East Norriton Democrats make history with majority - The Times Herald

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The Times Herald (http://www.timesherald.com),Serving Montgomery County, Pa.

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East Norriton Democrats make history with majority

By CARL ROTENBERG crotenberg@timesherald.com Tuesday, January 3,2012 EAST NORRITON For the first time in 102 years, a four-person Democratic majority on the supervisors board reorganized on Tuesday night and selected a new supervisors chairman and vice chairman. Supervisor John Zurzola was unanimously elected supervisors chairman and Supervisor Harris Dainoff was appointed vice chairman by the board. Both Democrats began serving on the board in January 2010. Since the township was incorporated in 1909, when East Norriton split off from West Norriton, the supervisors board has been dominated by Republicans. Newly elected Democrats Tina Howell and Marc Alfarano were sworn in by Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Haaz as township supervisors for six-year terms. Howell is a financial analyst who has lived in the Penn Square neighborhood for 15 years. Alfarano has been an elementary school teacher at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy in Philadelphia for the past six years. Former township Solicitor Christen Pionzio (1999 to 2011) was replaced by Solicitor Sean Kilkenny, a lawyer who also serves Norristown and Whitemarsh. Pionzio was appointed special counsel to continue representing the township for the billboard zoning dispute. I am not going to vote on these appointments, we did not interview them, said Supervisor Don Gracia, the lone Republican on the board. I will withhold my vote since I do not know their background. The newly appointed township engineer was Remington, Vernick and Beach. Gracia made several motions for board appointments but could not get a second from any other member of the board for his choices. Two residents in the audience verbally objected to several of the board appointments. T&M, for $1,250, got to be the consulting engineer, said Nick Vilianese as he read a few contributors to the 2011 Democratic supervisors campaign contributions. No one got anything for contributions, said Zurzola. The campaign is over, said Dainoff. The No. 1 message we heard is that we want change. In the last two elections no incumbents won.

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East Norriton Democrats make history with majority - The Times Herald

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I think it is bad taste to talk about politics in a township meeting, Zurzola said. Zurzola said that the changes that need to be made in the township were staff neutral. You might notice the only changes made were some of the professionals were changed. Im really confused by this line of questioning. Were up here, were going to do our best, Zurzola said. We made those decisions and lead we will. What I am confused about are that one of the board members has not had a chance to review some of these appointments, said resident Robert Whaley. Gracia said that when changes in professional staff were made, requests for proposals were submitted by professionals and the staff and board would interview the top five candidates. That was not done this time, Gracia said. They may be well qualified. I dont know that. Gracia said he had not had an opportunity to review the professionals qualifications. One resident asked for the residents to give the new supervisors board a chance to perform. Howell and Alfarano convincingly trounced their incumbent, Republican supervisor opponents, Supervisors Chairwoman Kandy Heckman and Supervisor James Serratore III, in the Nov. 8 election. Howell led with 1,737 votes and Alfarano was second with 1,724 votes. The two Republican candidates were eliminated by comfortable margins. Serratore received 1,575 votes and Heckman received 1,530 votes. Both politicians served on the board for six years and Heckman was chairwoman for the last two years. Follow Carl Rotenberg on Twitter @CarlWriter.

URL: http://www.timesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120103/NEWS01/120109873&template=printart

2012 The Times Herald (http://www.timesherald.com),Serving Montgomery County, Pa.

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