Democratic primary. There is no Republican challenger for either office.

This election cycle, magisterial district judge races also attracted a lot of interest from candidates.

For District 12-1-02, incumbent Justice Barbara Pianka will face off against challengers Joshua Feldman and Marcellus Taylor on the Democratic side. Pianka and Feldman also submitted petitions for the Republican nomination.

For District 12-1-04, Justice David O’Leary will take on challengers Beverly Johnson, Ryan Sanders and former city Treasurer Tyrell Spradley

District 12-1-05 is an open seat, as longtime Justice George Zozos decided not to seek re-election. The candidates for this seat include Harrisburg City Councilwoman Destini Hodges, former Councilman Kelly Summerford, Hanif Johnson and Claude Phipps, who also filed on the Republican side.

Because Harrisburg is overwhelmingly Democratic, the primary is typically the most significant election in selecting the city’s office-holders.

Author: Lawrance Binda

November News Digest

November 27, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Spradley Appointed Treasurer

Tyrell Spradley was named Harrisburg’s treasurer last month, ending a search that spanned more than two months.

A divided City Council selected Spradley following four rounds of voting, which included two other candidates—attorney Karen Balaban and former city councilman and controller Dan Miller.

Following his appointment, Spradley, 30, said he was eager to learn about and take on the part-time position, which pays $20,000 per year.

Harrisburg needed to name a new treasurer following the arrest in August of then-city treasurer John Campbell, who has been charged with theft from two organizations where he also served as treasurer.

Council first appointed accountant Timothy East to serve as Campbell’s replacement, but East withdrew his name after a personal bankruptcy came to light.

Spradley’s own eligibility was briefly called into question last month over issue involving his residency and the lack of a business license for an accounting company he owns. City officials later indicated those issues had been resolved.

Spradley will serve the remainder of Campbell’s four-year term, which runs until the end of next year.

Sinkhole Money Available

Some Harrisburg residents may benefit from a decision last month that allows federal assistance to be used to buy out homes endangered by sinkholes.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency ruled that municipalities could apply for aid to acquire sinkhole-prone structures.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said the city immediately would apply for a grant to provide relief for homeowners along the 1400-block of S. 14^th St., which has been devastated by sinkholes. There is no guarantee that Harrisburg will receive the money, as fierce competition is expected around the country for the grants.

Separately, Camp Hill-based Gannett Fleming last month issued more results of its sinkhole study in South Harrisburg.

The engineering firm told City Council that it had two options. The city could either buy out 27 houses in the middle of the most affected block or it could inject a substance beneath the surface to help stabilize the ground and prevent future sinkhole formation. Either option, both of which would include extensive road repair and relocating of residents, would cost about $4 million.

FEMA has put a cap of $3 million per project on its disaster allowance for sinkholes.

Schools Fail to Meet Performance Goals

Harrisburg public schools failed by a wide margin to meet academic standards set by the state-appointed chief recovery officer, according to state academic performance measures released last month.

None of Harrisburg’s schools met the academic goals for the 2013-14 school year set forth by Chief Recovery Officer Gene Veno in an April 2014 amendment to his recovery plan for the district.

The state’s “Building Level Academic Score” uses a 100-point scale to measure school performance. Much like a student report card, a score above 90 is considered excellent, while a score below 70 is deemed poor.

The following list shows each school’s performance, followed by a bracketed number that includes Veno’s goals for each school for the 2013-14 academic year.

Math Science Academy: 75.9 [94.2]
Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus: 63.8 [72.3]
Foose School: 57.8 [59.8]
Scott School: 57 [62.4]
Melrose School: 53.1 [69.7]
Downey School: 49.4 [67.5]
Benjamin Franklin School: 44.6 [63.5]
Marshall School: 44.4 [61.4]
Rowland School: 42.6 [56.5]
Harrisburg High School: 39.7 [57.6]
Camp Curtin School: 39.6 [60.3]

Scores were based upon several measures, including students’ performance on state standardized tests, improvement since the previous year, graduation and attendance rates and, in the case of high school students, SAT and ACT scores.

Lighting Grant Approved

Harrisburg’s plan to upgrade its streetlights took a step forward last month, as the city announced that it had received a $500,000 grant for its LED streetlight project.

