Four candidates for Forward Township seat

Two Democrats and two Republicans are on the May 20 primary ballot.

The ballot is as crowded as it has ever been in the race for a spot on the Forward Township board of supervisors.

In the running for one, six-year seat are Democrats Thomas D. Prentice Jr. and Timothy Bell, both newcomers, and two Republicans — newly appointed supervisor Amy L. Cline and returning candidate Jayme Stoffer.

Cline was selected in April to replace former supervisor Dave Magiske, filling a vacancy that expires Dec. 31.

Stoffer has put her hat in the ring again after losing in 2021 to current Chairman Tom DeRosa and again in 2023 to sitting Supervisor Dave Levdansky.

The winner of each party’s nomination will square off in the fall general election.

Timothy Bell (D)

Bell is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Pennsylvania Army National Guard (retired). He worked for 20 years with the Port Authority of Allegheny County and spent 10 years advocating for workers’ rights as a union representative for Local 85.

“I have a lifetime of public service,” Bell said. “I bring leadership, accountability and problem solving skills to move Forward Township in the right direction.”

He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1985 and took numerous leadership courses while serving with the Air Force and Army National Guard.

If elected, Bell said he wants to first focus on “stagnant” leadership.

“Forward Township deserves a strong, forward-thinking leadership, not the same ‘old guard’ mentality,” he said. “The outdated way of doing business fails our community. It is time to put people first.”

Bell also wants to focus on problems with Kelly Run Landfill.

“With our local landfill reaching capacity, we must secure sustainable waste solutions and ensure residents receive fair garbage rates,” he said. “Long-term environmental and public health risks from landfill leachate and odors must be taken seriously. I will advocate for stronger oversight, transparency and accountability in all landfill operations.”

Keeping coal mines out of Forward Township is also something Bell plans to advocate for.

“Our township’s identity is rooted in its rural landscapes and close-knit neighborhoods — not coal mining,” he said. “I strongly oppose any attempt to bring a coal mine into our community.”

If elected, Bell said he won’t accept health care benefits or a paycheck.

“Instead I will donate my salary to our volunteer fire departments, where it can be used to FORWARD TWP. •A4

Amy Cline (R)

A longtime Forward Township resident, Cline was appointed to the board of supervisors in April to fill a vacancy that will expire at the end of this year.

Through her education, which included extensive coursework in management and writing, she gained valuable experience when she studied abroad as a college junior in Cambridge, England.

Through her internship and in-field experience with The Cleveland Orchestra, she was hired full-time and spent 16 years as a professional fundraiser and coordinator of 3,100 volunteers.

She graduated in 2020 from the Local Government Academy’s NEOC Program, where she received formal training in municipal management. Additionally, she has served as Forward Township’s selected representative to the Steel Rivers Council of Governments for the past 13 years.

She currently sits on SRCOG’s executive board and serves on the Board of Directors of the Allegheny County Conservation District, which, in addition to its conservation and permitting efforts, oversees the Farmland Preservation Program in Allegheny County.

“I have been an outspoken voice against the proposed Coronado coal mine in Forward Township, serve on the township’s oil and gas committee, am founder and chairman of the Concerts in the Park series at Gallatin-Sunnyside Park and have served for several years as a local judge of elections,” Cline said. If elected to a full term, she first wants to focus on responsible management.

“(I want to) continue the township’s legacy of efficient and effective staffing, ensuring contracts and public policies serve to benefit the township and its residents while keeping taxes low to maximize the quality and affordability of life in Forward Township,” she said.

Cline also wants to improve communication.

“(I’d like to) ensure that communications from board members are based on fact, rather than partisan politics,” she said. “(To) improve communications with township residents to keep them engaged and informed, rather than reducing them to voiceless observers of meeting livestreams.”

She thinks it’s important to celebrate community assets, including the township’s landscape and recreation.

“Forward Township has thousands of acres of preserved farms in our Agricultural Security Area, which will provide rural vistas to local residents and visitors in perpetuity,” Cline said. “From Triple B Farm to Schwirian’s Sunflower Festival. From Beckett’s Run National Tree Farm and the Windinoll Wild Plant Sanctuary to the Prentice Farm which was featured on a recent Historic Bam and Farm Foundation Tour, there is beauty to behold. Should we apologize for our pastoral countryside? No.

“From Riverview Golf Course to the pickleball courts and playground at Gallatin- Sunnyside Park, Family Funscape/Copperhead Canyon to the summer concerts in the park, walking, biking, boating, finishing, hunting. … Should we do away with those? No.”

