Lansdowne - Democratic and Republican candidates for Delaware County Council have outlined their ideas (and disagreements) on economic and revitalization issues over the past several days.
Yesterday, Democratic candidate David Landau held a press conference with campaign manager and Lansdowne Mayor Jayne Young at the municipal building, calling past county efforts at revitalization inadequate and perfunctory.
Landau noted that the county awards about $1 million a year in grant money as part of its revitalization plan. He said that such a sum does not go far enough when it is spread out among the 29 municipalities eligible for revitalization grants.
He contrasted that figure with Chester County's, which allocates $24 million dollars through its revitalization program.
"Community revitalization is about neighbors working together to solve a problem," Landau said. "All too often the political system precludes neighboring municipalities from working together."
One example Landau gave of politics preventing community redevelopment efforts was Upper Darby Township's "Gateway Project." The project aims to provide better access for pedestrians and cars along Market Street and to improve the area's business climate. Landau says that the county has done nothing to end what he believes is foot-dragging by the all-Republican Township Council.
Landau also took issue with the fact that County Managing Director Marianne Grace serves as a member of the Upper Darby Township Council. Such represents, in his view, a conflict of interest.
Republican council candidate Christine Fizzano Cannon differed with her opponent's characterization of revitalization in Delaware County and said that the revitalization grants he mentioned accounted for only a small portion of all funding sources from federal, state and local governments geared toward funding redevelopment. She said the county has leveraged over $35 million for such projects since 2001.
"Mr. Landau is either misinformed or making intentional misrepresentations," Fizzano Cannon said.
Landau also said that the county's plans for revitalization along the Baltimore Pike Corridor have also faced a stall in implementation.
The Democrat pledged to foster more inter-municipal cooperation on redevelopment and to allocate more funding for projects across the county. Citing his work as a former solicitor for Yeadon Borough who has worked on these issues, he said, "I have a sense for the economics of this situation."
Young concurred with Landau's assessment.
"Right now," she said, "I don't believe the county council has any idea what the real needs of the municipalities are, because they don't come down here."
Fizzano Cannon said Young could have noted that the borough has received $400,000 in grant money from the county since 2001 for redevelopment, open space and historical preservation.
Fizzano Cannon says that revitalization funds can be increased somewhat, particularly by encouraging private investment and in designating more of the revenues generated by Harrah's Chester Casino for redevelopment projects. The Republicans say they plan on such an expansion should they get elected in November.
The day before, Republicans were holding their own press conference in Media, praising the county for what they believe is a vibrant and business-friendly environment.
"We are committed to making Delaware County a competitive business environment that retains existing businesses, attracts new employers, and provides good paying jobs for our residents," candidate Andy Lewis said.
"Delaware County today is a place where businesses can grow and thrive, and we will work to continue that trend. We believe our economic development professionals in the county have done an excellent job at attracting major employers such as Harrah's, Applied Card Systems, and SAP. In addition, Major League Soccer is considering Chester for the location of a new franchise and Delaware County is under consideration for a major movie studio. These efforts are a clear indication that we are on the right track."
The Republicans noted that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has determined that the county has gained 8,414 jobs in 2005 and 2006.
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us.
©The Evening Bulletin 2007
