Ready To Serve

Maria Smith
Cumberland Times-News

September 05, 2007 11:58 am

— CUMBERLAND - Education, experience and a desire to serve.
They all say they have it; now it's up to the mayor and council to decide who best can serve the city's constituents.
In their first opportunity to publicly address city residents, the four possible appointees to fill former Councilman Terry Re-phann's seat addressed a standing room only crowd during the mayor and council's regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall. Rephann officially resigned yesterday, Mayor Lee Fiedler announced before the presentations.
Lindsay Farris, Brian Grim, David Kauffman and Mary Beth Pirolozzi have made the final list and the individual chosen will fill the seat.
Farris touched on her volunteer and nonprofit experience as well as her interest in politics, which includes a stint as an intern in the White House as reasons she's qualified. Education, public relations, marketing, youth leadership and a particular interest in health care are what she would bring to the council.
She is the community manager and income development director for the American Cancer Society in Allegany and Garrett counties. She said she understands the "enormous obligation and responsibility" the position holds and that she has the "conviction and dedication" to take action needed to bring about change.
Born and raised in Cumberland, Brian Grim also cited his volunteerism and his desire to serve.
Grim, currently the concession manager at Rocky Gap State Park, took on Delegate LeRoy Myers Jr. in the 2006 election for House of Delegates. Grim was defeated, but he won every precinct in Cumberland, he said.
His goal of making a difference in the community has remained the same.
Calling himself an "unabashed idealist," he said positive change can and should happen in the city and people should be honest, fair and ethical.
Kauffman, who moved to the area more than a decade ago, said his wife and two children are why he wants to serve.
Currently the band director at Mountain Ridge High School, Kauffman said he'd like the council to pursue finalizing the Willowbrook Market Place, promote the city for technology-based businesses, light manufacturing and distribution, define the city's role in the county's tourism effort, create an exploratory committee to determine potential money for a Virginia Avenue corridor manager, work with staff and the Downtown Development Commission to move downtown into the "next logical phase" and work with the school system to improve the quality of city schools.
By doing these things, he said, additional revenue will be generated, allowing the city to maintain and increase services such as public safety, roads and parks.
Pirolozzi was the last to speak and said her focus is on quality of life, safe neighborhoods and economic development so the sons and daughters who have moved can return to the Queen City and that her grandchildren and others won't have to leave.
In public service for two decades, she brings political experience to the table having served as district administrator to former state Sens. John Hafer and John Bambacus. As the current executive director of the County United Way, she said the mission of helping people become self-sufficient and to empower them to make a better life fits with what the city's leaders do.
Pirolozzi also talked about small businesses and said those are the backbone of any community.
Her father, who left school after the 10th grade, became a small business owner and taught her "character and integrity and values" that stay with her today.
The process to select Rephann's replacement, however, hasn't come without criticism.
Pennsylvania Avenue residents James Starr and Herb Broll, a long-time supporter of Jim Combs, spoke last night. Starr questioned how the mayor and council with four votes could "trump" the more than 2,500 votes Combs received in the last election.
Broll picked up that thread and quizzed the Fiedler administration as to whether or not citizens' votes counted, what the mayor and council don't like about Combs and why they don't feel Combs is qualified.
Fiedler reviewed the council's decision on why it proceeded as it did. The city's charter, he said, gives little detail as to replacing a council member but says the mayor and council are "to elect a qualified person" within 60 days of a vacancy.
Fiedler said precedence was not set in 1984 when the council was faced with two vacancies. At that time, letters were sought from citizens with one gentleman appointed who had not run and Dellann Campbell-Fultz, who had run and was the next highest vote getter, appointed.
For this vacancy, council requested letters and interest. Eleven citizens responded and were interviewed. The four chosen all were "highly acceptable by everyone."
Also Tuesday, Richard Carter submitted a petition with 200 signatures calling for the mayor and council to appoint the next highest vote getter.
"I believe the process is not what residents want," he said.
Combs also spoke and countered the process should not have begun before Rephann's resignation, nor should he have been able to sit in on any interviews.
He also said he is the only one of the four to run for city office and his qualifications, experience and interest in serving make him a qualified appointee.
Others who submitted letters of interest are: Gerald Chambers, John Harvey Jr., Donald Hedrick, Bernard Lechman, Richard Noreikis and Stanley Robinette.
Fiedler said he expects council will meet for a final selection in the next week or so with the appointee to be sworn in at the Sept. 18 meeting.
Rephann resigned because he now is employed in Virginia.
Maria Smith can be reached at msmith@times-news.com.

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