Candidates vie for City Council seats

In the interest of transparency, integrity, and in a sincere effort to educate and give Chester residents some insight into the thinking of the candidates running for City Council in the election on Tuesday, May 18th; we have asked
each of the three candidates running for council seats in Chester to share their views with the voters. Fairness dictates that each candidate be asked the same four questions.
Councilman Al Jacobs and Councilwoman Portia West are the incumbents in this race. Challenging for a seat on Council is Blogger, Delcora employee, and former newspaper publisher, Stefan Roots. Jacobs and West are the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidates. All are residents of the city.
Chester is a city that is evolving and, like other cities, has its challenges. Covid-19, police-involved shootings, political and social upheaval have laid bare the inequities in our nation. We have witnessed the wreckage of systemic racism, even in our small city, wherein inequities appear glaring because we are such a small city in relation to larger metropolises.
There are signs of regentrification in Chester. As a result of these practices in areas such as North Philadelphia, lifelong residents have been forced from their communities and displaced for generations, and some families subjected to chronic homelessness. With that in mind, I posed the following questions to our candidates:
■ Could Chester face a similar fate? How would you approach this situation so that it works to the best advantage for our residents?
Councilpersons Jacobs/West: We (Councilman William “Al” Jacobs and Councilwoman Portia West) have encouraged our residents to involve themselves in homeownership. As you may know, a large segment of our population lives in the Chester Housing Authority, and many of them have been there from generation to generation. We believe that if we teach our residents about the importance of becoming property owners, it will not only have a positive effect upon our residents, but it will also increase our tax base. Regentrification comes about when one is forced out of his/her property, or when someone’s property is sold by way of Sheriff Sales. Our goal is to focus on financial literacy and homeownership to prevent that.
Roots: I believe that we can have growth that does not displace our residents and still creates an opportunity for renewal in our housing stock and jobs in our community so Chester people can live in Chester homes. Chester used to have twice as many people living here as it does today, so there is plenty of room for expansion and redevelopment. We need a mix of homes and home values aligned to the needs of this renewing revitalizing community. But first, we need to solve some of the other problems facing the city first – trash, financial mismanagement, jobs, public health issues like Covanta, in order for Chester to even have the potential to gentrify.
To start, it takes a plan that involves all the stakeholders across the community. We need some degree of outside investment to benefit Chester residents. The only way to reduce the tax burden on Chester residents is to increase the tax base, which means adding businesses and some market-rate housing. I want to accomplish this with our residents, not in back rooms.
■ If re-elected/elected, what do you see as some of the most important challenges facing Chester in the future, and how are you prepared to tackle those challenges?
Councilpersons Jacobs/West: We are extremely proud of how we have dealt with one of the most challenging problems of today. Not just here in Chester but across the world. The global pandemic of Covid-19 has taken a severe toll on communities. The pandemic has taken a more severe toll on our community because we are a community of color. However, it is because of our ability to work together and the partnerships we have formed by reaching out to other entities that we have been able to meet the needs of our constituency.
Thousands of our residents have access to testing, and thousands more have been vaccinated against this deadly virus. Food has been provided consistently to those residents suffering food insecurity. Our Police Chaplains have been rendering comfort to those residents who have lost loved ones to Covid-19 and other events during this trying time. In short, we have been and will continue meeting challenges head-on.
Next up is to rehire our furloughed workers so we can provide the high level of services our constituents deserve and desperately need.
Roots: All are described on my website, rootsforchester.com. These include: building solid finances through professional, transparent city management, opening up communications with our residents, beautifying our streets through aggressive community-engaged efforts on trash removal and accountability, feeding our families through agency partnerships, attracting jobs by working with our business community and tightening our fiscal management. We need to give hope to our children, which starts by doing a better job protecting their health. And, we need a new generation of civic leaders, one which welcomes and encourages involvement in city government rather than makes folks live in fear of it.
■ As a citizen and an elected official, what is your vision for the city’s
Councilpersons Jacobs/West: By 2025 our vision is to have a number of vital businesses located here in Chester. This will create jobs and allow our residents to be gainfully employed. We also want to work with Labor’s International Local Union 413, to bring back and develop a trade school here in Chester. The college experience is not for everyone; therefore, we have to give our young people skills that ready them for life challenges and prepare them to rebuild and keep up the communities in which they reside.
Roots: It starts with a cleaner, more beautiful city. We are entering a new era of civic engagement in which we must get younger, more talented people involved in city government. My “Roots For Chester Movement” will recruit them and help them get elected. We should support and encourage entrepreneurship. We need to improve our education system and give kids a path to college or skilled jobs that do not require a college degree. We must involve citizens in our government more and hear their voices, not keep them out. And finally, we need to get out of receivership by working constructively with the receiver to manage the city’s finances and build our business base so that our residents – and in particular our seniors – will face less of a tax burden.
■ In your opinion, what should Chester citizens consider as they prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday, May 18th?
Councilpersons Jacobs/West: The citizens of Chester should consider our experience, our dedication, our commitment, and our love for the city. We did not just show up, like our opponent. Instead, we have been fighting for our constituents for decades, and together we will continue to fight.
Also, we would like for voters to push buttons 48 and 50 for the team that continues to work on their behalf.
Roots:They should consider that a vote for me is a vote for real change in Chester City government. My opponents have been in office for 20 years between the two of them. Voting for either of my opponents is a vote to keep Chester the way it is today.
I will bring a fresh approach, and I will listen to the voices of the people rather than run the city like a family
business
On May 18th, you can make your voice heard by voting only for Stefan Roots A-49 on the ballot. Thank you for this opportunity.
I thank the candidates for their participation in this article, and I encourage all citizens to go to the polls and vote. Democracy starts in our city first.