Several months ago, the Papenfuse administration applied for the Pennsylvania Energy Department Authority grant, which City Council then approved.

In related matters, the administration last month asked council to approve the hiring of Doylestown-based Suburban Lighting Consultants to provide engineering services for the LED project. It also asked council to OK the engagement of Pittsburgh-based The Efficiency Network, which would conduct an inventory of existing streetlights, as well as an audit of streetlight and exterior light utility bills.

Green Infrastructure Grant Received

Capital Region Water has been awarded a $125,000 state grant to develop a Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan for Harrisburg.

The grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) will allow Capital Region Water to evaluate using green infrastructure to reduce the impacts of runoff on the Harrisburg community, the Susquehanna River and Paxton Creek, and the underground infrastructure it operates, according to Andrew Bliss, Capital Region Water’s community outreach manager.

Green infrastructure is a broad term for trees, gardens and other ways to help reduce runoff by absorbing rainwater.

Last month, Capital Region Water also marked the one-year anniversary of its takeover of city water and sewer operations.

In addition to the DCNR grant, Bliss said, the year included several other achievements, including a “Top 5” designation for best drinking water in the country; a bond refinancing that will save the authority $4 million over two years; progress on a comprehensive GIS mapping project; and the beginning of a $50 million upgrade to the wastewater treatment facility.

Midtown Distillery Proposed

Two city residents announced plans last month to open a small-batch distillery in Midtown Harrisburg in the blighted, historic “Carpets and Draperies” building.

Alan Kennedy-Shaffer and Stanley Gruen are due to appear this month before the city’s Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board in an effort to get a variance for the site at 1507 N. 3^rd St., which is not zoned for industrial use.

The partners plan a full renovation of the century-old building, which has sat empty for more than a decade. Their plan includes a bar and tasting room, in addition to a craft distillery that would make such spirits as whiskey, vodka, gin and rye.

If all goes well, they hope to open in mid-2015.

Parking Ordinances Updated

Motorists are on the hook to pay their parking fines, as the Harrisburg City Council last month updated its parking ordinances to conform to the city’s financial recovery plan.

Council needed to make technical changes to the city code to give operator Standard Parking the legal authority to enforce penalties. It also changed language to increase fines and allow non-currency forms of payment, such as credit and debit cards.

Standard Parking took over the city’s parking system in January, but council did not immediately update the city code. As a result, Harrisburg will receive about $200,000 less in parking revenue than anticipated this year.

The city said it expects to receive as much as $2.5 million in parking revenue next year.

Playground Safety Grant

Harrisburg has received a grant that could lead to improved safety at five of the city’s playgrounds.

The $10,000 grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program will fund an inspection and safety audit of the Cloverly Heights and Royal Terrace playgrounds, as well as playgrounds at Norwood and Hollywood streets; N. 4^th and Dauphin streets; and Penn and Sayford streets.

The grant also will fund the creation of a routine playground maintenance and safety program and the training of city staff on program implementation.

Kim Re-Elected to 103^rd

Incumbent Rep. Patty Kim will serve a second term in the state legislature, as voters returned her to office last month in an uncontested race.

Kim ran unopposed in the general election for the 103^rd legislative district after beating challenger Gina Roberson in the Democratic primary in May.

In other election news, former Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson lost in her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Scott Perry to represent the 4^th House district in Congress.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2423: B. Bisbano to C. Warble, $49,300

Benton St., 527: R. & A. Della Croce to S. Rea & M. Urgiles, $98,500

Berryhill St., 1954: C. Frater to M. Frater, $65,000

Cumberland St., 119: JB Buy Rite LP to S. Pritchard, $73,500

Duke St., 2614: PI Capital LLC to W. & A. Rivera, $88,900

Fulton St., 1710: N. Culver to Cartus Financial Corp., $107,000

Green St., 1615: R. & S. Aulakh to J. Scott, $92,500

Green St., 1902: WCI Partners LP to B. Garner, $180,000

Green St., 2024: Fulton Bank NA to J. Workman & J. Arawj, $139,000

Harris St., 213: J. Counterman to 8219 Ventures, $52,000

Herr St., 215: R. & E. Simons to Crested Enterprises LLC, $77,500

Hoffman St., 3206: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Skynet Property Management LP, $43,000

