Two candidates are on Tuesday’s general election ballot seeking to represent District 123 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Incumbent Tim Twardzik, a Republican, will be challenged by Michael Zvalaren, a Democrat.

District 123 covers parts of Schuylkill County, including the City of Pottsville.

Rank-and-file legislators in Pennsylvania had an annual salary of $106,422.23 in 2024, according to the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

The Times News asked each candidate the same set of questions. Their answers are printed below.

Tim Twardzik

Party: Republican

Hometown: Frackville

Background: I’m a lifelong Schuylkill County resident who joined our family’s business — Mrs. T’s Pierogies — after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. My parents, Ted and Jean, “raised me right” — to work hard, respect others and give back to the community. I’ve held leadership positions for over 40 years with numerous organizations including the Chamber, SEDCO, SCIDA, MAEA, CBHS, Allentown Diocese, MMI Prep, LVHS and the South Central PA Food Bank.

What is the biggest issue facing the district and how would you address it?

The biggest issue facing our district are the hardships forced upon our neighbors struggling through no fault of their own. Across the board inflation from higher gas prices, groceries, electricity and rent or skyrocketing mortgages is a huge worry for seniors and families alike. Uncontrolled government spending by both the federal and state is chipping away at the American Dream. I’m proud to have fiscally conservative record — protecting your wallet in Harrisburg. My staff are experienced professionals who listen, care and solve problems for constituents. This year the expanded tax/rent rebate program brought more money to seniors who needed help.

Pennsylvania has been focusing on economic growth and attracting new industries. What specific steps will you take to support job creation and small businesses in your district?

My family business background and extensive community service has proven uniquely valuable for my role in supporting job creation. A SEDCO board member for 35+ years, I’ve worked to recruit and retain jobs. The Highridge Business Park is an example of success, creating over 5,000 jobs and millions in increased tax revenues. My efforts on the Commerce Committee include easing regulation, speeding up permitting and protecting small business from unfair workers’ compensation cost adjustments during the COVID-19 shutdowns. As a past chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, SEDCO, SCIDA and the MAEA, I bring a wealth of knowledge and real life experiences.

Pennsylvania’s public schools face significant disparities in funding. How do you propose addressing these inequities to ensure every student in the district has access to quality education?

The formula to fund schools through property taxes is antiquated and broken. Our older communities have suffered population losses, causing significant reduction in property values. Higher tax millage discourages remodeling and new construction thus continuing the downward trend. While the state has increased funding to the poorest districts to help reduce the gap there is more work to be done. I have worked alongside Sen. Argall to secure millions of dollars in grant money for improvements to school districts in Schuylkill County. Without more support from the larger cities the funding inequity problem will persist.

Mental health crises, particularly among youth, have been rising across the state. How will you ensure that mental health services are adequately funded and accessible?

I support a comprehensive approach involving increased funding, improved oversight and coordination between the government, health care providers and community organizations. A House Republican Committee hearing addressed mental health Needs in rural counties. Specific bills were: HB2533 — raise awareness for 988 suicide protection call resource; HB849 — Behavioral Health Funding allocation; HB1058 — Allow kin to come forward as a resource in court proceedings; HB1553 — Suicide prevention number on school IDs. The budget added $20 million to county health programs and schools received $100 million for physical safety and mental health grants while $5 million was added to establish and maintain walk-in mental health crisis centers.

Affordable housing is a pressing issue across Pennsylvania. How will you address housing affordability and support first-time homebuyers in your district?

The American Dream of homeownership makes our communities stronger because families become invested in their neighborhoods. I enjoy a seat on the Housing and Community Development Committee that is working on fighting blight, addressing the housing shortage and encouraging first-time homebuyers. A bill to eliminate the transfer tax will save first-time homeowners thousands of dollars has been introduced. Multimillion dollar grants to fight blight have eliminated dangerous properties, created new building sites and added green space. Additional grant money has built desirable senior housing complexes that allow more carefree living while opening their homes to new families.

Michael Zvalaren

Party: Democrat

Hometown: Schuylkill Haven

Background: Michael Zvalaren, who grew up in Hopatcong, N.J., before moving to Pennsylvania in 2009, holds a Ph.D. in American history from Lehigh University. He has taught college history for nearly 20 years part time and works full time as a kitchen designer in Bethel. He has three children (James, Michael, and John) in the Blue Mountain School District, one each in the elementary, middle and high schools. His wife, Jaimiann, works from home for Home Depot.

What is the biggest issue facing the district and how would you address it?

Most issues facing Schuylkill County can be boiled down to lack of economic opportunity. Blight, crime, addiction — so many of the problems we face, at their root, are caused by people not having enough to get by. When elected, my focus will be on bringing new industries to Schuylkill County, good-paying union jobs that will lift more people into the middle class and address the disease of poverty, not just its symptoms. New green-energy initiatives will be prioritized, as they will also help to clean up our environment at the same time that they provide economic benefits for all.

Pennsylvania has been focusing on economic growth and attracting new industries. What specific steps will you take to support job creation and small businesses in your district?

I will offer tax incentives for green energy businesses to set up shop in Pennsylvania. In Schuylkill County, I will take advantage of the $27mm Sen. Casey brought in from the federal government for coal mine reclamation projects to push for geothermal energy installations to be built above them, which would lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, generate cheap, clean energy and provide more jobs for people. For small businesses, I think state and federal grants to start small businesses are a must; 99% of businesses, 90% of jobs in Pennsylvania qualify as small business — they need our support!

Pennsylvania’s public schools face significant disparities in funding. How do you propose addressing these inequities to ensure every student in the district has access to quality education?

The Basic Education Funding Commission this year came up with a detailed plan to ensure every student in the commonwealth receives a “comprehensive, effective, and contemporary” education. I would continue to push for that plan, as it ensured that districts whose funding was inadequate would receive the support they needed from the state government to close the adequacy gap. Determining school funding via property tax leads to inequity — removing that variable from the discussion is the best way to ensure every student is properly funded. Closing the Delaware and Cayman loopholes could fund our schools entirely by themselves!

Mental health crises, particularly among youth, have been rising across the state. How will you ensure that mental health services are adequately funded and accessible?

The primary issue in the field of mental health is a simple lack of inventory. Insurance companies make accessing care difficult, there are not enough mental health professionals to go around, and that goes double for counselors and others at school, the place most children turn first in such crises. We need to make it clear that insurers in Pa. must cover mental health care adequately and without stumbling blocks, we need to incentivize more workers to enter the mental health field, and we need to ensure school districts have adequate funding for more counselors, nurses, and mental health professionals.

Affordable housing is a pressing issue across Pennsylvania. How will you address housing affordability and support first-time homebuyers in your district?

Addressing blight in Pennsylvania will address the lack of affordable housing, and addressing economic inequality will address blight. There are over 500,000 vacant properties in Pa. as of 2023, but over half of those are rated “moderately or severely inadequate” by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority. Bringing in new industry with better-paying jobs will mitigate this issue. State rebates or tax breaks for first-time homebuyers can help put people in these rehabilitated properties. Grants can be made available for builders to do that work (or build new!), provided a certain percentage of these properties are classified as low-income housing.