Ward 1 Commissioner Candidates Face Off

Less than a month before the Nov. 8 general election, candidates for Ward 1 Lower Merion Township commissioner met Thursday night for a candidates’ forum at Penn Valley Elementary School. 

Democrat Daniel Bernheim, of Penn Valley, since February when then-vice president of the Board of Commissioners .

Republican in mid-May after candidate Trish Hueber withdrew from the race for personal health reasons.

Bernheim and Kait took questions formed by civics and from audience members (which consisted largely of commissioners and those active in township civics), and while the two agreed on several points during the debate, they mostly disagreed over the financial standing of the township and planning for the future.

Bernheim said the tax rate in Lower Merion has only increased about 4 percent since 1965, though Kait said the millage rate is up 60 percent since 2000.

And while Bernheim pointed out that Lower Merion maintains its Aaa bond rating, even while the United States does not, Kait said now is the time to be careful about our bond rating.

“Our bond rating was established over many years by dint of a very sizable and stable tax base,” Kait said. “The time to be careful about your bond rating is not when you’re about to lose it, but when it’s good. The danger is getting out of balance.”

The two also had different opinions of development along City Avenue.

Kait suggested the township scrap its current “premature” plans, and start over with a plan that takes everyone’s needs into account, including those of residents, business owners and developers, before moving forward with anything more specific.

But Bernheim said such concerns have already been accounted for.

“I don’t think there’s any room for debate that something needs to be done with City Avenue, that there has to be some change to the zoning,” Bernheim said.

Though Kait agreed on that point and both said something would need to be done to ameliorate traffic, Kait said he hasn’t seen that there is a clear vision of what everyone wants on Route 1.

Bernheim and Kait agreed on a question about the potential for sidewalks in Penn Valley saying that though they would be desirable, there are several obstacles to overcome—for instance, sidewalks would need unanimous approval and funding from the private residents involved.

On township capital improvement projects, both agreed prioritization is necessary, especially with the current economic climate, but Kait said the process for prioritization currently used by the township is not clear enough to residents and that it may not be working as well as it should be.

And in regard to party politics, Bernheim said the partisan bickering needs to stop. Kait noted that Bernheim’s demeanor on the board has been exemplary and that he would strive to do the same if he were elected.