This is the second in a two-part series featuring a Q&A with the candidates for Ellwood City Borough Council. Today’s Q&A features Marilyn Mancini, Raymond Venezie, and Jude Dici. Yesterday’s Q&A featured George Celli, Brandon Fisher, and Caleb Cragle. Click here to read yesterday’s Q&A.
Elections are just around the corner. Residents will be able to place their votes for numerous offices including Ellwood City Borough Council on November 5. To find your polling location, click here. To learn more about the voting process and how to cast your vote, click here.
Take a moment to get to know the candidates running for Ellwood City Borough Council.
Marilyn Mancini
Family: Husband Joseph, two daughters
Employment: I have been the Office Manager for Mark Hasson, State Farm Insurance Agent in Ellwood City for the last 20 years. Prior I worked for Dale Shaw, Retired agent State Farm at the same office in Ellwood City since 1974.
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Council: I have been on council since 2006.
Q: What neighborhood do you live in? Why? Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
A: I live in the Third Ward in the home my husband’s family lived in.
Q: What makes a good city council member?
A: One who is committed to making our city prosper and is honest and experienced.
Q: What do you think are the three biggest issues facing our town right now? What solutions do you have to offer to resolve those issues?
A: Keeping the hospital in business to serve our community as well as the employees with their jobs. Council has been responsive and openly helping them with payment arrangements.
Bringing in businesses to town—we continue to offer low interest loans to entice businesses.
Absentee landlords throughout town—stricter enforcement via inspections
Q: Why do you want to be a council member?
A: I always want to be involved in the town I was born and raised and want to continue on council.
Q: Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve?
A: Our Parks/Recreational facilities are our greatest asset! We have added a bocce court and volleyball court. We are now going to work on improving Stiefel Park for the youth of our town.
Q: What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve?
A: While working at my job in Ellwood City for 45 years, I have met and worked with many people in our town.
Q: In what community activities/organizations have you been involved?
A: I have reopened the concession stand at the pool and stock the supplies there. I have started Adult dance pool parties to encourage more adults to use our pool. I also worked at my church bazaars.
Q: What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or council members?
A: We all should have our town’s best interest at heart.
Q: As a council member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
A: In the time that I have been on council, I feel we have worked together to make sure our budget is in check. We stay within the proposed budget.
Q: How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups?
A: All requests should go to the borough manager, who presents to council for consideration.
Q: What are 2-3 strengths of which our town can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?
A: Our residents support the local businesses, the special events held within the community, and the people who work tirelessly to put on the events. Ellwood City is a welcoming town where you can feel safe and secure.
Q: If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?
A: Upgrading Stiefel Park.
Q: Do you think our main street/downtown is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that?
A: Our residents support the downtown businesses. We always welcome new shops.
Q: How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
A: Residents are always welcome to voice their opinions at our council meetings.
Q: If elected, what three steps would you take to put our city on a firmer financial footing?
A: Continue to keep our taxes low, keep expenses down, and help new businesses to come to our town.
Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: Restore/remodel blighted properties, upgrade infrastructure, and bring back a movie theatre/cultural center on Lawrence Avenue!
Raymond Venezie
Employment: Retired Army, Pa Careerlink
Q: What neighborhood do you live in? Why? Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
A: 3rd Ward. Near Loccasano’s. The SOI, Vinny’s, Venezia’s, Red Hot, and all the restaurants in town.
Q: What makes a good city council member?
A: A council person that takes ideas and will work with anyone.
Q: What do you think are the three biggest issues facing our town right now? What solutions do you have to offer to resolve those issues?
A: Taxes, spending, and lack of businesses in this city.
Solutions: Spend less, stop taxing the citizens so much, get the budget under control.
Q: Why do you want to be a council member?
A: To help all the people in this city.
Q: Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve?
A: High taxes.
Q: What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve?
A: I have been on council before, and I have experience in many others.
Q: In what community activities/organizations have you been involved?
A: SOI, Holy Name, VFW, American Legion
Q: What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or council members?
A: I have been in many countries, cities and worked with many different types of people and understand these differences
Q: As a council member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
A: I will look at all areas and cut where it is possible if the cuts can be made
Q: How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups?
A: Look at the request and see if it’s possible. If not, let the person know and why
Q: What are 2-3 strengths of which our town can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?
A: We have a great park and need more area like this.
We have a good downtown but need to bring more business in.
Q: If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?
A: Bring more business into Ellwood and this could also bring people here.
Q: Do you think our main street/downtown is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that?