Tom Prentice Jr. (D)

Prentice has lived in Forward Township on his family farm since 1975.

A 1983 Elizabeth Forward High School grad, he has been married to his wife for 35 years and has one daughter who is in college.

He believes his life experience will bring a lot to the table.

“I have 30 years of experience in site development. This includes earth moving, road building, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, water line repair and installing for large corporations, including PA American Water and Westmoreland Water,” Prentice said. “ I also was a supervisor of multiple construction crews along with hiring and training new employees.

“I have 40 years of experience operating heavy equipment and was a co-owner of a 40-bed personal care residence for 27 years until it was sold in 2023. In cooperation with the other owners, I was involved in strategic planning for long-term business success and was secretary/treasurer of the corporation.”

Currently, he is the owner and operator of Prentice Farm LLC, the first farm in Allegheny County to be enrolled in Farmland Preservation, ensuring the land will be permanently preserved for agriculture production.

“I feel my work experience in these areas would be an asset to the position of township supervisor,” Prentice said. “If elected, I would like to bring transparency, open dialogue and make decisions based on what is best for the whole community.”

Prentice said he believes township residents have common goals.

“I truly believe that we all want the same thing for our township. Are there things we can change for the better? Probably, no community is perfect,” he said. “I hope everyone can take a step back and appreciate what we do have and work together to better it for all of the township residents.

“I am committed to this community and if elected, committed to working together with the residents and listening to their concerns and trying to address the issues. … Together, we can continue to better our beautiful township.”

Jayme Stoffer (R)

Stoffer, a longtime resident, said she will bring a lifetime of hard work with her if elected to the board of supervisors.

“I am a proven leader with vast experience in budgets, forecasting, project management, strategic planning and cost control,” she said. “As a leader, I excel in problem solving, collaboration and emotional intelligence.

“I come with a strong financial, business and leadership background. I make sound, fiscal decisions based on facts and being well prepared. I never speak without hard facts. I communicate clearly and effectively. I excel at creative and analytical thinking, but have equally strong people skills, plus patience, tact, professionalism and a community mindset.”

Stoffer has lived in Forward Township for 22 years with her husband, Travis, and children Travis Jr., Callie and Josie.

Community service is a high priority for Stoffer and her family.

“I regularly volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Dress For Success Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Washington City Mission,” she said. “While my husband was employed by the Forward Township police, my family was a staple at Community Days and the Christmas program.

“We started a toy drive that was incredibly successful, along with ensuring residents had Thanksgiving dinners by orchestrating a turkey drive with all sides included.”

If elected, Stoffer said her top focuses will be Kelly Run Sanitation, the sale of Elizabeth Borough Sewage Authority and fiscal responsibility/transparency to the public.

“My first area of concern is the closing of Kelly Run (Landfill),” Stoffer said. “Currently, we cannot find an actual contract. It is set to close this fall. No one has any clue as to what is happening and we as residents are caught in the crosshairs. The old contract deals in tonnage, while a newer contract specifies leachate. This is a major issue for our community that will affect future revenue, as well as environmental concerns.

“…We need to be proactive, not reactive. I will work to ensure we find the correct contract.”

She is also concerned about the sale of the Elizabeth Borough Sewage Authority.

“My second area of concern is sewage,” Stoffer said. “That began over two years ago as well. Since that time, a lawsuit filed by our township supervisors against the Elizabeth Borough Sewage Authority (has) created very costly attorney’s fees. As to the current lawsuit, it’s difficult to rewrite history, and since we do not (and unfortunately never had) have a seat on the Elizabeth Borough Sewage Board, (even though we contributed almost 25% of the total volume that it treated) is not something I can rectify, but if elected I can act as a new set of eyes on the problem and look for a reasonable solution and most importantly, keep issues such as this on our radar.”

Stoffer wants to also focus on fiscal responsibility and transparency.

She’d like to see meetings livestreamed and develop an emergency alert system, partnering with local first responders to inform residents of emergencies rather than relying on social media. A township newsletter would also be helpful, she said.

“As a small community with a dwindling tax base, we need to be more concerned with our future rather than focusing on what we did in years past,” she said. “I am concerned about the lack of planning being done for the future of Forward Township.

“We have a dwindling population and a dwindling tax base. We as residents hear what our current supervisors have done in the past, but no one mentions our future. We need to be fiscally smart and start thinking about our future, not just our right now. … I believe in honesty, integrity and professionalism. I am simply a resident who loves her community and wants to keep it the way that it is. I would love the opportunity to serve as Forward Township supervisor to provide more perspective of the average resident, along with the professionalism this township is in dire need of.”