4 vie for 3 seats in Butler Township
All three Butler Township commissioners whose terms are expiring this election cycle are running for reelection, in addition to one newcomer who is running for election to the role for the first time.
Commissioners chairman Dave Zarnick and commissioners Jim Lokhaiser Jr. and Joe Wiest are running for reelection in the November general election, and a resident of the Meridian area, David Rice, is running for the first time.
Lokhaiser is a lifelong resident of Butler, graduating from Butler Senior High School in 1979, and is currently transportation director for Helena Agri Enterprises in Evans City.
Lokhaiser has been a Butler Township commissioner since 2015. He said he would like to keep being a fiscal watchdog for the taxpayers of Butler Township, and continue applying for grants to fund needed construction projects in the municipality. He said his proudest accomplishment since joining the commission is “holding the line on taxes for the residents of the township.”
“With the prices of everything continuing to rise, it becomes harder to hold the line on taxes,” Lokhaiser said. “We have a very good board that works well together, and we will continue to watch out for the taxpayers and continue to monitor spending and stay within our budget.”
During his tenure on the board, Lokhaiser also has seen the merger of five volunteer fire departments into one, but keeping the Butler Township Volunteer Fire District staffed and funded is a consistent issue the commissioners have their eyes on.
“Talks have begun between the fire service and the township about the possibility of constructing a new ‘central’ fire station,” Lokhaiser said. “We recently finalized labor agreements with the public works department and the two police clerks, and we are in the final stages of finalizing a new contract with the police department.”
Rice lives in the Meridian area of Butler Township, and said he has a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Slippery Rock University and manages a manufacturing department of nearly 60 employees.
Although he has not held public office before, Rice said he is interested and qualified because of his “diverse background of working with others and finding solutions to difficult problems,” and he wants to promote transparency and accountability in the role.
Rice’s involvement in trying to conserve Preston Park led him to want more transparency for the township leadership.
“Transparency and accountability within our township needs to be better. Also, as a rate payer of Butler Area Sewer Authority, I am concerned about the sale and potential rate increases,” Rice said. “If the sale goes through, Butler Township will be receiving a considerable large sum of money while ratepayers will bear the burden of repaying the monies in higher monthly sewer bills. There should be discussions on whether some portion of this money should be used to offset these potential large increases.”
With transparency and communication being two of Rice’s biggest goals for the commissioner’s role, he said he would like to implement more online communication into the township’s regular operations.
“I would utilize social media platforms to promote township affairs and agendas,” Rice said. “I would also like to see all township board meetings televised/streamed in order for all residents to have the opportunity to be engaged.”
Wiest is a 1980 graduate of Butler Catholic School, a 1984 graduate of Butler High School, a 1986 graduate of Butler County Community College with an associate of applied science in electronics. He started working for his father with Wiest Paving at age 13, and he started Wiest Asphalt Products and Paving in 1998.
Wiest first assumed his seat as a Butler County commissioner 12 years ago and has been heading up the roads department for about 10 years. He said he would like to have a focus on young people in the township, a growing population.
“If reelected, my goals are to take a great place to live and make it the greatest place to live,” Wiest said, “to keep our youth here and the community strong.”
Wiest said the top three issues he would like to address as a commissioner are crime, drugs and advocating for more community volunteers. On each topic, he said he would like to continue successful partnerships the township has with local agencies that have helped keep Butler Township cohesive. According to Wiest, it is his experience with managing people that makes him a good person to rally different organizations and people in Butler Township.
“We have a great police department that works with all the surrounding departments from city, state police, sheriff's office, and with the Butler Area School District,” Wiest said. “We already do a great job of supporting our volunteers in Butler Township, but I would like to see more people get involved with their local community and see what we can accomplish together.”
Zarnick worked for Armco/AK Steel for 30 years, eventually becoming day-shift supervisor in electrical processing. He is the chairman of the Butler Township commissioners and has been a commissioner for the past 16 years.
He also serves on the executive committee of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners and is a past president. He is also a past president of the Allegheny County & Western Pennsylvania Association of Township Commissioners. He said he has made contacts that have benefited Butler Township by “gaining valuable insight and assistance into numerous projects.”
Zarnick said if he is reelected, he would like to continue keeping tax rates the same as the past 12 years, while also introducing new businesses to the area.
“While Butler Township has maintained a balanced operating budget for over 10 years, I strive to control local costs for our residents,” Zarnick said. “Times are changing and Butler Township must be prepared to meet these new demands for doing business and creating more amenities for those living in the township.”
Zarnick also said he would like to revitalize the Lyndora area, which has seen several businesses and organizations close over the past few years. He said attracting and keeping young people in Butler Township, dealing with aging infrastructure and maintaining a trained workforce are the top three issues he would like to address.
“We need to do a study of our oldest neighborhoods to see what problems we are having with infrastructure, and then bring together our community stakeholders to develop a long-term solution to address these problems,” he said. “We need to continue working with our business community and bring educational resources to the table to help train employees so they may live and work right here in Butler Township.”
