Meet Upper Saucon Supervisor Candidate Philip Spaeth

Philip Spaeth

Age: 63

Family: Carol and I have been married for 38 years and for the last 36 years have lived in the same home in Upper Saucon Township.   We have raised three children, Christopher, Jill and Jennifer who went through the Southern Lehigh School System and are now finished with college, employed and living outside of the area.

Political party affiliation: Republican

Did you change parties to run in this election? If so, please explain:
No, I have been a republican all my life and was past president of the Southern Lehigh Republican Club

Tell us about your educational background: 

• MBA, State University of New York at Buffalo
• (BETA GAMMA SIGMA – honor society for business students)
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, Ohio University

Tell us about your professional/business background:
I am a certified purchasing manager with a 35 year business career at Air Products and Chemicals where I did strategic planning, market analysis, marketing communications, procurement and systems development

Why are you running for the board of supervisors?
I have lived in Upper Saucon Township most of my life and have a strong desire to be a public servant because I know that I can help the Township

What qualifies you to serve on the board?
I bring a unique and valuable perspective to the board with 35 years of private business experience and 20 years of government experience having served on both the planning commission and board of supervisors

What do you see as the board's primary role and responsibilities?
The board of supervisors plays the central role in township government.  The board serves as the legislative body of the township, setting policy, enacting ordinances and resolutions, adopting budgets and levying taxes.  Supervisors also are responsible for personnel and fiscal management. In many cases, the supervisors interface with township residents to solve problems, or act on their behalf with outside agencies or private firms.  State law gives township boards of supervisors quasi-judicial powers as a hearing board to hear, interpret local ordinances and decide certain issues. These include hearings on such matters as local personnel actions and various types of applications under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.  In such situations, supervisors must be totally unbiased and neutral in order to conduct a fair hearing.

Tell us about 3 major challenges facing the township and how you would address them. (Please be as specific as possible): 

1.  How do we avoid tax increases and maintain a strong fiscal budget?  

Over the last 10 years, General Fund tax revenues have increased 57% but unfortunately, so have expenditures.  I applaud the efforts of the Upper Saucon Township Budget Review Advisory Committee which warned of depleting reserves and future deficits.  I support many of its recommendations particularly those that seek to reduce engineering and legal costs and to investigate opportunities for sharing municipal services with nearby communities.   In addition we absolutely need to use benchmarking with other localities to develop performance metrics to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of Township services.   I will insist upon using good purchasing practices and making sure that the Township goes out to bid to test the marketplace in order to ensure that services are provided in a competitive manner.   With respect to increasing the Township’s tax revenue, my preference would be to support additional office research and technology development in the Enterprise Zone commonly referred to as the Stabler corridor rather than commercial development along 309 so that we don’t create another Quakertown.

2.  How do we create a vibrant and friendly community with everyone working together in harmony to enhance our quality of life?

In recent years the leadership on the Board of Supervisors has created an environment that is both hostile to the employees of our Township as well as the residents who pay the bills.  For the first time in our history, the public works employees have formed a union to protect their rights, something that was never necessary before.  Taxpaying residents who want to improve their property face excessive obstacles with expensive permit and engineering fees and uncooperative code enforcement officials.  Residents who have a desire to serve their community have often been ignored and not given an opportunity.  The Township needs to recognize that it exists to serve the needs of its residents and not the other way around.  I would like to join those supervisors on the Board who understand this and want to improve the morale of our residents and those who we depend upon in the Township to provide necessary services so that all of us can enjoy a better quality of life.

3.  How do we maintain the beauty and character of our Township and meet the needs for public health and safety, recreation and preservation of open space, traffic control and storm water management?  

In many respects the first two challenges discussed above must be met if we are to make any progress in these areas.  We need to support our Fire Department with the necessary facilities and incentives to continue to attract volunteers.  We need strong zoning and subdivision and land development ordinances that can withstand legal challenges from developers.  We need good planning with reasonable objectives in order to set priorities that we can accomplish in the areas of recreation, open space, traffic and storm water management.    None of this is possible unless we carefully manage our fiscal responsibilities.  Above all we have to be unified and working together towards a common goal so that we leave our community in better condition for the next generation.

How much are you spending to run? How is your campaign being funded?
My campaign expenses are about $495.  I don’t wish to be indebted to anyone and therefore I have paid all of my campaign expenses myself.

What, if any, endorsements have you received?
I have received endorsements from past and present supervisors including Jack DeMatos, Allen Cassaday and Fred Lanshe

Do you use social media? If so, please provide links to your Facebook and Twitter.
I seldom use social media.  My Twitter link is https://twitter.com/PhilipSpaeth