Sewickley council race features 2 contested Wards

Editor’s note: Sewickley Herald is featuring candidate interviews in contested municipal and school board races only. Additional race previews will run in the Oct. 26 issue.

Two out of three four-year Sewickley council seat races in the upcoming November election are contested, according to the Allegheny County Office of Elections unofficial candidate list.

Democratic incumbent and current council vice president Julie Barnes will attempt to keep her Ward 1 seat from Republican challenger Brian Borres.

Independent incumbent Bridgett Bates, Democratic incumbent and current council president Cynthia Mullins and Republican Lawrence Newman are vying for two seats in Ward 2.

Bates earned enough votes to be on both the Democratic and Republican ticket. She is a registered Independent.

Councilman Thomas Rostek is running unopposed in Ward 3.

Here are the candidates and their responses to the election questions posed by Sewickley Herald.

Ward 1

Julie Barnes

Age: 45

Occupation: Licensed professional counselor

Education: Bachelor of science in biology, vertebrate physiology; master of science in professional counseling

Party: Democrat

Elected or political experience: Sewickley council member 2020-current, vice president 2022-current

What is the most pressing issue in Sewickley and how would you handle it on council? The most pressing needs — repairing sliding hillsides, replacing fire trucks, and improving the wastewater treatment plant — are all being addressed. More importantly, I drove a borough funding-model shift from borrowing to grant-seeking that secured over $1,000,000 in vital funding from state and federal partners and, if re-elected, I’ll continue to pursue that funding so we can keep working on the most pressing projects with creativity and as good stewards of the taxpayers’ money.

Brian Borres

Borres did not submit a photo.

Age: 47

Occupation: Restaurant owner

Education: Studied at Duquesne University and California University of Pennsylvania

Party: Republican

Elected or political experience: None

What is the most pressing issue in Sewickley and how would you handle it on council? The most pressing issue in my community is community. We have to remember to be proud of who we are and where we come from in the past, but most importantly now. My neighbor is my friend even with disagreement. My neighbor can question me and still come to my house and have dinner. Our children must be put in front of feelings so Sewickley regains the standing it once had. It has lost it.

Ward 2

Bridgett Bates

Age: 52

Occupation: Sewickley borough council member, volunteer

Education: Bachelor of arts in English literature and communication from Wingate University and master of education from Boston College

Party: Independent

Elected or political experience: Two years on Sewickley council

What is the most pressing issue in Sewickley and how would you handle it on council? The current council is focused on updating the water treatment facility, securing unsafe hillsides, and maintaining a thoughtful balanced budget while securing financial grants for projects. These are all pressing issues. We are also building an experienced cohesive team of capable borough staff while creating clear sustainable processes and procedures to serve our community. This is key to long-term success. We are making tangible progress and I hope to continue that work.

Submitted by the candidates

Cynthia Mullins

Cynthia Mullins

Age: 72

Occupation: Retired, former president and CEO of Sovran Futures Corp.

Education: Bachelor of arts from University of Michigan in economics and journalism

Party: Democrat

Elected or political experience: President borough council, past chairman parking authority, member of the Shade Tree Commission, business district advisory committee

What is the most pressing issue in Sewickley and how would you handle it on council? Sewickley’s most pressing issues are finances and infrastructure. In the past four years, we’ve (gone) from deficit to surplus, eliminated excess bureaucracy and rebuilt professional staff. We’re tackling a backlog of infrastructure needs while holding the line on taxes. We must continue that momentum. Council is working well together without unnecessary partisanship. If re-elected I will continue to work diligently and honestly to preserve what is unique about our safe, clean, green, walkable community.

Submitted by the candidates

Lawrence Newman

Lawrence Newman

Age: 77

Occupation: Semi-retired commercial mortgage lender and broker

Education: MBA from New York University and numerous post graduate courses in real estate

Party: Republican

Elected or political experience: None

What is the most pressing issue in Sewickley and how would you handle it on council? To keep Sewickley a great place for residents, a vibrant business district is essential since it attracts homeowners and visitors and provides the resources for all other programs and improvements. Safety and cleanliness must be the first priority. Secondly, keeping the tax burden reasonable and developing options for more parking. I will analyze all issues on a cost/benefit basis and build a consensus using a common sense approach.