SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — The race for election to the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners is made up of many familiar faces in South Whitehall politics.
Two Republican incumbents, Jacob Roth and Diane Kelly, are teaming up with township Public Safety Commission member Chris Peischl because they say they have similar priorities and visions for the township.
- Two Republican incumbents, Jacob Roth and Diane Kelly, are running in a candidate group with Public Safety Commission member Chris Peischl
- Local business owner and former commissioner Ben Long also will be on the Republican ballot. Former commissioner Thomas Johns will be the only candidate on the Democratic primary ballot
- Kelly, Peischl and Roth are endorsed by the Parkland Subcommittee of the Lehigh County Republican Committee, but Long argued that the endorsement process was not transparent
The three candidates are endorsed by the Parkland Subcommittee of the Lehigh County Republican Committee and resident groups South Whitehall Concerned Citizens and South Whitehall for Integrity and Transparency.
Local business owner and former commissioner Ben Long also will be on the Republican primary ballot. He is endorsed by state Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Zack Mako.
Former commissioner Thomas Johns is the only candidate on the Democratic primary ballot.
Commissioner Brad Osborne is not running for re-election. He said he wanted to be on the board to ensure the township had a balanced, process-oriented approach to its issues, and that goal now “has largely been achieved.”
The primary election is on May 16.
Candidate group
Kelly, Peischl and Roth are running individual campaigns, but they say they share similar priorities, such as balanced responsible growth, promoting public safety, keeping taxes low and maintaining transparency on the board.
“We may not always agree on the specifics of every issue, but we have aligned values and the same vision for South Whitehall Township,” Roth said.
“South Whitehall has made remarkable progress on so many issues over the last few years, and we’re running to continue that process.”
Jacob Roth was unanimously appointed to the board in December to fill the vacant seat left by former commissioner Michael Wolk’s resignation.
Roth is a 2020 graduate of Parkland High School. He is studying at Penn State University's main campus and soon will attend Villanova University School of Law.
Diane Kelly is the president of the board of commissioners. She was elected to the board in 2019, amid the height of public discourse about the controversial mixed-use development Ridge Farms.
Kelly also is a member of the township Planning Commission; she was appointed before becoming commissioner.
Chris Peischl has served on the township’s Public Safety Commission for more than 12 years. He has worked in Emergency Management Services for 30 years and has served in several positions in the Greenawalds Fire Company, including firefighter and assistant chief.
"Balancing moderate growth and land preservation, I think it's something that's good for the long term health of our community.”Jacob Roth, incumbent candidate for South Whitehall Board of Commissioners
All three candidates cited balanced growth among their top priorities.
“Growth, farmland preservation, open space, development — those all need to work together,” Kelly said.
“Balance is important in every aspect of our lives," Roth said. "And development is certainly no exception. Balancing moderate growth and land preservation, I think it's something that's good for the long-term health of our community.”
Peischl and Roth said they were not happy with how previous commissioners handled the approval process for Ridge Farms.
Peischl said he thinks the actions the commissioners took indicated they prioritized approving the development over the interests of the residents.
“Some of it was done with the eye of having this development, and not really taking the ramifications that come with it,” Peischl said.
Ben Long
Long graduated from Parkland High School in 2012. He is the second-generation owner of South Whitehall-based water treatment company Lehigh Valley Water Systems.
Long previously was appointed to the board of commissioners in May 2021 after former commissioner Matthew Mobilio resigned. He served on the board for seven months. He said he chose to not run for a full term in the 2021 election because his wife was expecting their first baby at the time.
Long’s appointment was decided by the township’s Vacancy Board after a deadlock among the supervisors at the time, according to meeting minutes.
Former board President Christina “Tori” Morgan and former commissioner Joe Setton supported Long’s appointment, while current board President Diane Kelly and former commissioner Michael Wolk did not.
“I don't think it's fair the way that some developers, business owners, et cetera, have been treated. And I think at the very least, we should have open and honest, compromise-geared dialogue.”Ben Long, candidate for South Whitehall Board of Commissioners
Long said he wants to be a representative for young families and small business owners, and to work with developers who he thinks have been treated unfairly in the township.
“I believe in what's true, I believe in justice," Long said. "And I think there are some injustices that are going on.
“I don't think it's fair the way that some developers, business owners, et cetera, have been treated. And I think at the very least, we should have open and honest, compromise-geared dialogue.”
Long said he would do “everything [he] possibly can” to find common ground and compromise with the other commissioners if elected.
A contentious endorsement
Roth, Kelly and Peischl are endorsed by the Parkland Subcommittee of the Lehigh County Republican Committee.
But Long argued the endorsement process was not transparent.
He said he received a message about a “candidate forum” and could not attend because of work. He said he was not told that the forum was related to the endorsement process.
Long also said he thought it was a potential conflict of interest that the captain of the subcommittee, Jeff Kelly, determined the process that ultimately endorsed his wife, Diane Kelly.
“If voters want candidates hand picked behind closed doors by a not transparent process, then so be it,” Long said. “But I’m going to keep moving forward.”
Jeff Kelly said he ran the process by Chairman Joe Vichot, a different member of the subcommittee counted the votes and he recused himself from voting. He also invited Long to send a video presenting his platform, but Long did not send him one.
“I think we had a very open and clear process,” Jeff Kelly said.
Thomas Johns
Former Commissioner Thomas Johns is the only Democrat running for the board. He used to be a Republican, but he said he switched parties because he does not like the direction the party is heading.
Johns previously served on the board of commissioners for eight years. He owned and operated his own business, Phoenix Construction & Development, for many years, and now ispartially retired.
“Right now, this board is not out to look for the best interests of the public."Thomas Johns, candidate for South Whitehall Board of Commissioners
Johns said he thinks some members of the current board are not qualified and that they are all in “lock step” with each other.
“Right now, this board is not out to look for the best interests of the public,” Johns said.
Johns said he thinks he is the best person for the board because of his financial background running his company. He said he disagrees with some of the financial decisions made by the current board and thinks they are “spending money like it’s water.”
Johns said he thinks the township should support more industrial development north of Huckleberry Road so the township can garner more revenue, but also wants to preserve open space whenever possible.
Johns also wants to ensure that the board treats every developer fairly and makes it less expensive to develop in South Whitehall.
“They're bringing revenue into your township for you, with the tax base and all that,” Johns said. “But you'll have people, if you look back over years, who don't want to do business in South Whitehall because the cost of the engineering is so expensive.”
