Politics & Government

Horsham Dems Call for End to 'Business As Usual' Government

Newcomers Scott Freda, Veronica Hill-Milbourne and Ron Kolla are seeking seats on the Horsham Township Council.

Six candidates are vying for three seats on the Republican-controlled Horsham Township Council. 

Residents can "meet" them all through profiles posted here on Patch. Editor's note: the Democratic candidates opted to answer Patch's questions as a slate. (Click here to see Republican Tom Johnson's profile).

SCOTT FREDA, an entrepreneur, business leader, and activist, the Horsham resident of four years is a small business owner with experience meeting payrolls and balancing budgets. A former advisor to President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton, senators, governors, and mayors, Freda knows how government should work. He will use his experience to bring new businesses and new jobs to Horsham.  

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

VERONICA HILL-MILBOURNEis a health care executive, health care compliance professional, and community advocate. A graduate of Villanova University College of Nursing and Temple Law School, she understands the importance of listening to others, transparency, and open and honest dialogue. Hill-Milbourne has lived in Horsham for 10 years.

RON KOLLAis a lifelong Horsham resident and Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate. He learned the value of hard work by working several jobs to help pay his way through Temple University. A former instructor at Hatboro-Horsham High School, Kolla is an accomplished musician and singer. He works as an organist and cantor in local churches, including St. Alphonsus in Maple Glen, St. Catherine of Siena in Horsham, and St. Joseph in Warrington.

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What best qualifies you for a term on the Horsham Township Council? 

Our backgrounds in business, commitment to community, and an ability to bring people together, we understand that to move Horsham forward we must maximize Horsham’s assets to create economic opportunities without raising taxes or overburdening roads. Willow Grove Air Station is an example of new ideas creating a better future.   

What do you see as the big issues facing the township?

Our elected officials have never had a vote on a development issue that wasn’t unanimous. This “group thing” has deprived our community of creative thinking or new ideas. At the same time, political donors have been appointed to taxpayer-funded jobs. We must stop putting political hegemony ahead of public good. 

If elected, how would you work to handle those issues?

Our team will bring a bipartisan approach to Horsham government and end the “business as usual” culture. We will make government more open, transparent, and responsible to its residents by adopting tough ethics standards, and by broadcasting all public meetings.

What do you see as the best approach for reusing Willow Grove air base?

We believe a comprehensive long-term economic development plan to create an economic incubator zone and bring high paying jobs to Horsham is the best use. We believe including residents, developers and entrepreneurs in the planning of this development will create a more sustainable future for Horsham than a short-term project. 

What can be done locally to ease traffic congestion?

In addition to thoughtfully developing Willow Grove to ease traffic congestion, our team will work in a bi-partisan way with Harrisburg and Washington, DC to maximize transportation funding. Too little has been done in the past to elevate the traffic congestion created by new development, particularly along the 611 corridor. 

Anything else you’d like to add?

For too long our local government has suffered from a scarcity of opposing thoughts or ideas. It's time for new voices to make a great place to live even better. If you believe, like we do, that our future can be better than our past, we ask for your vote.

 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here