close

Canonsburg mayor facing challenger in primary

3 min read

A political newcomer is trying to unseat Canonsburg’s mayor on the Democratic ballot in next week’s primary election.

Dave Rhome, who won election to the mayor’s seat in 2009, said he has worked closely with the school district during his term and is trying to improve the community with construction of new amenities such as America’s Pop Music Hall of Fame Museum and a neighborhood youth center.

His challenger, Tracy Weishner, is a lifelong Canonsburg resident who wants to improve public safety by improving the roads, while also bringing the younger and older generations together to discuss how to offer residents more shopping and entertainment options.

Rhome, who also is the borough’s assistant fire chief, said he is proud of the town’s work to bring new jobs to the area through expansion and relocation of new businesses. He also pointed to his efforts to improve safety at schools and adding three police officers to the borough, including one who works closely with federal drug enforcement agents.

“I feel like moving forward we’ve worked extremely hard over the past four years to keep the community safe, whether it’s in the schools or on the streets,” Rhome said. “That’s my assignment to do, along with being the ambassador for the community.”

Rhome has worked as chairman for the new Pop Music Hall of Fame Museum planned for the borough that he hopes will become a tourist attraction. The borough building also is undergoing a major renovation that will better organize the police department and municipal offices.

Rhome said he hopes to be able to continue attracting new businesses and organizing community events.

“There’s quite a bit that I’ve done,” he said.

Weishner, who previously worked as a custodian but has been limited in recent years due to a back injury, has never before run for office but she hopes to follow in the footsteps of her late grandmother, who showed her political streak by working as the judge of elections at one of the local polls. She wants to help the borough “get back on its feet” by fundraising and finding grants to revitalize the town and bring a grocery store to the main business district.

“A lot of people (who live in the high rises) do not have cars there,” Weishner said. “They need something at arm’s reach that they can get there quickly.”

She wants to bring the young people of Canonsburg together with the seniors to discuss how they can work together to bring in amenities that everyone can enjoy. She’s not sure what the answer is, but thinks they can work together to find a solution.

“It needs to be done,” Weishner said. “I believe the young people in the town respect their elders, and I would like to come up with something that would unite them and show they are the base of this town. It’s important for us to respect them and thank them for that.”

The winner in the Democratic primary on Tuesday will face Republican Anthony Ross in November’s general election.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today