Democratic mayors are running for reelection against political newcomers in Dunmore, Olyphant and Dickson City.
The election is Tuesday.
Republican Josh Perrins, candidate for mayor of Dunmore.
Mayor Max Conway of Dunmore. (Submitted)
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Republican Josh Perrins, candidate for mayor of Dunmore.
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Dunmore
Dunmore Mayor Max Conway, a Democrat, faces Republican Josh Perrins.
After a “pretty steep learning curve,” Conway said he seeks another term to continue plans to improve the downtown. His opponent says Conway “just doesn’t have the oomph.”
“I was able to get quite a bit done in my first term so far,” Conway said. “And I feel like we really laid a lot of the groundwork for what we can now start to implement in a potential second term.”
A “Downtown Dunmore Plan” was written to aid small businesses and make the borough more walkable. “Everybody seems to be on board with it,” he said.
Stage two is aggressively applying for more grants to pay for projects, he said. “I’m hopeful that mid my next term we will see some construction going on.”
The borough bought a lot in Dunmore Corners that will become a pocket park.
“From the time I have taken office as mayor, I think that there has been a kind of crazy amount of development around here. That’s not all because of me by any means. But I just think people believe in Dunmore and they want to be here,” he said.
Conway is proud that all police officers now wear body cameras, that officers have been promoted during his term and that Christmas in the Corners is coming up on its fourth season.
Outside of Dunmore, Conway’s name was in the news earlier this year, when Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan tried and failed to get him appointed in place of a commissioner who resigned. That would have led to Conway resigning as mayor before his term was over.
If reelected, Conway would serve the entire term, he said. “I have no other plans.”
“I truly believe things work out the way they are supposed to and I am right where I should be right now and that is focused on Dunmore,” he said.
Conway, 33, sells real estate with Christian Saunders Real Estate in Dunmore. He is married to WNEP meteorologist Ally Gallo. Conway graduated from Dunmore High School and Temple University, with a political science degree.
His only comment about his opponent is that he respects anyone who puts themselves forward for public service.
In turn, Perrins said Conway is a nice person who “just doesn’t have the oomph.”
Perrins said his top priorities would be improving the roads, development, and building up the police, fire and public works departments.
He proposes reaching out to schools and colleges to recruit and train workers.
To boost recruitment, Perrins also wants to allow police officers and firefighters to live outside the municipality. Currently, firefighters must live in the borough and there are restrictions on where police officers can live.
He thinks more should be done to recruit businesses to the borough. He noted that Amazon plans to build a distribution center in Hanover Twp. “Why didn’t they come here?” Perrins asked.
Perrins said the county Republican Party has “dipped” on him. He thinks there are two reasons: He supports some local and national Democrats and works at a pharmaceutical company that makes vaccines.
“I’m not MAGA,” he said.
The Republican Party of Lackawanna County did not respond to requests for comment.
Perrins works for a Monroe County location of Sanofi, a multinational pharmaceutical firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from East Stroudsburg University.
This is his first run for office. Perrins, 37, graduated from the now-closed Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre and has lived in Dunmore for several years. He is married to Maureen Perrins.
Mayor Jonathan Sedlak, Democrat of Olyphant. (Courtesy Jonathan Sedlak)
Lauren Telep, Republican candidate for Olyphant mayor (Courtesy of Lauren Telep)
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Mayor Jonathan Sedlak, Democrat of Olyphant. (Courtesy Jonathan Sedlak)
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Olyphant mayoral race
In Olyphant, Democratic Mayor Jonathan Sedlak is challenged by Republican Lauren Telep, who promotes community events as a volunteer.
Sedlak was appointed mayor in 2022, following the death of his father, John Sedlak. “Obviously, it’s gone past honoring my father,” he said.
Sedlak said he is proud of hiring police officers and investing in technology, such as updating police body cameras, a drone program and upgrading the computers in police vehicles.
He is pursuing state and federal grants to update the police station and build a garage for police vehicles. Currently, police vehicles are parked under a carport, which is not enclosed.
It is important to “continue that path, making sure they have everything that they need to go ahead and be safe” and effective, he said,
Sedlak, 42, is a senior merchant success manager for ShipMonk, a fulfillment company. He is married to Kristal Sedlak.
Sedlak and Telep have only good things to say about each other. Telep says she doesn’t feel as though she is running specifically against Sedlak.
“I love Olyphant,” she said. “I’ve been involved with a lot of activities going on in the town, and I just feel I could be a positive addition to the group that’s there in town right now.”
“Everything is good,” she said, “but we can always make it better working together.”
She is a volunteer photographer and publicist for many civic groups, submitting their announcements to the press and posting on social media. She is active in SS Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Telep is an Olyphant native who returned to the borough about 17 years ago. She is retired from working in the business sector and is a graduate of Penn State. She turns 70 on Friday.
Dickson City mayoral race
In Dickson City, Democratic incumbent Robert W. MacCallum is opposed by a write-in Republican candidate, Mellody Bielawski. She is on the ballot thanks to 41 write-in votes in the primary election.
Four-year terms
In all three municipalities, mayors work part time for a small stipend and serve four years.