One of the many things that makes Conewago Township so special, is the rural and peaceful nature of it. However, in recent years, we have all seen and experienced the huge influx of warehouses (many that stand empty for YEARS after completion), large, often poorly constructed housing developments and the perpetual loss of farmland. While growth and progress are a necessary part of the evolution of our Township and community, these projects are often approved by our current Board of Supervisors with little to no input from our residents; essentially under cover of darkness.

The old adage remains true: “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.” And, our present Board hasn’t been very eager to have open and honest discussions with you regarding these projects. Many of us are often blindsided by a major building project being constructed right in our backyard by the sound of the blasting equipment being used, or the the massive amounts of new traffic tying up our roadways.

This must be corrected. You, the citizens and residents of our beloved Conewago Township are being ignored and treated as nothing more than the “tax cattle“ to fund these expansions, while the builders and owners of the projects are granted huge, multi-year tax incentives. All while never even having the opportunity to vote on, or even be informed of what’s on the horizon.

• That’s why on DAY ONE as your new Supervisor, I will put forth a motion that EVERY new building project be subject to a publicly available hearing, in which the builder and project MUST answer questions from the public. These hearings will then be made available on line for a period of 30 days BEFORE a vote from the Board.

• I’ll also motion that EVERY new building and development plan be available for public viewing and inspection during those 30 days. These are all public documents, and you should NOT have to file an RTK request, wait a month and pay a fee to view them. Your tax dollars have already paid for them.

It is past time to hold the Board accountable to the residents and citizens directly.