Three Jim Thorpe Borough Council four-year terms and a two-year term will be decided in Tuesday’s general election.

Incumbents Michael Yeastedt, Michael Rivkin and Robert Schaninger, and newcomers Connor Rodgers and Sydney Wernett will vie for the four-year seats, while Yeastedt and Wernett will square off for the two-year seat.

Connor Rodgers

Background: Republican Connor Rodgers is seeking a council seat in Jim Thorpe Borough, Carbon County. I am a lifelong resident of the Germantown section of the east side of Jim Thorpe and current Junior at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. I am the son of Vince and Natalie Rodgers and have experience in municipal government stemming from my service as the first Junior Council person of Jim Thorpe and involvement in borough operations for several years.

Why you are running for office: Within my involvement, I have learned what problems need to be addressed and what residents desire. I understand the unique challenges the borough faces and am now ready to represent the entire borough and work for the residents to make a positive impact. I bring valuable fresh perspective to address issues and work on priorities such as fixing roads and infrastructure we use daily, providing resources for our valuable public safety, and enhancing community engagement.

The biggest problem facing the borough and how would you solve it: Out of the many issues the borough faces, one of the major issues is the lack of revenue coming into the borough, despite a nationally ranked tourist industry. Residents rightly expect a borough that offers a superior quality of life, suitable infrastructure, and top-tier emergency services. Neglected revenue from the tourist industry prevents the borough from investing in the community for its continued well-being.

Other comments: Connor is a member of Christ United Church of Christ of Jim Thorpe and enjoys worshipping there. He has worked as a park ranger at Mauch Chunk Lake Park and has worked for Mauch Chunk Trust Company as well as the Carbon County District Attorney’s office.

Michael Yeastedt

Background: Born in Lehighton, a resident of Jim Thorpe since 1979. Graduated from Lehighton High School, attended two years at Penn State and retired after 40 years and six months on the railroad with Conrail/CSX, 30 years as a manager, finishing as an Engineer of Signal Construction. Married with two children and three grandchildren.

Why you are running for office: We are just starting the building projects for Memorial Hall and the new Public Service Garage, both needing construction management to ensure they stay on schedule and budget. We have major infrastructure upgrades. We need to manage costs by obtaining grants and low interest loans.

Other projects are High Street Wall stabilization, Center Avenue water project and Memorial Park playground reconstruction. I’m looking forward to working with the new council on improvements to the community.

The biggest problem facing the borough and how you would solve it: Containing the rising costs of municipal services by making sure that every dollar is wisely spent. We leverage leasing versus buying, extending the service life where possible but buying when costs outweigh benefits, pursue grants and loans, work with interested partners and manage our resources to keep costs down.

Other comments: Parking or the lack of it and crowd control impact the quality of life for our residents. We’ve reached out for use of Mauch Chunk Lake Park, Sam Miller and Immaculate Conception for parking, but we need more space. We have opportunities to develop borough property for parking at the top of the Opera House Hill or off to the side of Flagstaff Road. We need to look at traffic management options to control the traffic flow.

Michael Rivkin

Background: I have been in hospitality and business for my entire career. Being self employed teaches the value of fiscal responsibility. Being in business reinforces the value of treating employees well. And working internationally in hospitality requires communication skill, allowing one to communicate well with people of different opinions, cultures and beliefs, in order to find common ground for the benefit of all.

Why you are running for office: I have been involved in civics all of my professional career. I was raised to always “Give Back” to the community. And having always lived and worked in ‘tourist towns’ means one sees both the benefits and challenges tourism brings. Both need to be managed carefully. I desire to preserve and respect Jim Thorpe history by helping to keep Jim Thorpe desirable as a place to visit and a great place to live and work.

The biggest problem facing the borough and how you would solve it: The greatest challenge we face is “Over Tourism”- as we see in communities around the country and around the globe. To manage crowds, Mayor Mike Sofranko and I started the Events Committee, headed by Jim Thorpe Police Chief Schatz in early 2020. We need to look at better methods of managing the crowds to address the traffic issues, and prevent negatively affecting the very reasons people do want to live, work and play in Jim Thorpe.

Other comments: The economic benefits of tourism are only one aspect of what makes Jim Thorpe tick. Being on council for nearly two years now has of course allowed me to work with the various parts of what make our borough work. From budget planning for essential services to working with the people in all the positions that keep Jim Thorpe open and operating. It’s actually quite rewarding and I have to say, I enjoy working with the teams.

Sydney Wernett

Background: My current background includes working in local government at Carbon County. I have worked in various offices within the courts to further my knowledge within the judicial system. I currently work as a full-time Deputy Sheriff. I enjoy serving all of the constituents of Carbon County.

Why you are running for office: I am running for Jim Thorpe Borough Council, because I want to bring a fresh perspective to the community. I want to have things for the locals of the town to do such as movies in the local park, and more. Besides having local activities, I want to make sure that council properly uses the funds to reinvest into the community and avoid raising taxes.

The biggest problem facing the borough and how you would solve it: The two biggest problems I see that the borough is facing is the overcrowding of people and traffic from the tourism and lack of activities for the community. Residents of Jim Thorpe are unable to enjoy their hometown on their days off due to the overcrowding of traffic and visitors. Some feel that they are trapped due to it, which is unfair. There has to be a compromise between the tourism and residents.

Other comments: I feel that my background with the County of Carbon and my current role as Deputy Sheriff will be beneficial to the constituents of Jim Thorpe. I look forward to serving the community on council, and bring new ideas that are needed.