Fritz seeking PA Assembly seat

DAVID HULSE
Posted 8/21/12

HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Fritz is seeking the Republican nomination for vacant 111th District seat in the April 26 primary election.

Official word of Fritz’s …

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Fritz seeking PA Assembly seat

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HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Fritz is seeking the Republican nomination for vacant 111th District seat in the April 26 primary election.

Official word of Fritz’s candidacy came to the commissioners last week in an order from County Court Judge Raymond Hamill naming county treasurer Brian Field to serve on the county elections board in Fritz’s stead during his candidacy.

Republican incumbent Rep. Sandra Major created the vacancy in deciding against seeking re-election in the district, which covers most of eastern and central Susquehanna County as well as most of northern and western Wayne.

Fritz, a Honesdale resident, is employed as general manager and head of sales for a local machinery and equipment dealership. He previously served two terms as Mayor of Honesdale Borough and began his second term as county commissioner in January. He and his wife Donna Fritz have three pre-teen children.

Fritz says his goal would be to encourage job growth in the region. “We’ve been sorely lacking in business minded leadership,” he said.

Despite the travel requirements, Fritz said he has his family’s support in running. “Donna was for it immediately. The kids took a little more convincing.” In any event, “Somebody’s got to do it,” he added.

Fritz has two opponents. Jerry Birmelin of South Canaan Township in Wayne wants to return to Harrisburg. Birmelin served as 139th District representative for 22 years before retiring in 2006.

Alan T. Hall is the third candidate. Like Fritz, Hall began a second term as a Susquehanna County commissioner in January and serves as chair of the panel. Hall is a lifelong Hallstead Borough resident who served 15 years on the Blue Ridge School District Board of Education. Hall is employed as a tax advisor and is a licensed real estate agent.

In other business, the commissioners received PennDOT approval of a new increased fare schedule for the Area Agency on Aging’s shared-ride program. The new fare structure would increase the base fare (up to a four-mile ride) to $20, with incremental increases to $80 for rides of 50 miles and more. However, the approval letter warned that the 18% increase “can cause ridership to decline to the extent that revenue collected after the increase is less than before.”

The commissioners were also copied on Damascus Township Supervisors’ letter to PennDOT seeking state plans and timeframe for repairs of the recently closed Skinners Falls Bridge over the Delaware River at Milanville.

The supervisors also requested one or more informational meetings in both states to address the impacts of the bridge closure on both sides of the river.

They further signed off on an agreement allowing the Orion Gas Pipeline expansion project of the access road for county property in Berlin Township, and reappointed Craig Rickard and Mary Beth Wood to the NEPA Economic Development Agency’s board of directors.

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