Holly St., 1840: Tassia Corp. to Capital Properties LLC, $40,000

Kensington St., 2422: PA Deals LLC to C. & S. Feggins, $68,000

Mulberry St., 1936: C. Doran & A. Burnett to I. Peredo, $64,900

N. 2^nd St., 513: T. & J. Male to Cricket Real Estate Enterprises LLC, $165,000

N. 2^nd St., 2527: N. Myers to S. & A. Andrus, $193,500

N. 3^rd St., 2304: Harrisburg Ventures LLC to FD Harrisburg Holdings LLC, $2,213,700

N. 4^th St., 1733: PI Capitol LLC to G. Laudenslager, $100,000

N. 4^th St., 2336: S&T Renovations LLC to A. & A. Barras, $58,000

N. 4^th St., 2400 & 2402: M. Reed to E&K Homes LLC, $57,000

N. 4^th St., 2547: PA Deals LLC to J. Tucker, $61,000

N. 4^th St., 3228: A. Wlazlak to J. Tyson, $105,000

N. 4^th St., 3231: J. Crutchfield to J. Grant, $79,900

N. 7^th St., 2324 & 2350; 655 Seneca St.; 648 Curtin St.: M. Spangler to DAP 7 Curtin LP, $260,000

N. 16^th St., 1205: D. Griffin to C. & B. Orellana, $35,000

N. 17^th St., 817: G. Andrews to J. Jacob & T. Byrd, $120,000

N. 20^th St., 14: Kirsch & Burns LLC to LMK Properties LLC, $32,000

N. Cameron St., 1914: D. Marino to J. Pagliaro, $72,000

Norwood St., 916: M. Flickinger to Crist Holdings LLC, $38,000

Penn St., 1509: D. & D. Dreher to D. Walker, $127,000

Penn St., 1703: B. Houtz to L. Colestock, $155,000

Penn St., 1921: S. Vanscoyc to H. Elliot, $123,000

S. 3^rd St., 27: E. & R. Shore to Dewberry LLC, $190,000

S. 17^th St., 38: S. Ledesma & M. Figueroa to J. Renteria & C. Figueroa, $30,000

S. 25^th St., 713: S. Mosley to Kirsch & Burns LLC, $30,000

S. Front St., 595; 106 Tuscarora St. & 601 Showers St.: J. Barton to Dunkin & Associates LP, $250,000

State St., 231, Unit 202: LUX 1 LP to M. Abuel Jr., $134,900

Tuscarora St., 104: R. Rammouni & Touch of Color to J. Jones, $182,500

Verbeke St., 112: PA Deals LLC to M. & G. Modi, $125,000

Walnut St., 126: Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Assoc. to 126 Walnut Street LLC, $75,000

Walnut St., 128: Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Assoc. to 126 Walnut Street LLC, $75,000

Walnut St., 1854, 1856, 1858 & 1860: T. Vu & T. Tran to T. Van et al, $145,000

Native Son

October 23, 2013 | by Paul Barker

“To God be the glory,” Mayor Linda Thompson said at the start of her inaugural address. It was January 2010, and Harrisburg, whose population at the time was 52 percent African-American and 30 percent white, had elected its first black mayor. As Thompson spoke, voices in the crowd assented, as if to a sermon. “To God be the glory,” she repeated, nodding.

Three and a half years later, in the Democratic primary, Thompson was resoundingly ousted. She carried a mere 28 percent of votes, a smaller share than either of her opponents. In some neighborhoods, her returns were shockingly low for an incumbent. In the 5^th Ward, which roughly corresponds to the Midtown neighborhood between Forster and Verbeke, she received 9 percent of votes. In Shipoke, she received 1.6 percent, representing a mere two supporters.

Yet other parts of town remained Thompson strongholds. Her support in the 10^th Ward, 2^nd Precinct—an area bordered by Maclay, Schuylkill, 4^th, and 7^th streets—was nearly 64 percent, constituting the largest share of any precinct by any candidate. The neighborhood’s population, estimating from 2010 census figures, is close to 80 percent African-American. In her inaugural, Thompson had urged Harrisburg citizens to overcome the “temptation to view the challenges facing our city through the prism of racial, economic, and geographical differences.” But if the primary returns are any measure, the prism remains electorally significant.

