DeMarco, Harrold Campaign for Ross Ward 1 Seat on Commission

Five seats on the Ross Township Board of Commissioners will be on Tuesday's election ballot.

Voters in Ward 1, which is on the eastern end of the township and contains, will have the choice between incumbent Dan DeMarco (D) or newcomer Ann Harold (R). 

Dan DeMarco

DeMarco has served on the Board of Commissioners since 2000 and is seeking re-election to his fourth term. Vice President and General Counsel of the The Hill Group, DeMarco graduated from Duquesne University School of Law in 1993.

DeMarco grew up in Ross Township and is a former volunteer firefighter with the . He is also serving on the Northland Public Library Authority Board of Trustees and is vice chairman of CONNECT, the Congress of Neighboring Communities. 

His top priority as commissioner, he said, is to grow a .

"It is vital that this committee develop a strategic plan for itself and for Ross and West View," he said. "I have explained to this committee that at some point in the future a formal economic development agency led by a professional would be most beneficial to achieving township goals and objectives." 

DeMarco said he has been a strong proponent of controlling township spending. 

"One of the biggest challenges Ross Township faces is keeping our taxes among the lowest in Allegheny County while continuing to maintain the high level of services to our community," he said. 

Public safety and supporting the police force is the service he cites as most important for the township, and said he believes the board needs to look at innovative ways to deliver other services. 

"We need to explore all financing options, including budget cuts, to continue to deliver high quality services to our residents without any tax increases," he said. 

He said voting to reduce the commissioners' salary is an example of more effectively managing the township budget. He said he has also worked on revising the township's hiring practices. 

"I worked tirelessly for approximately four years to eliminate political patronage-based hiring in our public works department," he said. "My formal hiring policy, adopted by the board of commissioners several years ago, bases hiring for these positions on demonstrated experience and skills. This has also resulted in similar hiring practices being carried out in all township departments." 

Ann C. Harrold

Harrold graduated from St. Augustine High School in Pittsburgh in 1965. She moved to Ross Township as a teenager with her parents and moved back to the area full time in 1999. 

A retired flight attendant, Harrold also served as a deputy sheriff and pilot in the Sheriff's Aviation Unit in Westmoreland County and, most recently, as a school bus driver for the from 2006 to 2008. 

She is treasurer of the Ross Township Republican Committee. 

Harrold said she believes spending can be cut from and has targeted health insurance costs for Ross Township Commissioners as a line item that she would like to see reduced.

She said she believes it would save about $136,000. 

"It's time for fully funded health care insurance for a part-time job to stop," she said. 

She said she also believes all Ross Township employees should contribute more toward their health insurance costs. 

As commissioner, she said she would support police and fire departments and strive to do what is possible to fill empty store fronts along Babcock Boulevard and McKnight Road. 

Other Local Races

Ward 1 is one of three contested seats on the commission. In Ward 5,. In Ward 3, . 

Commissioners Gerald R. O'Brien (D), of Ward 7, and Grant Montgomery (R), of Ward 9, are running unopposed for re-election.

Which candidate are you supporting for Ward 1 and why? Tell us in the comments and help the undecided sort through the choice. 

What questions do you have for either DeMarco or Harrold that will help you make your decision between the two Tuesday? Tell us in the comments and we'll get the answers for you.

Editor's note: Candidates' background and responses were taken from information emailed to Patch in response to a questionaire sent to each person running for office.