Stoffer challenges DeRosa in Forward Township race

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

The ballot will appear as if the race for supervisor in Forward Township is uncontested when voters go to the polls Tuesday, but that would ignore the somewhat heated write-in campaigns that have been launched by both the Democratic and Republican candidates.
Only incumbent Tom DeRosa’s name will appear on the Democratic ballot, but he is asking voters to write in his name for the Republican nomination as well in a bid to oust Republican Jayme Stoffer from the ballot in November.
Stoffer is running unopposed on the Republican ticket, but has launched a counter-campaign to win the Democratic nomination as well through write-in votes.
This is only the second time since DeRosa was first appointed to the board 26 years ago that he has faced opposition at the polls. He said he has no plans to change the way he’s been running things in the township.
“The township is in perfect shape. I don’t know what people want here. They have free garbage and low taxes, a good police force and a good road crew,” DeRosa said. “Everybody in the township knows all there is to know about me. I’ve been here 40 years.”
DeRosa said his background includes a college degree in mathematics and a long-time business career, starting when he was 24 years old.
“I’ve started seven businesses, all successful,” DeRosa said. “I took over a township that was completely bankrupt, had no buildings, no equipment,”
DeRosa said the township now has five buildings, owns 15 acres of property and has multiple pieces of equipment.
“I built the financial program here and I’d hate to turn it over to people who don’t know what they’re doing,” DeRosa said. “When I came here it was a depressed township and I don’t want to see it ruined.”
DeRosa said there are 2,300 acres zoned farm preservation in the township and he’d like to see them stay that way, not developed into housing tracts.
“I’m approaching 80. I’d stay home if it weren’t for the coal mine. Someone’s trying to push that mine down Forward Township’s throat. I know more about Coronado Coal than anybody here. I know the people who are involved with it and I don’t trust Coronado Coal,” DeRosa said.
DeRosa said his goal is to keep Forward Township taxes as low as possible, saying there were three times in the past when he was almost able to broker deals that would have eliminated all township taxes.
Stoffer has lived in the township for 18 years along with her husband and three children. She is in the process of completing the college degree she had put on hold to raise her family, with her youngest graduating from Elizabeth Forward High School this year.
“I’ve been working in taxation for the past 25 years specializing in foreign income tax. I work with the IRS,” Stoffer said. “I teach basic income tax classes to new employees. I’d like to start something where we could do senior tax returns in the township on a volunteer basis.”
Stoffer said she does her best to make things around her better.
“We do a lot of volunteer work as a family. We like to make things better. That’s what our goal is as a family,” Stoffer said.
Stoffer said she has been seeing a flurry of activity in the township recently.
“I want to see that same urgency 365 days a year, not just at election time, when roads get paved and mines get brought up,” Stoffer said.
Stoffer said she would like to see the township website updated to include ordinances and all other pertinent information, such as who serves on each board in the township.
“It’s 2021, everything should be at our fingertips, but it’s not,” Stoffer said. “Forward Township comes with a unique set of problems and it needs a unique set of solutions. I come with a fresh voice, but I also come in asking the community to make Forward Township better.”
Stoffer said she would like to tap the human resources in the township by getting more people involved in committees, like the citizens advisory committee in Jefferson Township to address gas well issues.
“Forward Township is a great place to live. I want to make it better,” Stoffer said. “There are creative solutions for everything.”
Stoffer said her job has given her the skill set needed to be part of the management team for the township. Stoffer said she believes in treating everyone fairly and with respect and she has enjoyed meeting more residents through her campaign meet-and-greets.
“I have a lot of leadership experience that I bring with me,” Stoffer said. “People want to be involved. Jump on that train. Get the younger families involved.”
Stoffer said if she is elected, she would be the first woman to serve as a Forward Township supervisor.

Jayme Stoffer