WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Four candidates with strong ties to Whitehall Township are running for mayor.
Democrats Joseph Marx and Michael Cocca and Republicans Tina Jo Koren and John C. Hersh will face off to replace Michael J. Harakal.
- Four candidates are running for Whitehall Township mayor
- The candidates are Democrats Joseph Marx and Michael Cocca and Republicans Tina Jo Koren and John C. Hersh
- The current mayor, Michael Harakal Jr., dropped out of the race in the wake of sexual harassment allegations and a related lawsuit.
Harakal, in the wake of a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, withdrew his candidacy for re-election, citing family matters not limited to the lawsuit.
Harakal maintains his innocence and said the allegations have caused him hardship.
The candidate chosen from each party in the May 16 primary will face off in the November general election.
They come from a variety of backgrounds, but share a common thread: All say they care deeply about Whitehall and see its potential as something better than it is now.
Here are the candidates:
Michael Cocca
Cocca is a Whitehall native and graduate of King's College in Wilkes-Barre. He is a senior recruiter for ADP and is married, with a 3-year-old daughter.
In order to create a town where people feel like it's a 'home' as opposed to where they have their house, you have to give them something to do. You have to emphasize what the 'life' is, in their work-life balance.Mike Cocca
He said one of his biggest visions for Whitehall was inspired by spending time with his daughter — they like to go to parks, and he wasn't totally satisfied with what the community had to offer.
"In order to create a town where people feel like it's a home, as opposed to where they have their house, you have to give them something to do," Cocca said. "You have to emphasize what the life is, in their work-life balance."
Cocca said improving Whitehall's parks is one way he could do that if elected as mayor.
Coming from a business background, Cocca also said he would like to see commerce in Whitehall improve.
On the topic of business in the area, specifically around the Lehigh Valley Mall, Cocca said, "Whitehall is completely failing."
"I mean, Sears is gone. Bed Bath and Beyond just declared bankruptcy and will be closing soon. There was a restaurant, a Country Buffet, that went out of business."
"You have a whole section there that just basically doesn't exist anymore. It's just like a shell of what it used to be."
Cocca said another area of passion for him is public safety: He said he is open to the idea of exploring having paid firefighters, instead of the current volunteer model.
More information can be found on Cocca's campaign website
Tina Koren
Koren is treasurer/tax collector for Whitehall Township and Whitehall-Coplay School District.
She has resided in Whitehall for more than 45 years, and for 19 years was on Whitehall-Coplay School Board, including as president and vice president.
She also was a management administrator for the Pennsylvania State Police, with whom she was employed for 41 years, and was chosen Civilian Employee of the Year.
Her two children went through the Whitehall school system.
After slightly more than a year into my term as Whitehall’s elected Treasurer and Tax Collector, I have a direct view into the Township’s inner workings. The policies that had been enacted over the last decade have results in the breakdown in the Township that we see today.Tina Koren
Koren said her time as treasurer has influenced much of her platform.
"After slightly more than a year into my term as Whitehall’s elected treasurer and tax collector, I have a direct view into the township’s inner workings," Koren said.
"The policies that had been enacted over the last decade have results in the breakdown in the township that we see today."
She summarized her platform in three points: public safety, cost of living and transparent leadership.
"Public safety is going to be a driving issue for most voters this year," she said. "For some, it will be the fact that Whitehall can’t pay for basic fire services and has resorted to shutting down fire stations."
"For others, it will be traffic safety and crime. On a high level, a core function of government is to provide adequate public safety functions to all its residents. Whitehall’s residents are some of the highest taxed in all of Lehigh County, and yet we still can’t provide these services adequately."
She said if she's elected, her plan is to sit down with emergency services leaders during her first week in office and figure out the best way to allocate funds.
"The money is there, it just needs to be allocated efficiently," she said.
More information on Koren's campaign is available on her website.
John Hersh
Hersh and his wife have lived in Whitehall since 1999.
He has been a volunteer firefighter since 1985, when he was just 16, and in 2005 joined Whitehall Fire Department, where he's been a lieutenant there for about five years.
He said that if he's elected, his understanding of the challenges faced by firefighters and administrative tasks would help him.
"We get audited every three years," he said. "They want to count the dollars and cents. It can be a bit of a challenge sometimes, but that's a responsibility I take on. I think I do a pretty decent job at it."
The expectations and responsibilities [of firefighters] have grown significantly. And the training requirements have grown significantly. So it's just gotten really hard to attract people to come to want to do this kind of stuff anymore. We're at that turning point right now. Where we've got to start blending in paid personnel because we're struggling quite a bit.John Hersh
Hersh said emergency services are something he feels strongly about — and wants to explore the possibility of having a paid fire department, and some way to increase retention.
"The expectations and responsibilities [of firefighters] have grown significantly; the training requirements have grown significantly," Hersh said.
"So it's just gotten really hard to attract people to come to want to do this kind of stuff anymore. We're at that turning point right now, where we've got to start blending in paid personnel because we're struggling quite a bit."
Hersh said he also cares about safety on Whitehall roads — specifically on MacArthur Road. He said he recently had a close call in traffic that he said could have cost him his life.
"So definitely high on my list addressing the safety issues with MacArthur Road," he said. "And seeing what we can do to help to quell the activity has been going on."
More information is available on his campaign website.
Joseph Marx
Marx is the president of Whitehall's board of commissioners.
He is a Marine veteran who served active duty, marine aviation and the Reserves. He now owns and operates a property management company.
He was on the township Planning Commission for four years and has represented Whitehall on the Coplay Sewer Authority for 14 years.
Marx summarized his platform in three parts: public safety, infrastructure and economic growth.
On public safety, Marx said he hopes to reduce crime, strengthen emergency response systems and ensure responders have the resources they need.
I'm passionate because of my military service, and I always instilled it in my children. You know, it's important to serve, no matter what you do. If you volunteer or you help your neighbor. I think it's important that we engage each other as a society to make things better.Joseph Marx
He said he would prioritize investing in roads, parks and other public places in Whitehall.
For economic growth, he said he inherited some of his philosophy from his day job, running a small business.
"You know, Whitehall Township is an incorporated business," he said. "I'm a businessman. I run an incorporated business. None of my opponents run a business."
Summarizing his platform, he pointed to a quote on his campaign website: "My goal as Mayor is to restore integrity and leadership to the office of Mayor," it reads. "I want to build a Township that works for all of us. I believe in creating a community that is safe, sustainable, and prosperous."
Marx said his philosophy about being mayor dovetails with his passion for military service.
"I'm passionate because of my military service, and I always instilled it in my children," Marx said. "You know, it's important to serve, no matter what you do. If you volunteer or you help your neighbor. I think it's important that we engage each other as a society to make things better."
More information is available on Marx's campaign website.
