Here are some views I’ve shared with our neighbors while out knocking on doors this fall:
Development: Springfield Township has a history of allowing developers to have too much power in planning our community, and that’s led to spaces that don’t serve our needs, don’t generate enough revenue to offset their cost to residents, and make our streets unsafe. We need to work directly with residents and have a more defined development plan instead of just letting a developer build to artificially keep taxes low for a few more years; otherwise we will all pay their price for their profiteering in the end.
Women’s Reproductive Health: I spent several years working for the Crozer Health System, starting at Delaware County Memorial Hospital; I understand the fundamental right to privacy between a doctor or any licensed medical provider and their patient. Although it isn’t likely ever going to be a Township issue, I would do everything in my power to keep the government out of the exam room.
Springfield Hospital: I believe that the Commissioners haven’t done enough and haven’t worked with the County, the County Department of Health, and the Delaware County Foundation, and have let Prospect Medical Holdings to run roughshod over Springfield Hospital. We need to be doing everything we can as it transitions back to a non-profit, to ensure that emergent and urgent medical care needs can be met here in Springfield.
Pedestrian Safety: A Pedestrian Safety Committee is a good thing to have, but it’s a better thing when those meetings are open to residents and committee members are eager to hear new ideas and try strategies that have proven effective elsewhere. It doesn’t need to be unsafe walking the sidewalks of Springfield or crossing in a crosswalk; it isn’t just bad drivers, it’s bad design. The Board of Commissioners can start making simple, effective changes immediately through traffic calming and create long-term, positive changes through simple redesigns of our streets where cars, pedestrians, and cyclists interact.
Nuisance Businesses & Code Enforcement: The 3rd Ward is home to a large amount of Springfield’s commercial and mixed-use spaces, including a large section of Baltimore Pike. Unfortunately, the Township didn’t take the necessary steps to ensure that commercial facilities would be designed in ways to be good neighbors to the residents sharing a property line, and enforcement of the zoning and township codes we have pertaining to the maintenance of those facilities has been selectively enforced. Our Township Code and Ordinances are there to protect the residents and we need to do a better job with how we write them and how the Township takes action against people, businesses, and developers not adhering to Code.
Township Events / Farmer’s Market: There are a lot of things we can find in other municipalities in Delco, that we could have even better versions of right here in Springfield. We just need to have a Commissioner that’s willing to work with people from both sides of the aisle to make it happen, and that’s what I’m here to do for you and our community. The bare-minimum shouldn’t be good enough, and someone not being your friend or political ally shouldn’t affect quality of life improvements in the Township. I have a background that includes large event management, and I look forward to helping improve the events our Township puts on and bring new events and experiences to our community as well.
Law Suits + County Health Department: I think it was embarrassing that Delaware County was the most populated county in the nation without a County Health Department before the process to establish one started in 2020. I think it is completely unethical for the Township to now be suing the County over the right to continue local inspections, even following repeated food-born-illness outbreaks not fully addressed by the Township. Why are we wasting money on a lawsuit and why are we wasting money paying for something twice? Not only that, but the Township is also suing the County over the supposed PILOT program for private businesses operating at the Springfield Country Club in a back-room deal negotiated with debatable legal standing. We shouldn’t be wasting tax payer dollars on these lawsuits.
What’s something you can fix?: State grant money. We don’t get nearly as much of it as we should, and I already have the necessary experience working with State Legislators and the Governor’s Office to help bring back our tax dollars sent to Harrisburg for use right here in Springfield. We can improve our community in so many ways without just raising property taxes, and it’s time we started accessing every opportunity that can help improve our day to day lives here in Springfield.
Don’t see the issue you’d like to hear about? Send me an email and I’ll get right back to you and may even post it here!
“I’ve seen first-hand how our community has grown and often struggled… It’s time for an independent, transparent, and diverse voice on our Board of Commissioners.”
— Thomas J De Luca, 3/1/2023 in his Campaign Announcement Press Release