A: It is a nice downtown but needs cleaned up. Old buildings need to go.
Q: How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
A: Very easy. Talk to them. Town Hall meetings.
Q: If elected, what three steps would you take to put our city on a firmer financial footing?
A: Bring business into town. Look into free parking. Work on getting more grants.
Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: I would use it to pay down the debt we made for the new city public works building which was a mistake in the first place. This might help keep taxes down.
Judith S. Dici
Employment: Retired Educator and Law Enforcement Officer
Former Experience, Roles, and Years Serving on Ellwood City Council: 28 1/2 years as an English/Spanish teacher and Law Enforcement Officer and completing my 8th year on Ellwood City Council
Q: What neighborhood do you live in? Why? Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
A: I live in the Rolling Hills area of Ellwood City. I live there because it is a small quiet neighborhood. I enjoy spending time in Ewing Park and exercising at the Ellwood City Family Center located in the North Side area of town.
Q: What makes a good city council member?
A: A good council member is someone with the ability to multi-task, be persistent, as well as creative, in finding ways to solve an issue.
Q: What do you think are the three biggest issues facing our town right now? What solutions do you have to offer to resolve those issues?
A: Revenue, infrastructure, and attracting businesses to relocate here. To successfully resolve these issues we need to be fiscally responsible and offer incentives to reduce the fees for “start up” businesses.
Q: Why do you want to be a council member?
A: I want to be a part of moving Ellwood City forward and helping our town to reach its full potential.
Q: Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve?
A: I grew up in EC and want to do what I can to ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the same opportunities that I had.
Q: What particular experiences or skills have prepared you to serve?
A: Both of my careers, law enforcement, and education, afforded me the opportunity to interact with people at different levels. These experiences have given me the skills necessary to communicate effectively with my peers.
Q: In what community activities/organizations have you been involved?
A: I was a member and past president of the Ellwood City Lions Club and also worked closely with Mayor Court and the juveniles assigned to perform community service within the borough. I am currently a Eucharistic Minister at my church and a member of our parish social club. I also volunteered at the Holy Redeemer Bazaar and at the Fall Fest.
Q: What differentiates you from the other candidates and/or council members?
A: The many honors that I have received at the State level including: Certified Borough Official, President of the PA Councils Association, President of the Lawrence County Boroughs Association, and a 4-year appointment to Gov. Wolf’s Local Government Advisory Panel. I also received a Pa State Association of Boroughs “Distinguished Service Award” in 2018, for my job performance within Ellwood City.
Q: As a council member, where would you look to make budget cuts?
A: Every department needs to be scrutinized and, where necessary, paring needs to be made.
Q: How would you handle the requests, if approached, by an individual? Special interest groups?
A: All requests should be accepted and studied.
Q: What are 2-3 strengths of which our town can be proud? Why do you see these as strengths?
A: Our park and recreation system is one of our biggest attributes, and it is also one of the finest in the area. Another is our relatively low crime rate when compared to some surrounding areas.
Q: If elected, what would you hope would be key accomplishments of the board during your years of service?
A: The improvement of our infrastructure, bringing more businesses into our community, and the stabilization of tax rates.
Q: Do you think our main street/downtown is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that?
A: Our downtown is steadily becoming healthier and more successful.
Q: How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
A: Council needs to listen to and respect the opinions of all residents relative to issues coming before council.
Q: If elected, what three steps would you take to put our city on a firmer financial footing?
A: 1. Encourage an atmosphere of fiscal responsibility in all departments. 2. Continue to apply for grant money. 3. Seek out the most profitable institutions for our investments.
Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: Reestablish neighborhood playgrounds. Why? It would give all children the opportunity to play within walking distance of their house. Improve the appearance of the major entrances into Ellwood City. Why? Because it gives a good “first impression” when entering our town.
Yes, it’s significant what a candidate says, but I consider what a candidate DOES to be more important.
What I look to is experience, professionalism, and integrity.
I’ve observed that those that display a poor command of the English language, improper sentence structure, and incorrect spelling, find it more difficult to accomplish anything else. That’s not what Ellwood needs.
There’s one candidate who has mastered all of these basics and stands above the rest, especially in accomplishments.
Ellwood should be very proud to have a council member who is President of the Pennsylvania Councils Association, President of the Lawrence County Boroughs Association, and the appointment to Governor Wolf’s advisory panel. That would be Judy Dici. Judy has what it takes.
Don’t take my word for it. Attend a council meeting and witness it for yourself.