Jackson Township Supervisor Jack Rader Jr. is running for state representative in the newly drawn 176th House District in Monroe County.

Rader plans to officially announce his candidacy during a 5 p.m. Jan. 4 gathering at Mountain Springs Resort, which he owns, in Jackson Township.A lifelong Jackson Township resident and township supervisor for the past 27 years, with a Susquehanna University business degree, Rader, 59, cites property tax reform and creating jobs as being among his areas of focus should he win the seat."High taxes, burdensome mandates and unfunded regulations are not 'good government,'" said Rader, who chairs the Pocono-Jackson Water Authority and Hamilton-Jackson-Pocono Open Space/Parks Committee. "Tax dollars should not be spent in ways that may and often do hinder economic growth. The government practice of spending more than it takes in is wrong and puts us, and more importantly future generations, at risk."The vice president of the Monroe County Council of Governments and past president of Monroe County Township Officials, Rader vice-chairs the planning board serving Jackson, Chestnuthill, Ross, Polk and Eldred townships."This has taught me how to play nice with others within the district as we work together on planning and growth issues within the region and actually throughout the county," said the married father of four who has coached children's sports. "I am for finding a sensible common-ground approach to governing without giving up one's basic principles."Mario Scavello represents the district, which will encompass areas of the West End in 2014.However, Scavello already has announced he will seek the Republican nomination for the relocated 45th Pennsylvania Senate District.Distributed by MCT Information Services