3 Democrats vying for 2 New Kensington Council seats in primary

Three men seeking two Democratic Party nods in the New Kensington Council primary say they want to continue the business growth and development in the city.

Nicholas DiCarolis, Randi Shank and Phillip Toney are the Democratic candidates in the May 20 primary.

The top two vote-getters will face off against Chase Balla in the November general election. Balla is running unopposed on the Republican primary ticket.

Councilmen Todd Mentecki and Corey Pistinizi did not seek reelection.

Mayor Tom Guzzo is running for his seat unopposed.

DiCarolis, 36, is wrapping up his first term on the New Kensington-Arnold School Board. He said he wants to make New Kensington attractive to young families and homebuyers.

DiCarolis said he would be fiscally responsible to taxpayers, work with the school district for opportunities for students and build more community engagement, pointing to the importance of Fridays on Fifth and an inaugural downtown farmers market this year.

“Those community events are vital to building New Kensington to what it was in a past era,” he said. “I have no secret motive. I have a young family and three kids, and I’d like to see New Kensington be the best version of itself for my kids, and their kids.”

Growing up in New Kensington in the 1990s and early 2000s, DiCarolis thought revitalizing New Kensington would be a tall task. He is proud of the strides the city has made over the past decade.

“To see the progress that’s been happening over the past 10 years has been inspiring, and I want to be part of that,” he said.

Shank, 66, is a member of the city’s planning commission and a volunteer firefighter.

“I’m hoping by taking a step up, I can push some of the initiatives forward and get them completed to make it better,” he said.

Those initiatives include a “good base” downtown — with Fridays on Fifth, the Digital Foundry business development service and growth at the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park — and off Tarentum Bridge Road.

“We want to continue that,” he said. “It’s well on its way, but we have to look at the city as a whole.”

He wants to address blighted properties and fix residential streets. He, too, wants to be cognizant of taxpayers’ money, citing tax increases from the school district and rate hikes from the sewage authority.

Shank would like to start a coalition of local leaders to advocate for and bring more resources and funding for infrastructure to New Kensington.

Toney, 70, is on the sanitary authority board. He would tap into his contacts in town to help progress growth and development. He worked for the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington for 40 years and owned two local businesses: a video store in Parnassus and Phillip’s Big Lounge and Banquet Hall in Arnold.

“I remember when our downtown was absolutely amazing. I think the city is trending in the right direction,” he said. “I think Mayor Guzzo and council is doing a pretty good job with revitalization, and I’d like to be a part of that.”

He eyes improvements by getting more retail stores in town and keeping the city’s tax rates down.

“One way of doing that is to bring new businesses in and help take the burden off of existing taxpayers,” he said.

Toney said voters can trust his track record of volunteerism and involvement as a lifelong city resident.

“I really honestly think I can make an impact on the city along with other council members to help the city grow,” he said.