Sharpsburg voters will see two familiar faces on the ballot for mayor.

Brittany Reno and Joe Simbari, both current council members, are competing for the office. The current mayor, Matthew Rudzki, is not running for re-election.

Reno won the Democratic nomination in the May primary. Simbari got the Republican nomination with write-in votes.

Here are their answers to questions posed by the Tribune-Review:

Brittany Reno

Political Party: Democratic

Age: 31

Education: Bachelor of arts in media & professional communications with a certificate in corporate & community relations from the University of Pittsburgh; currently pursuing a master of sustainability in sustainable urban and community planning from Chatham University.

Occupation: Executive director, Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization

If elected, what are two short-term goals?

One goal is to continue improving access for everyone in the community to different social services and economic opportunities, Reno said.

“My background in human services and economic development lends me a unique perspective on not just business district development and urban planning, but also the critical safety issue of ensuring that residents have their basic needs met,” Reno said. “I’ve seen first-hand the transformative power of mental health, food access, after-school and workforce development programs, and expanding access to these opportunities through our police department and local social service agencies will improve safety and stability in our neighborhood.”

A second goal, she said, would be to address critical environmental issues like flooding.

“I will continue to work tirelessly to study and address our flooding and infrastructure challenges through grant-writing, advocacy and multi-municipal stormwater planning partnerships with our uphill neighbors. This problem is not small, but with a coordinated effort, we can rise above it.”

If elected, what is one long-term goal?

Reno would like to see more people involved in local government and community initiatives because she said change that’s done for the community should be led by the community. “Everyone is passionate about something, and I believe strongly that everyone has strengths that position them to be leaders in our community,” she said. “It is a primary long-term goal of mine to help others here find their passions and strengths and help them lead in service to our community.

“Everyone has the capacity to be a leader in one way or another, and I hope to continue building the assets and addressing the challenges of our community through sustained, collaborative efforts by our diverse and talented collection of neighbors,” Reno said. “When people are able to work, grow and contribute in ways that are meaningful to them and impactful to the community, we all benefit.”

How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process?

“Social media outreach is valuable and important, but through it, we miss a critical portion of our residents and local business owners so I would move to create a quarterly community-wide newsletter from the borough to ensure that more people know about upcoming events, issues of concern and opportunities to get involved,” she said.

“To me, public service is about being able to meaningfully help and involve people one-on-one, whether that’s helping them navigate a complex system, apply for jobs, get a great idea off the ground or get answers from utility companies.”

As mayor, Reno said her door would always be open “so that every resident knows that if they are struggling or have an important idea or concern for our community, I will be there to help them navigate the situation, connect them to the people they need to talk to and come out the other side stronger.”

Joseph Simbari

Political Party: Registered Democrat, won the Republican nomination through write-in votes

Age: 55

Education: BSBA from Duquesne University in accounting

Occupation: Automotive retail

If elected, what are two short-term goals?

“I will make sure that I effectively communicate with our residents and our neighboring communities before I contact the media,” Simbari said.

“I have no ambition of running for a paying job as a legislator or any other position that involves a substantial income. Therefore, I will not be using the office of Sharpsburg mayor as a platform to promote myself and to get free media exposure.”

A second goal would be to make sure that every resident knows and understands that Sharpsburg is about all of its 3,000-plus residents, Simbari said.

“Unfortunately, the few loud voices get attention and dictate what sometimes is a false narrative,” he said.

If elected, what is one long-term goal?

“Sharpsburg is in the midst of a transformation like we’ve never seen before,” Simbari said. “This town, now more than ever, needs a mayor dedicated to being the mayor.”

“We need a mayor to actually support our police department, not plaster social media with police photo opps and then undermine police,” Simbari said.

“My goal is to actually serve Sharpsburg and restore the idea of a mayor putting the borough first in front of any personal political ambitions.”

How do you plan to communicate with constituents and involve them in the decision-making process?

“The only way to truly communicate with people is to regularly speak with them,” Simbari said. “Therefore, if elected, I would publish online and print a quarterly mayor’s newsletter.

“In addition to addressing the residents of Sharpsburg, the newsletter would also feature a “Suggestion Box” where residents could anonymously return feedback. The ultimate situation would be live interaction at council meetings, but in the absence of live interaction, I think the newsletter is a good idea.”

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