So it is with considerable interest that many folks have been watching the write-in mayoral campaign of Aaron Johnson, the city’s deputy director of public works. If you don’t know who Aaron Johnson is, or that he’s running for mayor, you’re not alone: he has run what you might call an unorthodox campaign. He did not officially announce his candidacy until October 4, after denying rumors in August that he planned to run, according to the Patriot-News. (A Facebook page, “Aaron K. Johnson for Mayor,” went live on September 26.)

Since then, the public face of his campaign has been a mixture of serious endorsements and makeshift electioneering. When Johnson made the live announcement of his candidacy, on a baseball diamond in Hall Manor, City Council President Wanda Williams stood by his side. Jennifer Smallwood, the school board president, endorsed him in a Facebook post in late September. (After mentioning Johnson’s role in reviving the city’s Little League baseball team, where he has coached for more than 20 years, Smallwood wrote, “This is the man I will support in November!”)

James Ellison, the former chairman of the Harrisburg Authority and a close aide to Mayor Thompson’s 2009 campaign, has also indicated his support on Facebook. And the campaign signs that have cropped up around the city—including across the street from the Midtown Scholar, the bookstore owned by Democratic candidate Eric Papenfuse—note that they were paid for by Revitalizing Our Communities, the political action committee that had previously boosted Smallwood, school board candidate Autumn Cooper, and former City Council President Gloria Martin-Roberts.

In the mainstream press, however, Johnson’s presence has been remarkably scarce. Johnson himself has not returned calls. A self-identified assistant to his campaign, Charisse Grayer, returned an initial call and then, after explaining that the campaign was run entirely by volunteers and has no payroll, promised future correspondence which was never received. Gina Roberson, Aaron’s sister and, according to Grayer, his campaign manager, has also not returned calls. Both Roberson and Grayer, meanwhile, are full-time city employees under Johnson; Grayer is a secretary in the department of parks and recreation, and Roberson is a grants officer.

Yet the campaign has an active Facebook account, with just short of 300 likes. That pales to the nearly 2,100 on Papenfuse’s page, and the 1,200 or so on Dan Miller’s, although post for post, they draw about an equal number of likes and comments. In contrast to the campaign of the other write-in candidate, Lewis Butts, the Johnson campaign appears to be prominently and proudly backed by a core of influential public figures. Meanwhile, the NAACP has announced yet another mayoral debate, to take place tomorrow night—Thursday, October 24—at the Allison Hill Community Center, which Johnson has confirmed he’ll attend.

What does all of this mean for November? Write-in campaigns, of course, are notoriously unlikely, though it’s not unheard of for them to draw meaningful support. (Wikipedia’s run-down of notable write-ins makes for an illuminating read.) But barring the outside odds of a Johnson victory, the real question is what portion of disaffected primary voters his ticket will corral. The difference between Miller and Papenfuse in May was 400 votes—a sizeable margin, but far below the 1,800 votes for Thompson that are presumed to be up for grabs.

The other question posed by the Johnson campaign is broader and, you might say, more existential. In one section of the community, he is known as a Harrisburg native, a military veteran, a legendary mentor and coach, and all-around upstanding man. In another, he’s largely notorious for one event: carrying out Wanda Williams’ order to bulldoze a community garden in Camp Curtin, in a spectacle whose fallout was racially charged. (Gina Roberson, who spoke before City Council after the event, in 2012, distinguished between the gardeners, who were sitting in a row behind her and were apparently all white, and “our community.”)

I referred above to Johnson’s silence in the mainstream press. But a fair reply might be: whose mainstream? In November 2009, when Thompson won the general election, James Ellison introduced her at her victory party by saying Thompson “is of us, she is by us, she is for us.” It would be a mistake to assume that Ellison’s “us” corresponds neatly to racial and geographical lines. But it would also be a mistake to think Johnson’s campaign means nothing. All voters want a candidate who is for them—and for a significant number in Harrisburg, he’s not on the official ballot.

Tag Archives: Gina Roberson

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